Tag: Athletic Training

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When should the coach not be the boss?

With colleges on the cusp of pre-season football practice, there’s an off-field battle worth keeping an eye on: Coaches vs. medical personnel.

Head coaches at a majority of the big-time college football programs insist on hiring, supervising and firing the doctors and athletic trainers that attend to their student-athletes. Not surprisingly, medical practitioners don’t believe the practice is in the best interest of the student-athletes. Two years ago, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, joined by five other medical groups including the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, issued a public statement along with a set of recommendations against the practice. In their words, “Freedom in their professional practice is ensured when neither the team physician nor the athletic trainer has a coach as his or her primary supervisor, and no coach has authority over the appointment or employment of sports medicine providers.”

While the groups’ intent seems obvious, not everyone in the business of collegiate athletics is supportive. Greg Sankey, the newly installed commissioner of the SEC, was recently quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying: “A coach is going to trust the person he hires. If it’s someone he doesn’t get to choose, sometimes that can lead to more conflict or questioning. The trust isn’t there.”

Sankey’s comments incensed the medical community. Dr. James Tucker, Head Team Physician at Syracuse University, told Training & Conditioning, “For the medical community…his statement is just short of outrageous. (Coaches hiring medical staff is) … a conflict of interest. Medical people should do what medical people do and coaches should do what they do… With the pressures that coaches are under I think it’s hard for them to be objective, especially when they don’t have the depth of knowledge that medical staff does.”

It is incomprehensible how anyone can disagree with Tucker’s comments. Coaches wouldn’t tolerate medical personnel telling them what plays to run or which assistants to hire. Where do coaches get off telling medical staff how to do their jobs?

The answer of course lies in the power and authority that coaches have been ceded by their institutions. And as Tucker pointed out, coaches are under immense pressure, not to maintain the short- or long-term health and wellbeing of their athletes or to educate them. In order for coaches to remain employed and earn their multi-million dollar contracts, they need to win. And it’s easier to win with your best athletes in the lineup, healthy or not.

Dr. Brian Hainline, a New York University neurologist and the NCAA’s chief Medical Officer since 2013, has campaigned for giving medical personnel unchallenged authority from coaches and athletic departments. Hainline told the Wall Street Journal, “Doctors should have complete autonomy to operate in the best interest of players.” To that end, he released a set of guidelines which include a recommendation that the role and employment status of team doctors should be determined through a formal administrative process, i.e., medical personnel should not be appointed by or report to the coach.

But that’s not the reality at most major schools. In a survey of FBS schools conducted by The Chronicle of Higher Education, 40 percent of football athletic trainers said they either reported directly to the coach or a member of the coaching staff, or the head coach or another member of his staff had influence over the hiring and firing decisions. More than half of all trainers who responded to the survey said they had felt pressured to return an athlete to play before they felt he was ready.

The NFL has a five-page Return-to-Play Policy for all concussed players. The Policy mandates that “the decision to return a player to participation remains within the professional judgment of the Head Team Physician or Team Physician designated for concussion evaluation and treatment.” Furthermore, “all return to full participation decisions are to be confirmed by the Independent Neurological Consultant.”

Why can’t the NCAA mandate similar protocols? They can, but the governing body – and member schools – are afraid of lawsuits should any mandated protocols not be followed. But the absence of mandates hasn’t prevented lawsuits from being brought against both the NCAA and individual schools.

If the NCAA and their members were really concerned about student-athletes they would have adopted Hainline’s guidelines long ago. The fact that they haven’t speaks volumes about their real interests.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

http://dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=147922

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Jeff Stone Honored as GNAC Athletic Trainer of the Year

Suffolk University head athletic trainer Jeff Stone has been recognized as the 2015 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Athletic Trainer of the Year, it was announced on Wednesday afternoon.

The honor is the third for Stone, who won the inaugural GNAC Athletic Trainer award in 2008 before earning the honor again in 2011.

Stone, who is entering his 11th year at Suffolk this fall, serves as the athletic trainer liaison to the GNAC athletic directors council and coordinated the conference’s trainers’ meeting last August at the 2014 GNAC Professional Development Seminar (PDS).

“This award comes as no surprise to anybody who knows or works with Jeff,” said Suffolk Director of Athletics Cary McConnell. “He is an invaluable asset to our department and always puts the well-being of our student-athletes first in his actions and decisions.”

A 1976 graduate of Northeastern University’s Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Stone in 2014-15 served as athletic trainer for the GNAC Men’s Golf, Baseball and Softball Championships.

At Suffolk, Stone is an advisor for “Headucation,” which is a student-sponsored organization that raises awareness about concussions and head injuries and connects students to the appropriate health and wellness departments on campus.

Stone was a 2012 inductee into the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) Hall of Fame, as he is only one of 17 trainers in the state of Massachusetts to receive induction. Throughout a career that has spanned more than 35 years, Stone also received the 2012 Cramer Award for outstanding service to the Eastern Athletic Trainers Association (EATA), as well as the 1991 EATA Henry Schein-MBN Scholastic Athletic Trainer Award.

The NATA District One Director from 2004-10, Stone is a Past President for the Athletic Trainers of Massachusetts (ATOM) and was inducted into the ATOM Hall of Fame in 2011.

The longtime Suffolk Rams trainer was also enshrined into the Bay State Games Hall of Fame in 2006. He has served as the organization’s medical coordinator since 2009.

Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

http://www.thegnac.com/news/15-16/150722_Stone_Trainer_of_Yr

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Athletic trainers tasked with protecting athletes

Sharon Winn has spent more than 30 years as an athletic trainer in the Denton school district and has seen the challenges that high school athletes face change dramatically. The most important and significant of those shifts involve the awareness and treatment of concussions.

Despite the pressure that the job entails, Ryan High School’s head trainer isn’t as stressed as one might suspect.

“It’s not as frustrating as you would think because I’m focused on the kids’ health and what’s best for them,” Winn said. “The parents and coaches want to know how long [a player might be out of action], but I don’t know that. It’s not in my magic bag of tricks. I can’t give a concrete answer because there isn’t one.

“It’s aggravating for the coaches, the athlete and the parents, especially for the ultra-competitive athlete. They want in.”

Winn recognizes that there is no fool-proof system for managing concussions and when athletes return to play. That gray area leaves athletic trainers sorting through emerging technology to find the best way to treat concussions, which rank among their biggest challenges.

The technology available for the diagnosis and treatment of concussions has improved dramatically. Even with a wealth of information, testing and treatment methods at their disposal, trainers aren’t taking lightly their decision of whether an athlete can return to play.

Trainers are in agreement that being cautious is in the best interest of athletes. That approach has trainers pulling athletes from games to protect players from themselves.

“It doesn’t matter what rule you have,” Winn said. “There are different interpretations. I don’t think there is any way you can say, that if this happens, then this is what to do. Different things arise. All trainers are in agreement, though, that if they show signs of a concussion they are coming out. It’s a state rule, not my rule.”

High school standards

The University Interscholastic League mandates that athletes must immediately be removed from play if they display symptoms of a concussion, providing trainers with a set of guidelines for how to handle injured athletes.

The UIL has a seven-day return-to-play protocol that mandates athletes cannot return unless they have experienced seven consecutive symptom-free days. If an athlete makes it five days but has a symptom on the sixth, the seven-day window restarts.

“With the UIL, if they exhibit symptoms, they are removed from the activity,” Winn said. “Sometimes in a huddle, especially in football, we’re watching for a hint. They won’t know the play or know what to do. They might say something outlandish. Our kids are getting good about pointing that out.”

Winn’s trepidation with allowing an athlete to return after a concussion is rooted in her understanding of long-term effects and varying symptoms from athlete to athlete.

“I don’t think we truly understand the long-term effects, and a lot of it has to do with the individual,” Winn said. “One kid may sprain an ankle and get right back up, but another kid may take weeks to get over it. Some kids can recover from concussion symptoms very quickly; some have the symptoms linger. I don’t know why.”

Trainers vs. doctors

Athletic trainers and doctors play critical roles in handling concussions and ensuring athletes receive the best care.

“We don’t diagnose,” said Renatta Delello, who is in her 10th year as Denton High School’s trainer. “Doctors diagnose. Trainers evaluate. It’s a big difference. As a trainer, if a kid comes to me with a bone sticking out, I would say it looks like it is broken but let’s go get X-rays.

“A parent could come back and say I was wrong, so we either evaluate and refer, or evaluate and treat. That’s with any injury, regardless. It doesn’t matter.”

The distinction between “diagnose” and “evaluate” is used to protect trainers who must make decisions about the immediate status of athletes.

“A concussion is a tricky injury because you can’t see it and athletes look at it as if it’s not a real injury,” said Kris Ring, who is in her 17th year as a trainer at Texas Woman’s University. “‘I might be a little foggy but there’s nothing wrong with me.’ Part of the vernacular in sports leads to that. They got their ‘bell rung’ or they’re ‘shook up.’

“We need to get rid of those. We need to call it a traumatic brain injury.”

Much like Delello and Winn, Ring makes athletes’ health and well-being her top priorities.

“At the moment of injury, your first concern is that patient’s outcome,” Ring said. “We want to rule out anything catastrophic first. I’ve made the shift that I’d rather be safe than sorry. If there is any question in my mind if it’s a concussion or not, it’s a concussion. In recent years, that has become my mantra. Ultimately my job as an athletic trainer is to protect my athletes.”

The primary fear trainers have with sending an athlete back into play is second impact syndrome. If a concussion is undiagnosed and untreated and a second concussion occurs before the athlete can properly heal, the athlete’s vulnerability skyrockets. The result can be deadly, even if the second concussion was less intense.

“I think we really have to look at these athletes as more than a number on our roster,” Ring said. “You have to think about the long-term consequences. I know I can’t live with myself if I put someone back into practice and something happens to them. I’m not going to do that.”

Trainers often take the lead role in the decision as to when players return to action.

“After the seven days, if there is something that is not quite right, we’ll even have a sit-down conversation with the coach and tell them that they are cleared by our standards but this is what we still see,” Delello said. “If things just aren’t going right, I’m just going to send you to the doctor.”

Facing challenges

on the college level

The NCAA has guidelines similar to the UIL’s regarding players being removed from activity if they display symptoms of a concussion.

The University of North Texas has had a protocol for concussions in place since 2001. Dustin Hill, UNT’s director of sports medicine, said the school is cautious with its athletes who have suffered concussions.

“What we have now makes for a better environment for our kids,” Hill said.

Ring said that TWU also is cautious about returning athletes to play but wishes there was more leeway within the NCAA guidelines governing the time frame in which athletes return.

The concern some have with UIL and NCAA rules is the concealment of head injuries by athletes and their families.

“The athletes don’t like this decision,” Ring said. “They don’t like it at all. Once the athlete knows this is the rule, will it make the athlete less likely to report? I’ve seen that a lot. They can’t stand the rule. Athletes by in large are bulletproof. … It’s brutal. When you look at parents, anytime you say brain injury, they think their kid will never play again.

“On the other side of the spectrum [for the parents], their kid’s college scholarship is riding on a game, so put them back in there. They’ve got pressures from all angles. Plus, with the internal pressure, they want to be on the floor and in the game.”

The pressure isn’t limited to the athlete and his or her family. It also can be on trainers who are pressured to clear athletes who suffer concussions to return to play. Trainers at UNT and TWU said they have the full support of coaches and administrators who put the health of athletes first.

“We’re fortunate that our [athletic director] is one that puts health and well-being first,” Ring said. “We’ve never had a problem. We’ve been very fortunate with her level of seriousness with health, and it trickles down from there. As a department, you have to have total buy-in.”

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:                                                                                                               http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/sports-headlines/20150711-trainers-tasked-with-protecting-driven-athletes.ece

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Manning Passing academy well cared for

The Boy Scouts of America motto is “Be prepared.”

The sports medicine team at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center is taking that same approach for the Manning Passing Academy at Nicholls State University.

With more than 1,200 campers and 120 instructors — ranging from college players to coaches — arriving in Thibodaux today for the annual four-day camp, Thibodaux Regional’s sports medicine team has been hard at work for several weeks.

The athletic trainers and staff have been working behind the scenes preparing for the four-day camp, including bagging an estimated 30,000 pounds of ice.

“We have been working to get ready for this for about six weeks,” said Amelia Castell, assistant coordinator for the Sports Medicine Center. “We have been preparing to get our staff in line and figuring out what materials we need, such as bagged ice.”

All of this work is nothing new for Thibodaux Regional’s sports medicine team, as it has been involved with the Manning Passing Academy since it arrived in town.

The Manning Passing Academy — now in its 11th year at Nicholls and 20th overall — provides high school quarterbacks and wide receivers a chance to work on their skills with a pair of current NFL quarterbacks in Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos) and Eli Manning (New York Giants).

Larry D’Antoni, coordinator of Thibodaux Regional’s Sports Medicine Center, said his goal is to make sure everyone has a safe and fun experience.

“There is a lot of coordination that goes into it with the different facets of the game,” D’Antoni said. “We have to work with the Manning camp officials to figure out which fields they are going to use, so we can set up all of the tables and coolers. All of that has to be set up ahead of time because there is no way with 1,200 plus campers to do this in real time. We have to do it ahead of time.”

Castell said the biggest obstacle for many campers is the heat and humidity associated with southeast Louisiana.

“Although they are not wearing any football equipment, they are not used to our climate,” she said. “Many of them are from out of state or even out of the country, so they struggle with our weather and some even develop heat-related illnesses. They are not used to our heat and humidity, and running three practices a day in these conditions are just rough for them.”

Keeping Manning Passing Academy participants cool and hydrated is only the start for the sports medicine team.

Athletic trainer Annalise Himmel said each camper undergoes a premedical screening during the registration process to help in the evaluation process if any problem arises.

“This gives us a good idea if any of the campers have allergies to ant bites and bee stings or if they have asthma,” she said. “This helps us get a general idea of which we campers we need to keep an eye on during the camp.”

Thibodaux Regional’s Sports Medicine Center is always looking for ways to improve its overall work at the camp, and this year will be no different.

With numerous athletic trainers, volunteers and doctors working the camp’s 32 hydration stations, D’Antoni said communication is essential, so every worker will have Walkie-Talkies to relay messages on possible injuries and where ice, water and other supplies are needed.

D’Antoni said he is also working with Barry Keim, the state climatologist for Louisiana, to help provide accurate weather forecast during the duration of the camp.

“We want to be able give the Mannings and coaches the most up-to-date information and let them make a sound technical decision on how to alter practice or adjust practice in an effort to keep the kids safe,” D’Antoni said.

Castell has seen the Manning Passing Academy grow over the years since its first year in Thibodaux in 2005. Soon after graduating from Nicholls and being hired as a certified athletic trainer, she had an opportunity to work at the annual camp and did it for several years.

After spending a few summers working with a baseball team in the New England area, Castell is back in Thibodaux and is witnessing first-hand how much the camp has grown.

“I don’t remember how many campers it had in 2005, but it doesn’t feel like it was as many as we have now,” she said. “Because of that, we’ve had to up our staff, so it’s just a greater undertaking. But now I feel we are more prepared and better equipped to deal with it than we’ve ever been.”

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20150709/ARTICLES/150709733?p=1&tc=pg

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North Carolina Schools Declared Safe

With high school athletes accounting for an estimated 2 million injuries each year, south Charlotte parents of high school student-athletes can rest easily knowing their children attend “safe sports” schools.

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) announced 19 Charlotte-Mecklenburg high schools, with North Carolina High School Athletic Association athletic programs, received the Safe Sports School Award, and some south Charlotte high schools made the mark.

Ardrey Kell, South Mecklenburg, East Mecklenburg, Myers Park and Providence high schools earned the award, which recognizes the importance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention and treatment.

“This award recognizes the contributions and commitment of schools across the country that are implementing safe sports policies and best practices to ensure athletes can do what they love best and have the appropriate care in place to prevent, manage and treat injuries should they occur,” NATA President Scott Sailor said.

The award was launched in March 2013 as part of the Secondary School Athletic Trainers Committee of the NATA. Schools pay a $150 fee and apply for the award on an ongoing basis.

“The school must have a comprehensive athletic health care plan, promote safe and appropriate environments, provide proper sporting equipment, develop injury intervention strategies, rehearse an emergency action plan and promote a culture of safe play,” said Ellen Satlof, NATA public relations manager.

The U.S. Centers of Disease Control reported organized sports are on the rise, with nearly 30 million adolescents participating in youth sports in the U.S.

“There has been an increase in competitive sports, which are, unfortunately, not without risk. Brain injury/concussion, cardiac arrest, heat stroke, cervical spine fractures and other injuries and illnesses are potentially life-threatening,” former NATA president Jim Thornton said in a news release.

CMS partnered with Carolinas HealthCare System (CHCS) in 2011 to provide certified athletic trainers and help bridge the gap between health care providers and student-athletes in response to a growing concern nationwide about injuries among student-athletes, particularly concussions and cardiac deaths.

High school athletes account for an estimated 500,000 doctors visits and 30,000 hospitalizations each year, according to a study conducted by doctors and certified athletic trainers John Powell and Kim Barber-Foss.

“CMS values our longstanding partnership with Carolinas Healthcare System. The NATA Safe Sports School First Team Award achieved by our high schools is due in large part to our partnership with Carolinas HealthCare and the effort of athletic directors and athletic trainers in each school,” Susan Doran, CMS athletic director, said in the release. “We’re committed to providing quality care for our student-athletes, as well as a safe environment for them and their families. This award recognizes a standard of care provided to our student-athletes that ultimately improves their ability to perform at their highest level and enhances the environment in which they compete.”

Kevin Hinson, athletics director at South Meck, said the partnership has been a “load off of him” to ensure the safety of his student-athletes.

South Meck was one of the first four schools to receive a CHCS athletic trainer and Hinson said it’s made a big difference. Previously, schools would have to find a sports medicine teacher, who also was a certified athletic trainer, to head the departments’ athletic training, which Hinson said could be difficult to find.

“Having (CHCS) as a partner has been really huge for all schools so that we have an equal availability,” he added. “There is always a risk with athletics and to know that we have somebody qualified, who is really good with communicating with the parents, makes a difference.”

Brian Knab, athletics director at Ardrey Kell, said the school, which has more student-athletes than Queens University of Charlotte, would not be able to ensure the safety of its athletes without the athletic trainers in place.

He said Jacqui Frithsen, the school’s head athletic trainer, helps athletes even before practices with preventative care.

Leigh Ann Caldwell, manager of sports medicine with CHCS, believes some parents might not realize all athletic trainers’ tasks and the qualifications needed to take on the role.

“Athletic trainers are education and trained to recognize evaluate and treat injuries,” Caldwell said. “That’s what they go to school for.”

She explained an athletic trainer must attend a four-year program at an accredited university, pass a national board exam and obtain a state license.

“This is not something you can get over the Internet in 30 minutes,” Caldwell added. “It’s an incredible background and experience.”

All Charlotte-Mecklenburg high schools have a Carolinas HealthCare System-certified athletic trainers that work with the school year round

“It’s great recognition for CMS to show their parents, athletes and families that (the athletic trainers) put the care and health of their student-athletes first,” Caldwell said.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:                                                                         http://thecharlotteweekly.com/education/2015/07/athletic-departments-receive-national-recognition-for-athletic-trainers/
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Rohling leads county athletic trainers

Lawrence County native Brad Rohling is often visible on the athletic sidelines.

But he is not a coach or athlete.

He is an athletic trainer at Central Magnet and is the coordinator of athletic training outreach for NHC Rehabilitation and TOA (Tennessee Orthopedic Alliance). Rohling took his undergraduate work at MTSU and graduate work at Auburn.

He worked with Auburn football for four years when Tommy Tuberville was the Tigers coach.

Rohling recently spoke with the DNJ about his role with Rutherford County athletics:

How many athletic trainers cover Rutherford County’s schools? And what are their responsibilities?

We have 10 that cover 10 high schools. All 10 have bachelor’s degrees. Five of them have completed their master’s. And five are currently enrolled in master’s classes.

They are responsible in covering any varsity, junior varsity or freshman sport.

What is your role, outside of being the athletic trainer at Central Magnet.

I oversee the other nine athletic trainers in the county. I oversee, manage and supervise and deal with any issues we have with any of those guys.

High school practices have begun across the state. What do you recommend athletes do to make sure they stay hydrated now?

It’s preparation. You have to pre-hydrate. You have to hydrate the day before, two days before going into it. You have to prepare yourself for what you are about to get into. You need to be smart and not practice in the middle of the day. There is the TSSAA heat policy that says we can’t go out if it is a certain temperature. And there is the recovery time. You need to get the proper rest and the proper food.

What type of meals and how much rest should athletes be getting now with practice starting?

It’s a lot more food than what you think because athletes are burning so many calories and using so much energy during the day. Proper food — stay away from any fast food. Grilled chicken sandwiches and things like that are good. Drinking fruit juices, Gatorade and water. They need to stay away from sodas and Kool Aid. There is too much sugar in that.

And how much rest do athletes need now?

For sure, they need to get the proper amount of rest. I wouldn’t stay out all night. I can’t put a number on it.

Concussions are a big concern these days. If an athlete receives a blow to the head, how can an athlete and parents monitor their athlete to make sure there isn’t a concussion? What are the signs?

Part of the Rutherford County concussion policy gives parents information as to what to look for. If they are sleeping a lot more or a lot less. If they are irritable or sensitive to light or noise. If they have nausea and aren’t acting right, those are potential signs. We put a lot on the parents because they know their kids; they see their kids at night and after practice. That’s part of the education packet.

Is everyone doing baseline testing for concussions in Rutherford County?

Everyone is.

What is baseline testing, and how important is it to monitor concussions?

Impact testing is just that, a baseline test. It’s not a cure. It’s not going to prevent a concussion. It’s not going to help them get better. You get a baseline as where that kid is for short-term memory, long-term memory and reaction time. Then, if a kid receives a concussion, they can take the test and it measures the results against what the baseline test result was.

With so many practices and sporting events going on during the school year, how do athletic trainers cover all of the teams?

There have been studies done as far as rate of injury. Football has the most injuries. Football is the priority. But soccer is a priority over volleyball just because it is a contact, collision sport. It’s based on the rate of injury.

What are the most common injuries during a high school season?

There are a lot of ankle injuries and shoulder injuries during the season just because of how the body is and how the joint is. The more movement you have in the joint, the looser it is.

How important is it for an athletic trainer to get to know the high school athlete?

That is a crucial part of our job because I can tell if something is going on with that kid. Even with a concussion, you can tell if he’s not acting right. Or if there is something else going on, I know the kids. In our role, a lot of times they feel more comfortable telling us than they will their coaches. We kind of have to be the go between. We have to sometimes play the good-guy role and also sometime the bad-guy role. That is a huge part of our job — is getting to know the kids.

Overall, how good are the coaches in Rutherford County to work with?

I think we’ve got the best coaches in the state. They understand that we’ve got a job to do, and that is to protect those kids. With all of the concussion legislation going on, they are definitely going to defer to our opinion on things. We generally don’t have any issues with coaches getting upset.

What is the best part of your job?

The kids, the coaches and the level of competition in Rutherford County.

What is the worst part of your job?

The way our program is set up, a lot of times the people that work for me hit two years and go work somewhere else. I enjoy watching those guys grow. As soon as they get to be a high-level athletic trainer, they leave and go somewhere else.

Contact Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 or tkreager@dnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kreager.

Meet Brad Rohling

Who: Coordinator of athletic training outreach for NHC Rehabilitation and TOA

Age: 38.

Family: Wife: Amber; daughter: Stella, 6 months old

Education: Lawrence County High School graduate. Bachelor’s in athletic training at MTSU. Master’s in higher education administration from Auburn.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:                                                                                             http://www.dnj.com/story/news/2015/07/11/qa-rohling-leads-county-athletic-trainers/30015753/

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Gardner-Webb’s Kevin Jones Named 2015 Division I Athletic Trainer of the Year

Longtime Gardner-Webb University Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Training Training Kevin Jones was named College/University Athletic Trainers’ Committee 2015 Division I Athletic Trainer of the Year Thursday at the annual NATA Convention.

Jones (MA, ATC, LAT), who is entering his 32nd season with the Runnin’ Bulldogs, also serves as an Assistant Professor and as a Preceptor in the athletic training major in Gardner-Webb University’s School of Preventative and Rehabilitative Health Sciences.

“I feel honored to win such a prestigious award and to represent Gardner-Webb University,” said Jones. “I have been very fortunate to have been surrounded by great mentors, co-workers, students and student-athletes.

“The true reward in athletic training is to see others succeed. I have been blessed to share in their successes.”

Jones took over the Gardner-Webb athletic training program in 1984. His tireless effort has consistently driven the program’s reputation to the highest level and Jones has been the catalyst in the addition of athletic training as an academic major.

Since his arrival on campus, countless student athletic trainers and other staff have gone on to successful careers in the field. One of Jones’ pupils, current Mars Hill head athletic trainer Allen Shelley (MA, ATC, LAT), was honored as the 2015 Division II Athletic Trainer of the Year on Thursday morning in St. Louis.

Shelley earned his undergraduate degree from Gardner-Webb in 1992 and a master’s degree from GWU in 1995.

Jones was honored in 2007 by Gardner-Webb’s athletic department with its Hall of Fame Meritorious Service Award and was named Gardner-Webb University Male Staff Member of the year in 2014.

“This is a great honor for Kevin, personally and professionally, and we join he and his family in celebrating,” said Gardner-Webb Vice President for Athletics Chuck Burch.

“His work over the past three decades to advance the quality our athletic training program has been instrumental in the ability to provide student-athletes with top-notch care.”

During his early years at Gardner-Webb, Jones spent time as the school’s track and field coach. An avid cyclist, Jones played a critical role in bringing the 1996 U.S. Olympic Cycling Trials Women’s Road Race to Boiling Springs, N.C.

Jones earned a degree in physical education with an emphasis in athletic training from Lenoir-Rhyne in 1984 and graduated with a master’s degree in physical education from Gardner-Webb in 1986. He and his wife, Shelly, have a daughter, Taylor, and a son, Ryan.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.gwusports.com/sports/fball/2014-15/releases/20150625wp1nx1

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Transition to Practice: Transitioning From Student to Athletic Trainer

Recently in athletic training there has been a great deal of attention given to transition to practice.  Our research into the transition to practice of new Athletic Trainers has been enlightening.  We want to discuss this topic and some of our findings in a series of articles.

The purpose of this series is to provide information about transition to practice to new Athletic Trainers and those who work with them. We hope our information will help  new employees and their employers.

We would like to begin by addressing the question: what is transition to practice?

Transition to practice is defined as:

“A process of convoluted passage in which people redefine their sense of self and develop self-agency in response to disruptive life events, not just the change but the process that people go through to incorporate the change or disruption in their life” (Kralick, et al.).

Simply put, this is a transition individuals go through when encountering a new environment and/or culture and must adapt while learning about themselves.  This transition can occur at any point in one’s life, whether it is graduating from college and accepting a first job or moving on to a different job.

New employees enter a different, unfamiliar workplace with new people and different policies and procedures.  For newly credentialed Athletic Trainers this transition is even more challenging because they are no longer students and must now make decisions on their own.  This transition is a normal process and happens at any level of education and/or experience.  Transition to practice is not new to the athletic training profession, nor are we alone in this experience.  Other healthcare professions also struggle with the transition.

Transition to practice is not based on preparedness.  Many will say students aren’t as prepared as they used to be.  Supervisors of newly credentialed Athletic Trainers will tell you they are very prepared as far as their medical knowledge (Thrasher, et al.).  Anecdotally, some say students today don’t seem to be transitioning as well as those in the past.  We don’t know if this is true or not, and it’s not the focus of this series.  We wanted to point out that preparedness does not equal transition to practice.

In closing, transition to practice is a process that takes anywhere from 6 months to 1 year.  During this time, the new employee adapts, evolves and changes who they are in this world.  For new Athletic Trainers, part of this is transitioning from student to independent healthcare provider. There are many feelings and experiences these new Athletic Trainers encounter. We will discuss more on this topic in our next article.

References

Kralick D, Visetin K, von Loon A. Transition: A literature review. J Adv Nurs. 2006;55(3):320-9.

Thrasher AB, Walker SE, Hankemeier DA, Pitney WA. Supervising athletic trainers’ perceptions of professional socialization of graduate assistant athletic trainers in the collegiate setting. J Athl Train. 2015;50(3); 321–333.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:                                                                                                                             http://www.bocatc.org/blog/athletic-trainer-stories/transition-to-practice-series-transitioning-from-student-to-athletic-trainer/

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Alexander Added to Emporia State Staff

Emporia State athletics has announced the hiring of Kelly Alexander as assistant athletic trainer for the Hornets. She comes to Emporia State after seven seasons as the assistant athletic trainer at CSU-Pueblo.

“We are excited to add Kelly to our staff,” said Emporia State head athletic trainer Dustin Enslinger. “She brings great experience to Emporia State and will help us continue to provide the best health care to our student-athletes.”

She will work primarily with the Hornet volleyball and track and field programs at Emporia State.

”I’m happy to be given this new opportunity to work within another great D-II school and the highly competitive student-athletes at Emporia State,” said Alexander. “I’m excited to get to know and work with the coaches and student-athletes and help them stay healthy and ready to perform at their best.”

While with the Thunderwolves, Alexander assisted in the rehabilitation of CSU-Pueblo student-athletes, including supplying athletic training services to several athletic programs.

Prior to CSU-Pueblo, Alexander was the head athletic trainer at Colorado Christian University’s for one year. Alexander was also an associate athletic trainer for the Cougars for two seasons. She has also served as the head athletic trainer at Chatfield HS in Littleton, Colo., and had an assistantship with the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA.

Alexander recently completed her Master’s degree in Sports Medicine from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. The 2003 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a Certified Athletic Trainer and has been licensed by the American Red Cross in CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer. She also served in the United States Air Force from 1989-1999.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.esuhornets.com/news/2015/7/13/ATHMED_0713154148.aspx