“Revolutionary Work” is a series that highlights the people who make the New England Revolution tick behind the scenes, from the equipment room to the boardroom.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Danny Rivas found his path to athletic training similar to the way most do – he got injured. After dislocating his ankle while playing high school basketball, he was introduced to athletic training and physical therapy for the first time. He was inspired, in awe of what his physical therapist could do, and drawn to the world of sports medicine. From there, Rivas never looked back.
Rivas started his journey at Western Carolina University, a big shift from his native Queens, New York. He earned a bachelor’s degree in athletic training and continued his education at the University of West Alabama, earning a master’s in kinesiology and exercise science, before completing the Doctor of Athletic Training program at Moravian University.
Rivas thought he was chasing his dreams to work in American football, but what he didn’t know at the time was that his true calling was somewhere else.
“I love this story, because I thought I wanted to work in American football, then I found out I was looking for the wrong football,” said Rivas, prior to working with the men’s soccer team during graduate school. “They put me with the men’s soccer team and there were people represented from so many different countries. I loved the inclusivity, the different cultural backgrounds, and different mindsets. I just loved how diverse it was. This was one of the first times I felt at home around other Hispanic people.”
With his family hailing from El Salvador, Rivas speaks both fluent English and Spanish and is surrounded by Spanish-speakers at home. He explained that he grew up in a lot of predominantly white spaces outside of his own home, so when he found community in soccer, he didn’t want to let it go.
“It just felt right,” he said. “I felt like this was what I wanted to do. I wanted to chase this and see how far it could go. From there, I was looking for jobs specifically in soccer and luckily, I was able to work my way up.”
Rivas began his career in professional soccer in USL, working as the head athletic trainer for Sacramento Republic FC before finding his way to the Revs. Now, he enters his fourth season in New England as an assistant athletic trainer and rehab coordinator.
His role on the team is invaluable, keeping players healthy, and guiding them safely back to the field after injury. As one of the few fully bilingual members of the staff, Rivas serves as an essential bridge between the team and its diverse roster, building stronger relationships and helping players feel understood across language barriers.
Injuries are a difficult experience for everyone, but for professional athletes, long-term injuries can have a major effect on their career, physical strength, and their mental health. That’s why having someone like Rivas matters. He and the rest of the medical staff are people the players can trust. For Revolution players, rehab is about more than returning to the pitch — it’s about returning to what they love.
The job can be demanding; traveling throughout the season, attending every training session, staying late to provide treatment, and managing the pressure of helping key players return to action. All of this comes with the emotional weight of supporting athletes through some of the hardest moments of their careers. Rivas acknowledges the challenges, but says those moments remind him of his purpose – to help people.
One of the most meaningful moments of his career came last season, when former Revolution attacker Tomás Chancalay returned to play after tearing his ACL in 2024. After nearly a year of recovery, surgery, and rebuilding strength under Rivas’ guidance, Chancalay finally stepped back onto the field. It was a long journey, made easier by the support of a good athletic trainer.
“Being there day in and day out, spending every day with somebody, you have to balance your emotions and energy because you need to provide a good environment for the athlete. I really enjoy that challenge, but through it, the good days, bad days, boring days, fun days, you get really close with people,” Rivas explained. “Seeing Chancalay go back in for his first game was one of the highlights of my career. He and I were able to get so close. We both arrived to the club around the same time in 2023 and he really enjoyed the fact that I was able to speak Spanish and connect with him. We had a really good relationship, so when he got hurt it was kind of a no-brainer that I was going to work with him.”
Rivas was the one who ran onto the field to evaluate Chancalay’s injury during the May 25, 2024 match against New York City FC, and he knew he would have to deliver difficult news. From that moment forward, he stayed by Chancalay’s side for the next 234 days.
“Rehab can be hard and emotional, especially for a player living so far from home. He was homesick as part of his rehab ran into the offseason he and wanted to go back home to Argentina while still getting care. So, we found a way. I ended up going back with him to Argentina, found a doctor there, and we came up with a plan,” he said. “That was really cool, to work on an international level with different physios, and go to a country I've never been to before. I dove into the culture and met his family, met his friends. You would never expect to be able to do something like that just because you're rehabbing somebody with an ACL, but it was a really cool experience and we bonded through that.”
Reflecting upon his time with the Revolution, Rivas has come to appreciate just how far his responsibilities extend beyond taping ankles or designing rehab plans. He’s passionate about the clinical and educational aspects of his work, but he knows the human side is what makes the job truly meaningful. Over time, he’s learned that being an athletic trainer means becoming part of the fabric of players’ lives, especially during their most vulnerable moments. That responsibility shapes how he approaches every day with the team.
“There is such a psychological element to what we do. These guys are with us all day, every day. They confide in us, tell us things they don’t tell anyone else sometimes, because we are some of the most consistent people in their lives, other than family, but we spend a lot of time together,” Rivas said. “People put professional athletes on a pedestal, but they’re human, too. They deal with real life issues like anyone else. There’s physical stress, or emotional stress that can turn physical and can affect how people recover, how they perform, so it’s all intertwined. I always make sure if someone’s dealing with something, whether it be physical or not, that I can recognize that and get them the help they need.”
Through all the schooling, long hours, and clinical work, the belief that caring for athletes means caring for the whole person is what drives Rivas. It’s what keeps him steady through the ups and downs of professional sports, and it’s why the Revolution trusts him not just as a medical professional, but as someone who sees players beyond the jersey.
From a high school injury to the sidelines of MLS, Rivas’ journey proves that the setbacks we face can make us stronger and lead us exactly where we are meant to be. Sometimes, we just need someone there to support us along the way.
