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Professional baseball provides an exciting and rewarding experience for athletic trainer

Article reposted from Illinois State University News
Author: Barbara Schlatter

School of Kinesiology and Recreation alum Dustin Vissering ’11 earned his bachelor’s degree in athletic training. A native of East Peoria, Illinois, Vissering said it was the fine reputation of Illinois State’s athletic training program that attracted him to the field. He always enjoyed following the Peoria Chiefs baseball team growing up and was aware of ISU’s involvement with the team. He was elated to land an internship during the summer following his junior year with the Chiefs because it meant he could live at home and spend the summer working for a professional baseball team.

Vissering stayed involved with collegiate baseball while earning his masters in sports management from Western Illinois University, before completing a year stint with the Kansas City Royals in 2013. He is currently in his fourth year as athletic trainer with the Texas Rangers where he was first hired in Rookie League, and later promoted through the system to Short Season A (Spokane Indians), and now to the Low A affiliate where he serves the Hickory Crawdads in North Carolina. A typical day for Vissering on a game night begins midday when he prepares the treatment room. Players spend 1-2 hours with him doing stretches, getting taped, or receiving massages to loosen up. The next couple of hours are spent observing the pitchers stretch and throw, and watching batting practice. The team eats dinner together before receiving pre-game treatments and getting dressed for the game. Post-game, Vissering takes care of the pitchers’ arms and shoulders, and provides more elaborate treatment for anyone who may have been injured during the game. There are also injury reports to be written before the day’s end. By 11 p.m. he is ready to go home.

The most challenging aspect of Vissering’s job is that he wears many hats besides being the team athletic trainer. When the team is on the road he not only cares for health and well-being of the players, but he prepares the trip itinerary, makes hotel arrangements, arranges workouts at the gym, and takes care of food for the team. If a player is promoted or demoted, Vissering assists with the travel arrangements and prepares documents for the player to transition to their new team. Juggling these duties to make sure everything goes smoothly requires constant organization and attention to detail.

The most rewarding part of his work occurs in his capacity as an athletic trainer. Seeing a player who has been injured follow Vissering’s rehabilitation protocol, and then return to the field and excel is very satisfying. It is clear to Vissering that the countless hours spent in the classroom and in clinical settings pays off in the end when you see how the players put their trust and faith in the athletic trainers.

Vissering was voted the 2016 South Atlantic League Athletic Trainer of the Year by his peers in the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS). He was also nominated and chosen by the Rangers to work as an athletic trainer in the 2016 Arizona Fall League.

Vissering’s fondest memories of ISU are from the friendships he made with the athletic training cohort and his professors, especially Kevin Laudner and Justin Stanek. His advice to new KNR alums is to, “Always go above and beyond what is expected. Treat everyone with respect and remember that there is no job that you’re too big for. Let your work speak for itself.”

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Vissering South Atlantic League Trainer of the Year

Article reposted from wbtv.com
Author: wbtv.com

South Atlantic League President Eric Krupa has announced the recipients of the 2016 South Atlantic League Outstanding Achievement Awards, with Hickory Crawdads Athletic Trainer Dustin Vissering receiving the Athletic Trainer of the Year Award.

Vissering, 28, just completed his first season as the athletic trainer for the ‘Dads and his third year overall in the Texas Rangers organization. He served in the same capacity with the AZL Rangers in 2014 and for the Spokane Indians in 2015. Prior to joining the Rangers, Vissering spent the 2013 season as a minor league athletic trainer in the Kansas City organization before working as an assistant athletic trainer in the Arizona Fall League. The Illinois State graduate worked as a student athletic trainer during his time on campus, in addition to time as trainer at Normal West Community High School. Vissering was also a graduate assistant at Western Illinois University, where he obtained a M.S. of Science in Sport Management.

“It’s nice to be recognized by my peers for the hard work we do,” said Vissering. “I wouldn’t have been able to win this award without the help of the great staff and team here in Hickory.”

Vissering was selected for the award by his peers in the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS).