Category: NATM2017

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Pennsylvania Athletic trainer Ashlee McQuown shows dedication to her job

Article reposted from The Progress
Author: Jaclyn Yingling

West Branch’s Ashlee McQuown has been around sports all her life. Her mom was a successful basketball coach at Glendale, and she and her two sisters all played sports in high school.

McQuown, who played basketball, volleyball and softball in school, had thoughts of continuing her basketball career at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, but injuries and a desire to to give her all to her major scuppered the idea.

“I grew up in an athletic family,” McQuown said. “From the time I was young, sports were a major part of my life. So I knew when I graduated I didn’t want to leave that aspect of my life behind. I also love to help people. I have been blessed with people always being gracious and helping me when I asked, so I wanted to be able to pay it forward. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I put the two together and decided to become an athletic trainer.

“I did not have a major injury until my senior year in high school. The care, appreciation and work to get me to return to play as soon as possible by my certified athletic trainers created a lasting effect on me, and I knew that this was the job for me.”

McQuown has put her all into her profession, working long hours and putting in a lot of legwork on the West Branch campus.

The Glendale High School graduate started working for the school right after her graduation from Pitt-Bradford, and she hasn’t looked back since.

That was seven years ago.

Since coming to the school, lots of things have changed. Coaches have come and gone, but the student-athletes of the school and the administration have come to rely on McQuown and her expertise.

That expertise has only grown since she started, as the Glasgow native completed her Master’s degree in exercise science and health promotion with a concentration in sport psychology from California University of Pennsylvania.

All of the knowledge helps her when dealing with her student-athletes on a daily basis. And, since McQuown is contracted through the school and not through a company like Drayer, she has the luxury of devoting all of her time to her kids.

Since every sport season is different, McQuown broke down one of her recent days in the winter.

“My start time does not begin until 12:30-1 p.m.,” she said. “When I arrive, I take care of paperwork and athletic files or treatment programs until any athletes are available for treatment or rehabilitation during study hall periods. On this particular day, girls basketball teams are away, boys basketball teams are practicing and wrestling teams have a home event.

“Since I cover junior high and varsity events, when my junior high girls basketball team is dismissed for traveling to their game, I tape and treat any of the girls who need it before they leave. Once school is dismissed, the boys basketball players will come down to the athletic training room for taping and treatment if needed. They will practice for two hours after school, which is the exact amount of time before wrestling begins to set up for their home meet.

“During the set up time, I am taping and treating any varsity girls basketball players who need it before they depart for their game. I then take all of my necessary equipment and supplies into the gym for the wrestling meet. The teams weigh in at 5 p.m., and once they are changed and cleared to participate, they come to me for taping and treatment. Junior high wrestling begins at 6 p.m., where I take care of any injuries, blood time and first aid that is required. Varsity wrestling begins directly after junior high, usually at 7 p.m.

“During this time, I take care of the same things as junior high required, as well as tape and monitor the cheerleading squads during their stunts in between bouts. Once the match has ended, I make sure all the athletes that require ice or post-event treatment are taken care of and accounted for, and then I begin to clean up all supplies that were utilized during the event. Usually, on a good night, I am able to leave the school to travel home by 9 p.m.”

Despite the long days and hours that she puts in, McQuown says she loves her job. One of the biggest reasons — her kids.

“The athletes, hands down are why I love my job,” she said. “Although there are times that they can really push your buttons by not listening or trying to get out of treatments, my athletes are the reason why I can be excited to go to work every day. It makes it so much easier to know that they trust me and will do what I say (sometimes with resistance or attitude) because they know that the only thing I want for them is to be the best and most successful athlete that they can be.

“It is honestly the best thing in the world to watch these athletes succeed, and I will always want to be there for them in any way that I can. Their successes makes every hard day in this profession worth it.”

McQuown also enjoys the relationships she has built with the school’s coaching staffs and administration.

“The coaching staffs at West Branch are also another factor into why I can be happy to pull into work,” McQuown said. “There are always horror stories about coaches that will go behind athletic trainers backs and not listen to a word that they say when athletes are injured, but this is not the case here. My coaches respect me, and carry the same goals that I have for these athletes: to be the best that they possibly can be. Many of the coaches here have become not just coworkers, but friends.

“Finally, the administration and community of West Branch School District has to be one of the most supportive and respectful areas in the state when it comes to my profession. They have always gone to bat for me. The amount of support and thanks that I receive from those around and involved with this district is overwhelming. It isn’t hard to walk into a building and love your job when you have all of these things stated above to come in to. I am certainly blessed.”

While most fans and parents at the school only see McQuown during game times or practices, the extra work that she puts in behind the scenes sometimes goes unnoticed.

That includes her time speaking with physicians, physical therapists and her work at outside events like the District 6 Wrestling Championships and Southwest AA Regional wrestling.

“I think the one thing that people don’t realize about certified athletic trainers is the amount of time we spend behind the scenes, and the amount of work that is actually put into the career,” she said. “I have had many people make the comment that athletic trainers just go and sit at events when they begin, that we are just there for show time. This is hardly the case.

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NATM2017 Eaton, O’Brien discuss key role ATs play in today’s high school sports

Article reposted from Ocean Times Herald
Author: JIM MELARO

Some would view it as having “peace of mind.”

Others might call it a “valuable asset designed to prevent liability issues.”

Still, others prefer to see it as “a life-saving” option.

In any case, having an athletic trainer on hand at high school sporting events has become a necessity over the last 30 years.

March is National Athletic Trainer’s Month so the Times Herald sat down with two of the area’s most respected trainers, John Eaton and Melissa O’Brien, to discuss the importance of their job.

EATON, a graduate of Portville Central School, has worked in the field for almost 40 years, most recently as the athletic trainer for the St. Bonaventure University club teams and the athletic department at Allegany-Limestone.

O’Brien, who graduated from Franklinville, is now employed as the lead athletic trainer at Cole Memorial Hospital and has staffed athletic events at Smethport for the past 15 years.

Portville is the lone school in the Big 30 region with a full-time trainer on staff, Matt Gnan, a graduate of St. Marys Public.

Four area schools have athletic trainers on-site who are contracted out by Cole Memorial: Bradford High (Alisa Cornell, Philadelphia); Otto-Eldred (BriAnne Gleason, Bradford High); Port Allegany (Maggie Boehler, Pittsburgh); and Bolivar-Richburg (Aaron Jackson, Hiram, Ohio).

All four earned their certification from Eaton during his days as an instructor at Pitt-Bradford or O’Brien through her classes at Cole Memorial.

Coudersport and Olean High are in the process of hiring to fill contracts originating at Cole Memorial.

Question No. 1. Why is it so important to have a certified athletic trainer on-site during sporting events?

Eaton: “It’s as important as it’s been for the last 20 years or so. Coaches need to coach and it makes their job easier if they don’t have to worry about the condition of injured athletes. Schools that have contracted athletic trainers allow them to do their job.

“One big reason is the concussion awareness that has filtered down from professional sports.”

O’Brien: “We’re there to help the athletes and not hold them back. I tell the kids, ‘The less work I have to do, the better.’ That means you’re in shape and you’re practicing at the top of your ability. If I have to do something, it’s because I care and I want to see you get better.

“Taking care of an injury now is the best way to keep everyone healthy.”

Question No. 2. What should parents know about athletic trainers who are helping tend to their children’s injuries?

Eaton: “Their minds should be at ease knowing that the coach is not making medical decisions. Coaches have to take basic first-aid classes and get a certificate stating as such before they can coach. But it’s very basic first-aid training and CPR, and that’s it. They don’t know the musculoskeletal system the way we do. They don’t understand the injury mechanism the way we do. They don’t know recovery and rehab procedures like we do.

“Athletic trainers can recognize problems coaches may not be aware of. We’re there to make those decisions. We tell the kids they should not be worried about losing playing time … the sooner we can help make them better, the sooner they can get back out there and help their teammates. It’s like having a good mechanic who points things out with your car before they go bad.”

Question No. 3. How important is it to keep kids on a healthy path?

O’Brien: “If kids don’t participate in athletics, what are they going to do in order to keep active, to get their exercise and to maintain a healthy lifestyle?

“If you’re afraid your child might get hurt, you also have to be thinking, ‘How do I keep them active?’

“The interesting thing about kids who are involved in athletics is that many of them go on and become coaches. They get involved in keeping kids active and they’re carrying on that tradition of competition.”

Question No. 4. What is the importance of conditioning for today’s high school athlete?

O’Brien: “Back when we were in school, you competed in whatever sport was in season. But I don’t think there was an emphasis on training and conditioning like there is today.

“As trainers, one of the things we can do is to remind kids of their goals and keep them on the plus side of proper exercise and good diet in order to be ready for the next season.

“A lot people blame video games for kids being less active today. But there’s a lot more. A lot of kids go out and get jobs at a younger age because they have cars and have to pay for insurance and gas. They need to have time to be a kid and enjoy life.”

Eaton: “In many cases where kids specialize in one sport, we’ve seen studies that show those kids suffer injuries from the overuse of certain muscles in the body.

“Sometimes specializing in one sport can be OK. But to do it hard for 12 months of the year is not good for the body.”

Added O’Brien: “We’ve seen it at Kane over the last few seasons. Their football team has been very successful. Therefore, the kids who are going from football in the fall to either basketball or wrestling in the winter have to make an adjustment. Their bodies are using different muscles. And because they have to have an adjustment period, the success of the Kane basketball and wrestling teams take a hit early in their seasons. The same would hold true for a pitcher coming off a successful wrestling season.”

Question No. 5. What courses do you need to take in order to earn a certification as an athletic trainer?

Eaton: “It’s a college degree that has to be accredited through the National Athletic Trainer’s Association as well as the CAATE (Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education).

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Pennsylvania athletic trainer Michael Zalno making a difference

Article reposted from The Progress
Author: Jaclyn Yingling

Like any type of medical field, most athletic trainers choose the profession because they enjoying helping people. Moshannon Valley athletic trainer Michael Zalno is no different.

After suffering through a basketball injury while a student-athlete at Penn Trafford High School, Zalno had to work with the school’s athletic trainer to get better.

All that time in the training room led him to think athletic training was a fun profession with the best of both worlds.

“I got to help people and continue to be around sports,” he said.

After graduating from Penn Trafford, Zalno earned his BS in athletic training from Duquesne University in 2000. He went on to get an MS in sports administration from Eastern Kentucky in 2001.

Zalno also has a Corrective Exercise Specialist Certificate from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, where he learned more about dysfunctional movement patterns evaluating, assessing and how to implement exercises into rehabilitation programs or preventative programs to help correct and enhance the movement patterns.

All of those things have helped Zalno establish Moshannon Valley High School as a NATA Safe School. The award recognizes school districts that have programs, procedures and policies in place to help keep the student-athletes safe.

Keeping his athletes safe is a big priority for Zalno, who started his career at Joyner Sports Medicine and was the trainer for Tyrone High School. He also worked at Apollo-Ridge and Bedford Area before coming to Moshannon Valley in November of 2014.

He is currently employed by ProCare Rehabilitation and provides all the athletic training services within Mo Valley.

Zalno’s day at the school begins at 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Once he gets there, he checks in with the school nurse and they update each other on injuries or issues their student-athletes may be having.

Once the school day is officially over, he provides treatment, rehabilitation and preventative measures for all of his athletes.

If it is a game day or night, he prepares his field bag and sets up the venue where the event is being played, where it is the football field or the school’s gymnasium.

If there is no game, Zalno checks in on all of the practices and talks with the coaches to get updates on the status of his student-athletes.

For Zalno, his job is all about the kids.

When asked what he thought the best thing was about his job, he stated, “Helping the kids to return from injury and succeeding in their chosen sport.”

His favorite memory from his time at Moshannon Valley is seeing the kids and the different teams having success.

There has been alot of success at the school in several sports over the last few years, and Zalno has been a part in that.

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Minnesota Duluth Celebrates NATM2017

Article reposted from Minnesota Duluth Athletics
Author: Minnesota Duluth Athletics

March is National Athletic Training Month and the University of Minnesota Duluth athletic training staff is using that time to educate local community on the profession.

An athletic trainer is a nationally-certified and state-licensed health care professional within the sports medicine field. Most commonly people confuse athletic trainers with personal trainers or strength and conditioning coaches.  Athletic trainers work in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, professional sports, college sports, highschool sports, clinics and hospitals, occupational settings, military, and even the performing arts. Here at University of Minnesota Duluth athletic trainers work as an extension of a physician to diagnose and treat orthopedic conditions in athletes. Athletic trainers work as a team with the athlete, coaches, team physician, and strength & conditioning coach to help athletes prevent or overcome injury.

The University of Minnesota Duluth has eight staff athletic trainers working to keep Bulldog student-athletes healthy. The UMD staff has 58 years of collective post-secondary schooling experience. Despite the demanding hours of their profession, the staff has found time to log over 35 hours of community service involvement so far this school year.

During the month of March, UMD’s athletic trainers willl post trivia questions about athletic training topics — such as the breadth of education the job requires — during each school day at on Twitter (@UMDATC). Submit your answer in the UMD athletic training room. Each correct answer will be entered in a drawing to win a $20 gift card to Tavern on the Hill, with the winner being announced on March 31, 2017on Twitter @UMDATC.

Students can show their support for their favorite athletic trainer by purchasing a t-shirt for just $5. These shirts are available in the UMD athletic training room during regular hours.

To get the Northland community involved, UMD athletic trainers are also promoting the third annual sports medicine camp. This camp is intended for high school students who are interested in the athletic training profession. The camp will be held on May 7, 2017 and costs $35 per individual.  It will include an overview of athletic training, a panel discussion, hands-on opportunities, and more! Visit the camps link at umdbulldogs.com for more information.

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Clearfield’s Sam Morgan giving back to her hometown school

Article reposted from The Progress
Author: Jaclyn Yingling 

This is the first in a six-part series on Progressland area athletic trainers in honor of National Athletic Training Month, which begins today.

HYDE — If you’ve been to an athletic event at Clearfield, there’s no doubt you’ve seen athletic trainer Sam Morgan around.

Covering a total of 16 sports spanning three seasons, Morgan has the task of covering the biggest school in the Progressland area.

And while that can be a huge challenge filled with 12-14 hour days, the Clearfield alum says she wouldn’t want it any other way.

Morgan was a three-sport athlete at Clearfield, playing volleyball, basketball and softball. She also participated in the marching band, concert band, orchestra and choir.

But it was an encounter with the school’s then-trainer, Trevor Kephart, who got her interested in the profession.

“I had gone through my own sports-related injuries in high school, and it was my own athletic trainer who showed me how to get back and keep me playing at the level I wanted to,” Morgan said. “He made it interesting to understand the why things happened and how to fix it. Thanks Trevor!”

After deciding that she wanted to follow the same path after her high school graduation in 2004, she went on to get her undergraduate degree at William Paterson University of New Jersey before getting her master’s degree at California University of Pennsylvania.

While in college, Morgan kept up with sports, playing four years of volleyball.

After graduation she moved on to be an athletic trainer at Juniata College for three years, before moving back to Clearfield to take a position at Drayer Phyiscal Therapy Institute. That job allowed her to take over as the athletic trainer at Clearfield five years ago this past December.

Morgan says while her job can be demanding and require long hours, she enjoys getting to know both her athletes and their parents.

“I love the relationships that I build with the coaches, athletes, officials, and parents,” she said. “You become a part of their families, and they yours.”

While there is never a typical day for athletic trainers, Morgan says on a game day she is usually into the clinic by 8 a.m. and works there until noon.

She heads over to the school at 2 p.m. to prep her athletic training bag and taping cart for whichever sports are on tap for that day.

By 3 p.m. she is knee deep into taping, evaluating and stretching dozens of athletes for away games, practices and home games.

From 3:30-4 p.m. she preps the fields and playing areas for the games in case she is needed at a field that she isn’t physically covering. She also meets with the coaches and officials to see if they need anything and introduces herself.

From game time on, she is back and forth between the gym and the fields covering multiple events. She carries a radio and uses a golf cart to get around the vast Bison Sports Complex, which can host up to five events in one day.

Once the games are completed, Morgan cleans up all of her bags and checks the schedule to prepare for the next day.

Because of the time the athletic trainers put in behind the scenes, it’s easy to assume they have an easy job that anyone can do. But in reality, during the school season, Morgan’s schedule is packed from the beginning of the school year until the end.

“One major misconception I get is that I can just not show up to work, or can call off last minute,” said Morgan. “That is not the case. Not everyone can fill in. Our schedules between our regional athletic trainers are so full that if we would like to take time off there has to be a decent amount of notice and even then things may have to go uncovered, which isn’t an option.”

Still Morgan loves her job and it’s easy to see that out in the field. The rapport she has with her coaches and athletes makes her a trusted figure when an injury happens on the field.

Injuries are a big part of the job and with eight years of experience under her belt, Morgan has seen her share of them.

“There are several injuries that I remember in my career so far,” she said. “The most recent one was a lacerated spleen. It forces you to use things that you never thought or hoped that you would ever have to use. It is an injury that most will never see, but if you do you will never forget.”

With all the bad things that can happen in high school sports, Morgan says there are a lot of positive memories she has developed from working at her alma mater.

“Each year I take away many memories,” Morgan said. “I enjoy watching history being made, and athletes and teams accomplishing achievements that as a high school athlete I was able to achieve or experience. This current year, I was able to witness an all-time scoring record being broken.”

Still, the profession isn’t a isn’t an easy one. It takes a lot of time, preparation and balance.

“This profession is very demanding and takes a special type of person to achieve well at all of the attributes equally,” said Morgan. “You can be the smartest person in the world, but if the kids hate you and the parents and coaches do not trust you, you will not be successful.

“Success in the profession is not based on the salary that you make, it’s the relationships that you build, and the influence you have on those you come in contact with. You have the potential to change one person’s life. Seeing an athlete with a season or even career ending injury happens, but how you can help them deal with it can make all the difference.

While Morgan seems to have found that balance, she also credits her family, who has helped her immensely.

“I would like to thank my parents for their constant support and understanding when I have to work long hours and many nights in a row, and have to miss family functions,” she said. “When you’re starving because you haven’t eaten since lunch, I can count on them to take time out of their day to make sure that I get something to eat too.”

For now Morgan hopes to continue to follow her mantra, ‘Be the change and pay it forward!’

And that’s why the athletes and administration have come to count on Morgan and her expertise.