Northern State University in Aberdeen says it’s a game changer: a new agreement with Sanford Health to provide sports medicine services to the school’s student athletes.
The agreement also includes a $2 million donation, which the school will use for scholarships.
It’s an agreement the schools says puts it more squarely on the map.
The agreement means Northern State will have access to Sanford doctors, athletic trainers and orthopedic surgeons.
Athletic Director Josh Moon says this is a huge deal in more ways than one. “It’s a game changer for us. We talk about sports medicine; the enhancements for our student athletes with the aditional athletic training support and physician support, orthopedic surgeon support, is awesome for us.”
Already, there is an extra athletic trainer on duty as Northern to help atheletes through the aches and pains ofr training and to also help in physical rehab. Wrestler Joe Gomez was in for some rehab work just a few hours ago. “It just makes us feel more confident about what we’re doing here and that we are going to be well taken care of.”
But the agreement doesn’t just help northern on the training side of things.
As part of the Sanford partnership, Northern will now be able to offer an additional 12 full ride atheltic scholarships every year.
“It makes me feel personally feel like we’re taken more seriously as athletes here and it is becoming a bigger deal here.” Volleyball player Kelsey Chambers says with more scholarships, Northern will have a better shot at landing players who might typically opt for a larger school in a larger city. “So if we have more money and more scholarships to offer people to come here its going to make them want to come here more.”
The deal means better care for Northern student athletes with the added component of helping the school be more competitive as well.
NSU wrestling coach Rocky Burkettt tells us the initial agreement for this Northern-Sanford partnership calls for the deal to run for the next 10 years.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.ksfy.com/home/headlines/Sanford-Health-partners-with-NSU-on-sports-medicine-program-323043701.html