Article reposted from Miamiok.com
Author: Monty Franks
Mike Barlow, longtime head athletic trainer at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, has accepted the assistant athletic trainer’s position at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin.
“This is an excellent career opportunity for me,” Barlow said. “I’ve met with all the Southern coaches and staff and will officially begin my duties Tuesday.”
Barlow will serve in the absence of 14-year head athletic trainer Darin Moore, who is currently on medical leave.
A member of the National Athletic Trainers Association, Barlow has been the head trainer at NEO since 1993. He spent four years 2005-2009 as head trainer at Miami High School before returning to NEO in 2010.
During his 16-year career at NEO, Barlow worked with football, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s rodeo, Norse Stars and cheerleading.
Barlow also taught several classes on an adjunct basis in the health and physical education and recreation department.
A native of Liberal, Kansas, Barlow earned an associate’s degree from Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College and a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. He has a master’s of science degree in athletic training.
“During my career at NEO, my responsibilities were to make sure the health and care of more than 360 athletes at NEO were met,” Barlow said. “I also worked in the past with the Oklahoma Boys State and the National Youth Sports Program during the summer.”
While Barlow worked with anything involving athletic injuries at NEO, his primary responsibilities at Missouri Southern will be working with second-year head coach Denver Johnson’s MIAA Lions football team.
“Although my main priority will be football, there may be other areas that I might be involved with on a short-term basis,” Barlow said. “My main hope is that I am able to continue what Darin has established and that is a program that provides quality care for Division II MIAA athletes.
“It’s important that we continue to have a strong student training program that helps bring young people into the training profession,” Barlow said. “We want to help students continue on an academic path towards a degree in athletic training or a health-related field.”