Tag: West Virginia University

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West Virginia Athletic Trainers Keep Tabs on Area Athletes

Article reposted from The Dominion Post
Authors:  CARLY CONTRAGUERRO AND SEAN MANNING

They’re at every high school sporting event in the area, six days a week for hours at a time. They’re always there, but always go unnoticed — the athletic trainers at Morgantown, University and Clay-Battelle high schools.

March is a time to recognize the hard work trainers put in to keep student athletes safe and healthy on and off the field. National Athletic Training Month is used to help promote what athletic trainers regularly and to show outsiders the responsibilities they share to keep athletes safe from serious injury.

Under the direction of physicians, athletic trainers work to prevent and treat injuries to bones and muscles, as well as sports-related illnesses, such as asthma and heat stroke.

Some of the more serious injuries include those to the brain and spinal cord. Athletic trainers are equipped to treat those on the spot, while also being able to handle acute injuries, like broken bones or torn muscles.

Trainers also keep inhalers with them for athletes with asthma and work closely with those who have diabetes.

Today, concussion protocol is a hot topic, with many retired professional athletes speaking on the complications they now have as a result of head injuries during their playing days. In high school, athletic trainers manage whether an athlete is ready to go back into a game, and help teach coaches and parents about the signs and risks.

All trainers must be CPR certified every two years and must have an accredited bachelor’s program under their belts, while about 70 percent end up getting a master’s degree.

Part of that 70 percent includes the trainers in Monongalia County — two at MHS, two at UHS and one at C-B.

Luke Klawiter, of Jenison, Mich., has been at MHS for two years, working as an athletic trainer while finishing a two-year athletic training graduate program at WVU.

Klawiter said his number one responsibility is playing an vital role in keeping players healthy — which exemplifies the National Athletic Training Association’s 2017 slogan, “Your protection is our priority.”

“Their success is my success,” Klawiter said. “When athletes come back from an injury or look toward me for support getting through one, it gives me that internal satisfaction.”

Klawiter arrives at MHS before the school day ends and stays until the night is done. Whether he is addressing new and existing injuries or setting up water and emergency equipment, Klawiter stays prepared to act quickly for any scenario.

As he enters his last sports season with MHS, Klawiter reflects on his learning experience, and finding support from not only players and coaches, but from the community as well.

“The past two years I have learned more than I expected or could have wished for,” Klawiter said. “Being at a (Class) AAA school with many teams, I have seen many injuries and worked with many different athletes, coaches and parents. This learning environment is the best I could have asked for and I am thankful for what it has taught me.”

Kelsey Ulrich, a Reading, Pa., native, is a graduate student at WVU, working in her second year of a two-year program in athletic training. She has been at UHS both years, working with all sports team — from preseason conditioning to the end of the postseason.

Typical work days are from 2-10 p.m. with games and practices — being the first one there and the last to leave. The program includes paid tuition and a stipend with the help of the Monongalia County Board of Education and HealthWorks.

“I grew up playing many different sports and I love learning about the body,” Ulrich said. “Athletic training combined those two elements for me. Medicine is always changing, so we are constantly leaning newer and better ways to treat athletes, which is very exciting.”

Sam Buscher, of Pontiac, Ill., has helped with the Cee-Bees the last two years. He came to WVU after finishing his undergrad at James Madison. Getting hurt in high school led him in the direction of becoming a trainer.

“I’ve always been passionate about sports and have been drawn to medicine since I was young,” he said. “In high school, after suffering an ankle injury, I knew I wanted to become an athletic trainer. It gives me the opportunity to build lasting relationships with my community, co-workers and patients.”

Brian Hanson (UHS), of Mukwonago, Wis., and Cory Hester (MHS), of Aurora, Colo., are in their first year with the program. Hanson came to WVU from Wisconsin-Madison, while Hester went to Ithaca (N.Y.) College.

All five help at Trinity Christian School, as well as with the Morgantown Marathon, Mountain State Youth Football League, the Winner’s Choice Wrestling tournament and the Mon County Middle School Lacrosse League.

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Q & A with West Virginia Athletic Trainer Allison Hetrick

Article reposted from The DA
Author: Jennifer Gardner

Allison Hetrick, M.ED, ATC, CSCS
Assistant Athletic Trainer, CPASS

 When a player goes down on Mountaineer gameday, athletic trainers are the first to respond. They specialize in helping athletes recover from injuries and spend as much time on the field as possible.

Allison Hetrick, a professor the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, sat down with The DA to talk about the importance of athletic trainers in sports.

Q: What makes you passionate about being an athletic trainer?

A: Sports are really cool because I think they’re a microcosm of what life is. The more you put into it, the harder you work, no matter how talented you are, or intelligent, or whatever it is, it has a lot more to do with your attitude and your work ethic. It’s kind of rewarding to be part of somebody’s journey when they are trying so hard to reach a certain goal and then they reach the olympics. It’s those kinds of things you understand because you’ve sat there and you’ve watched them train and train and train to get to that pinacle of trying to win something. It’s amazing what you can learn about people in general just watching people go through that experience.

Q: What is Mountaineer football gameday like for the athletic trainers on the field?

A: We’re spending all of our time trying to make sure all of the players can be in the game for as long as they can. We try to do things to prevent injuries, so some students are running water and pushing fluids. We’re also checking on the bench for injuries, people who may not have said anything, or maybe look like they are trying to hide something. We are always looking for blood, because a player can get pulled from a football game because you have blood on your jersey.

Q: Football can be a rough sport, and concussions, among other injusries are common. How do you detect when someone is injured and hiding it?

A: We spend a lot of time paying attention during games, because you never know when somebody is going to get a concussion or something and they don’t realize they got hit or they don’t tell anybody. There’s actually a spotter in the pressbox as well who is supposed to call down if somebody took a bad hit.

Q: What is the role of an athletic trainer when someone gets hurt?

A: When you’re watching the Mountaineer Football game and someone gets hurt on the field, we’re the people who run out and take care of them. So we’re sort of the medical professionals who work with the teams. When they announce someone has torn their ACL, we’re probably the first ones who looked at them, tested them, and gotten them to the doctor when they need to go.

Q: What sports have worked with as an athletic trainer?

A: I’ve worked in Division 15 athletics for 15 years, so that’s 15 years of travelling to a lot of other major institutions, and in that process you get to meet a lot of really cool people. I’ve worked with professional athletes in every sport, so I’ve had major league baseball all-stars, I’ve had NFL Superbowl champions, basketball players, gymnasts who may have tried out for the Olympics, and technically I’ve even worked with professional crossfitters. It’s just a wide variety.

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Behind the Team: Sam Young Mountaineer Women’s Basketball

Article reposted from West Virginia Mountaineers
Author: Russell Luna

Keeping a top-tier collegiate athlete fresh and healthy is never an easy task. But for WVU women’s basketball athletic trainer Sam Young, it’s a duty she’s not afraid to tackle head-on.
Young, an assistant athletic trainer, is responsible for the overall health of the Mountaineers. She is the first point of contact when an athlete is injured or not feeling well. She also makes sure that the Mountaineers stay healthy and recover quickly throughout a long, grueling season.
“I am here anytime they are doing workouts, lifting, conditioning, open gym and practice,” noted Young. “We handle any issues that happens to them health-related and I’ll schedule any visits they need with specialists such as the orthopedic doctor.”
The Hico, West Virginia, native and WVU graduate has been with the women’s basketball program in a fulltime capacity for two years. She also served as a student athletic trainer for the Mountaineers during the 2011-12 campaign.
“My senior rotation was great,” noted Young. “You were able to experience what an actual athletic trainer has to do. You have to work all the hours and you’re covering everything and traveling along with the student-athletes.”
Young parlayed her undergraduate experience into a graduate assistantship at the University of Arizona. While with the Wildcats, she worked primarily with swimming & diving and the football team.
Since her return to WVU in 2014, Young has developed a good relationship with coach Mike Carey.
“We have a pretty good working relationship,” noted Young. “He understands it’s not necessarily my fault when someone gets injured. But, I’m going to do my best to get our athletes back to good health and on the court again.”
West Virginia has been fortunate to have a state-of-the-art facility with numerous tools and programs to help the injured student-athletes return to their full potential.
“You want to get them back as soon as you can, but you want to make sure they’re able to,” stated Young. “We’re not going to return them to play before they’re ready. We can help treat them multiple times during the day. I can have them come in before and after class. I can see them three or four times a day if need be to get all the treatment and rehab in. I take equipment with me on the road to help with the recovery as well.”
And when an athlete does suffer symptoms of a concussion, West Virginia has been a leader nationally in concussion diagnosis and treatment.
“WVU has always been the forefront of concussion protocol,” said Young. “Dr. Julian Bailes, who was a neurologist at WVU and was featured in the movie Concussion, played a big role in that. We’re using innovative software called X2, which helps us keep track of a concussion. Just two years ago, West Virginia and Stanford were the only two collegiate programs in the country to use this software. It’s useful to help us determine a concussion and the balance aspects of it.”
One of Young’s biggest focuses is helping the Mountaineers quickly recover after each game. Since the team often travels long distances during the conference slate, recovery plays a pivotal role in the Mountaineers’ success.
“Each student-athlete has recovery tights and recovery boots and we have the cold tub, which helps them out as well,” stated Young. “They are free to come in and get recovery treatment at any time. We have a physical therapist on staff. We have a lot of people who have different areas of expertise. I don’t have any problem bouncing ideas off of them and making sure our student-athletes get the best treatment.”
Regardless of the injury, the Mountaineers are in good hands with Young and the WVU Athletic Training staff.