Tag: New York University

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The Newest Addition to NYU’s Athletic Training Family

Article reposted from Washington Square News
Author: Trevor Francesconi

Whether in the mid-atlantic area or in the south, Bryan Costello will follow wherever his athletic training career takes him. 

The youngest of four children, Costello grew up in Levittown, N.Y. and attended Kellenberg Memorial High School. And while he considered following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a police officer for the New York Police Department,  he chose to pursue athletic training professionally because of his love for sports and medicine.

A 2013 graduate of Quinnipiac University, Costello said that balancing clinical hours, friends, clubs and a full academic course load was a big part of his development into the person he is today — one who is able to pursue multiple passions simultaneously. Aside from studying sports medicine as an undergraduate, Costello also competed in intramural sports, specifically dodgeball and softball.

After graduating from Quinnipiac magna cum laude, Costello continued his education at the University of Tennessee, where he acquired his masters in recreation and sports management. Following two years at Tennessee, Costello interned as an athletic trainer at the United States Naval Academy, working mainly with the wrestling, swimming and diving teams.

Costello joined the NYU sports medicine department in July 2016. He is currently a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association.

Costello said that the one word that describes him as both a person and an athletic trainer is selfless.

“I think a big part of athletic training is working in the background while the athletes have the spotlight,” Costello said. “I am always ready to help the athletes when they need me so they can compete at the best of their ability.”

Costello has been an athletic trainer for the wrestling, women’s soccer and men’s volleyball teams throughout his first year at NYU. Working with the wrestling team at the Naval Academy and at NYU has brought Costello a newfound appreciation for the sport.

“Wrestling is high energy and quick, which is what I love about it,” Costello said. “While at [the Naval Academy], I attended and worked the NCAA Division I National Wrestling Championship at Madison Square Garden where there were sold out crowds and extensive media coverage.” 

Costello mentioned Navy All-American Matt Miller, who pinned four straight opponents while competing. Costello also highlighted NYU’s own Nathan Pike who, after battling through an elbow injury early in the season, won the Division III Wrestling National Championship in the 133-lb division.

Costello enjoys athletic training at the college level and hopes to become a head athletic trainer someday. The fun and lively atmosphere in NYU’s athletic training room makes coming to work enjoyable for Costello.

“My coworkers are great — we are in tight quarters but we make it fun and interesting every day,” Costello said. “Establishing trust with the athletes and seeing them grow throughout their four years is something I’m really excited to see.”

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, April 17 print edition. Email Trevor Francesconi at sports@nyunews.com.

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By Water or by Land: Matthew Devens

Article reposted from Washington Square News
Author: Trevor Francesconi

NYU athletic trainer Matthew Devens, a Bellmore, N.Y. native, grew up exploring the bay on his family’s 17-foot Boston Whaler. One of five siblings, Devens spent summers fishing, clamming and water-skiing. He learned to love spending time in and around the water from a young age.

His love for sports continued into his time at John F. Kennedy High School, where he competed for the track, cross-country and swimming teams. He credits his track and cross-country coach Al Berkowsky for instilling discipline in him and inspiring him to succeed. Berkowsky, along with JFK’s record as as a state champion in multiple track events, pushed Devens to train hard. He ended up at the Division II school Southern Connecticut State University, where he ran track for one year.

It was at Southern Connecticut State that Devens realized he wanted to prioritize his passion for athletic training, but that didn’t mean he was going to hang up his swim trunks or his running sneakers just yet.

“I still competed in swimming, track and field and running on my own, in pursuit of meeting my own personal goals while mainly focusing on and working toward my career goals,” Devens said.

A certified lifeguard since the age of 16, Devens began at a local pool and advanced to lifeguarding at busy Jones Beach as a college student. He’s spent the past 13 summers keeping watch over people diving into the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

“It helps you stay fit, and it is very competitive,” Devens said. “Lifeguards have to try out every year and pass a test before they can be a lifeguard at Jones Beach. Being a lifeguard has taught me how to react and handle stressful situations when it’s you, a huge body of water, large waves and one or multiple victims.”

Devens said that lifeguarding has helped him as an athletic trainer because it taught him to be aware of his surroundings, whether it be by the water or athletic field. He said reacting and responding quickly and with control are essential for success in both professions.

Devens returned to New York after graduation. He volunteered as an athletic trainer at his alma mater and other local high school cross-country races in his community for a month following college. He finally convinced the organization facilitating the events that it was necessary to have a paid professional athletic trainer on site. As a graduate student at Long Island University Brooklyn, Devens worked these events exclusively.

After grad school, he landed a job at Hunter College, working as a part-time athletic trainer and in the equipment room. However, it was as a trainer for the Brooklyn Aviators hockey team that Devens’ athletic training career took off.

“I traveled for a year all over the Northeast and into Canada,” Devens said. “I was the primary health care provider for the team, taking care of traumatic on-ice injuries ranging from severe concussions to lost teeth. Having that experience showed me that I could be successful as an athletic trainer in competitive sports.”

Devens joined the NYU community in 2011, serving as the Head Athletic Trainer for the then NYU-Poly before NYU athletics and NYU-Poly athletics officially merged in the fall of 2014.

Devens works with the women’s softball, men’s soccer, and both the men and women’s track and cross-country teams at NYU. Devens said he particularly enjoys traveling with and working alongside the track and cross-country teams due to his own passion and  the years of training he has dedicated to the sport.

“My favorite part of working with college athletes is seeing their tenacity and ability to rebound and maintain a positive spirit when dealing with setback after setback,” Devens said.

In addition to his position at NYU, Devens also works as part of the medical team for the National Scholastic Athletic Foundation, the national governing body for high school cross-country and track and field in the United States.

Devens’ college mentor made a lasting impression on him while he was still studying at Southern Connecticut State. Charlie Davis, professor of Emergency Care and First-Aid CPR, told him to “be your own superhero.” Once Devens was put on the spot and forced to act under pressure as an athletic trainer, he understood Davis’ message.

“You’re the person everyone looks to on the field when a situation arises,” Devens said. “At first you think [Davis] is just saying it, but when it actually happens, you’re like, whoa I’m the guy.”

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NYU Athletic Trainer Arturo “Roy” Flores

Article reposted from Washington Square News
Author: Trevor Francesconi

Since Eagle Scouts as a child, NYU Athletics trainer Arturo “Roy” Flores has soared in both his academics and career.

Flores grew up in Westchester County just north of New York City. Raised in a close-knit family that worked in various medical fields, Flores developed an early passion for medicine and sports. In high school, Flores excelled in swimming and continued his aquatic passion, competing at Stony Brook University, where he studied a multidisciplinary concentration of biology, sports and music history. His time as a student-athlete introduced him to the athletic training profession.

As a second generation Filipino-American with two siblings, family involvement and staying with one another was and still remains very important to Flores, contributing to his development as both a leader and role model.

“As a college junior I was recommended to be a part of a presidential student board focusing on diversity,” Flores said. “Being a minority myself, that is one of the things I would like to push toward in this profession.”

Training is a complex and multifaceted affair, that Flores says is for everyone.

“Athletic training is a health care profession dealing with prevention, acute care, concussions, head injuries and nutrition,” Flores said. “Athletic training is for all active persons, not just athletes.”

After graduating from Stony Brook, Flores worked in higher education, acting as a mentor to current college students. But after two years of work in Stony Brook’s student life department, Flores wanted to return to sports and medicine. Now at NYU, Flores works with teams such as volleyball, basketball and baseball.

Flores said the best thing about being an athletic trainer is seeing the student athletes overcome season-ending injuries and watch them return to the playing field, doing what they did before just as well — or sometimes, at an even higher level. While at Stony Brook, Flores was a teacher for athletic training students.

“Seeing [athletic training students] grow in the profession and become my peers is another highlight of becoming an athletic trainer,” Flores said. “With all the influences that are out there today, I want to help people figure out where they want to go, whether it’s following my footsteps or guiding them towards their own journey.”

Aside from work, Flores enjoys exercising and being a swim coach. Acting as a role model is what Flores strives to do on a daily basis. He is currently a member of the Ethnic Diversity Committee and is a District Two representative for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. This area includes New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania.

“We advise the board of directors as to what the issues are regarding minorities and ethnically diverse persons in athletic training,” Flores said. “Whether it be dealing with an ethnically diverse active person or getting more ethnically diverse individuals and minorities within the profession.”

Despite never playing baseball or watching it as a kid, Flores has learned to love the sport through his experience as an athletic trainer and is now a large fan of the New York Yankees. Working alongside many baseball teams, Flores enjoys the little things about the sport, from the sideline chirping to the more complex aspects of the game.

Freshman pitcher Sal Cammisuli discussed Flores’ demeanor in working with the baseball team.

“Whether it’s stretching my arm to get ready to pitch or working on my back in between innings, [Flores] is truly great at what he does,” Cammisuli said. “He’s very approachable, lively and helpful.”

In the future, Flores wants to remain in athletic training, whether it be with the National Athletic Trainers’ Association or in a college setting.

“I think the college setting is the right place for me, because you are dealing with 18 to 21 year-olds who are learning what they want to do next, making that transition from high school to college and beyond,” Flores said. “Anyway I can help in that phase of their lives is where I want to be.”

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, March 27 print edition. Email Trevor Francesconi at sports@nyunews.com.