Abi Francisco‘s passion for athletics has never faded away — and only continues to strengthen.

Francisco has been the senior athletic trainer at El Camino College for almost ten years and the interim athletic director as of Monday, March 10.

Francisco grew up in Torrance, California and played soccer her whole life.

She competed in soccer heavily beginning at 8 years old and all throughout her time at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School.

“I lived, breathed and slept soccer until I went to undergrad,” Francisco said.

She attended San Diego State University knowing she wanted to get in its athletic training program.

“I like that my path took me back here. The South Bay is awesome,” Francisco said.

She holds a sense of honor in being a part of the athletics program at ECC.

Francisco said El Camino has always been one of the most competitive colleges in the state, not only in Southern California but in the state of California.

In terms of competition and success rate in the past 20 years, the Warriors athletics program has always been up there.

“To be a part of this program as an athletic trainer is awesome and now to be part of the administration part of it, I get to hold a deeper sense of pride with us, with the community, LA and the college itself and its athletic program,” Francisco said.

Francisco anticipated being in an administrative role later in life but took the opportunity once it was presented before her.

Warriors baseball coach Grant Palmer said his experience working with Abi has been exceptional.

“Her transitioning into this athletic director role, it’s been really a seamless transition,” Palmer said. “The biggest thing that she’s done for us, for our team and for our program is she really cares and it’s authentic.”

Palmer recognizes Francisco’s authenticity and shares that the baseball team members gravitate towards her, because of her passion and her wanting the best for them.

Francisco’s educational background consists of a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in athletic training from San Diego State University, and a master’s degree in kinesiology from California Baptist University.

“At heart I’m a student. I love learning new things. Most of what I was learning was based on sports medicine and science and doing research on biomechanics and injury prevention,” Francisco said.

Throughout graduate school, she saw herself becoming an administrator in the near future.

“When I was in school finishing up my master’s degree, I knew that eventually I would want to be the athletic director of an institution,” Francisco said.

In her career, she has worked with various administrators, athletic trainers, institutions and mentors in California.

She’s been part of California Community College Committees and worked for Compton College aside from ECC.

She began her professional athletic training career at The Walt Disney Company.

She worked as an athletic trainer for four years primarily working on the medical side of prevention and injury with employees, performers, dancers, stage managers and acrobats.

Francisco enjoys learning and being able to see the other side of how an athletics program is run, being in her current position.

Francisco learns something new everyday and meets someone new everyday. Her administrative role forces her to speak to more people.

“As an administrator and I have to speak to way more people it’s all really fun and interesting to see this side of athletics, instead of exclusively the medical side which is still a very fun side,” Francisco said.

Her position as interim athletic director is a much bigger scale.

“I’ve worked with all of our 22 programs on a smaller scale and this is a bigger scale that I am now working with,” Francisco said.

Francisco has a good relationship with ECC’s coaches and student athletes. She describes her ability to build relationships as one of her greatest strengths.

“I think for me personally that’s probably one of my greatest strengths and what helped me get into this position is being able to cultivate really good relationships with anyone that I’m working with,” Francisco said.

CJ Arnold, athletics specialist said she has always brought the same work ethic to the program all throughout the job titles she’s held.

“Things that have remained the same are her hard work, her attention to detail, her passion and just her energy, you can pick up on that,” Arnold said.

Francisco hopes to continue to build upon the legacy ECC’s athletics program has.

“We have had a good amount of professional athletes that come from El Camino College I want to keep the reputation going, our legend going and whatever I can do to be a part of that, I’ll do it,” Francisco said.