Students receive experience as athletic trainers for 'M' teams

Taking 120 hours of credit in classes like physiology, physics and sports psychology, plus attending up to 40 hours per week at athletic practices is a lot for any student to handle.

Just ask the 38 University students who are part of the athletic trainer program run by the Division of Kinesiology.

Staff trainer Lisa Hass, co-coordinator of the program, said student trainers learn quickly how to balance their studies with athletic responsibilities.

"Time management is the biggest challenge our students face," Hass said.

A typical day for trainers begins with a full slate of classes in the morning, followed by afternoon and evening practices that take from two to seven hours, depending on which team's practices they are scheduled to attend.

EMILY NATHAN/Daily Kinesiology senior Angie Spence attends to a student athlete as part of her clinical training needed to become a certified trainer.

During practice, they "observe and take care of any injury at practice and assist (the staff trainers) with anything possible," Hass said.

Hass said the program, which is set up like an internship at a corporation, fosters a "close partnership between the students and the staff trainers."

The newer student trainers must consult with the staff trainers on-hand at the practice before assessing and evaluating any injuries, but those with many hours of training under their belt can treat the athletes themselves.

Some students, like LSA senior Angie Spence, who already has the required 1,500 hours of clinical time to become a certified trainer, can run the training aspects of some team practices without the daily accompaniment of a staff trainer.

For Spence, the experience she has gained in working with so many different teams has been invaluable.

"It's a great way to experience what being a trainer at a school is really like, " Spence said.

One of the perks of the student training program is the opportunity to accompany teams to away contests.

Spence spent last spring break assisting the gymnastics team at a tournament in California. Hass said not all trainers have the opportunity to travel to warm, exotic places, but on-the-road experiences are not rare.

Spence said traveling to other campuses is a great opportunity to "meet people and get key connections within the athletic community."

Sometimes, though, the time commitment can become so overwhelming that the students start to slip in the classroom.

That's where Patricia Van Volkinburg comes in. She's the other co-coordinator of the program, and she focuses on academic responsibilities.

There is no specific GPA that needs to be maintained to stay in the program, but Van Volkinburg keeps "close tabs" on all her students.

Van Volkinburg said the training program opens doors for most of the students involved.

"Many students go onto graduate programs, and many go and get teaching certificates and teach and train at the high school level," Van Volkinburg said. "Some go directly into semi-pro and college training positions."

Van Volkinburg said University coaching staffs are especially appreciative of the service provided by student trainers because their work comes without a price tag.

"(A) positive relationship exists between student trainers and varsity coaches, and many of the students get letters of recommendation from the coaches," Van Volkinburg said.

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