March 31, 2010

SLU Faculty Give Presentations at MAATA Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the Mid-America Athletic Trainers Association (NATA District 5) was held in Columbia, Missouri on March 27-28, 2010.  There was a total of over 500 persons in attendance, including students and certfied athletic trainers.
 
Two SLU faculty members made presentations at the meeting:
  • Dr. Mark Reinking, Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training made a presentation titled "Tendinopathies".
  • Dr. Kitty Newsham, ATEP Faculty Member made a presentation titled "PNF Techniques to Resolve Myofascial Trigger Points in the Lower Extremity".

 

March 28, 2010

NCAA Midwest Regional Final

The Michigan State Spartans defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 70-69 to win the Midwest Regional and go on to the Final Four in Indianapolis.  Congrats to Michigan State Athletic Trainer Tom Mackowiak on a successful tournament!  We also enjoyed working with Vince O'Brien (Ohio State), Don Bishop (Northern Iowa) and Chad Newman (Tennessee).

 The MSU fans (on left) and UT fans (on right) created a raucous atmosphere at the finals.

The Athletic Training Staff for the Finals....Mark Reinking, Kellie Black and Tony Breitbach.


March 27, 2010

NCAA Midwest Regional Day Two

The Edward Jones Dome was filled with a sea of purple on Friday, March 26th.  There were two great games!

The University of Tennessee edged Ohio State in game one and Michigan State defeated tournament cinderella Northern Iowa in game two.
It was a great experience for our medical team including physicians, athletic training faculty and students.
SLU Medical Team at the Regional semi-final (from left): Eric Sass, Dr. Will Mitchell, Heather King, Dr. Scott Kaar, Ilene Chambers, Dr. Paul Nativi, Jason Bennett, Tony Breitbach (not pictured Kitty Newsham)

March 26, 2010

SLU Athletic Training Students Promote National Athletic Training Month at Clinical Sites

Students in Darcy Downey’s class, MAT 560 Athletic Training Administration, developed presentation at their respective clinical sites to promote National Athletic Training Month.
Laura Gosewisch models the shirt she made for NATM.
Laura pictured with her ACI, St. Louis Community College-Forest Park athletic trainer Melissa Cobb.
Diane Schlesselman’s presentation at Webster Groves High School.
Ann Schmerbauch at Washington University with ACIs Anna Braun and Rick Larsen.
Emily Monahan’s poster at Harris Stowe State University, her ACI is Joi Richardson.
Mollie Cole, Geanie Butts & Meghan Gehrs at Saint Louis University Athletics, their ACIs are Jonathan Burch, Theresa Hummel, Miya Sullivan and Angie Wills.

SLATS Promotes Special Olympics and National Athletic Training Month at Busch Student Center

The Saint Louis University Athletic Training Society (SLATS) had an informative booth in the Busch Student Center in the SLU Main Campus. They also promoted the Special Olympics, one of their chosen philanthropy projects.

Jacob Blasingame and Meghan Gehrs at the SLATS booth in the Busch Student Center.

March 25, 2010

NCAA Midwest Regional Day One

The 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Midwest Regional is being held at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis and we serve as the medical staff.

The Regional kicked off today with the public practices. 

Here are a few behind the scenes photos:
View from behind the large grandstand that was erected where the football field normally sits.
The court sits in the football end-zone.
Our seats for the games.
Big place!
Northern Iowa practicing.
Ilene Chambers, Eric Sass and Heather King at the Michigan State practice.

March 21, 2010

Darcy Downey Quoted in Article About Spring Exercise

By: David Chilenski
dchilens@slu.edu
ST. LOUIS -- After the coldest winter in over a decade, the signs of spring are showing all over. Daffodils are sprouting in gardens, trees are budding, and thousands will be taking their exercise regimens outdoors for the first time in many months.
"When the weather warms and the sun is shining, people may want to go out and run three miles," says Darcy Downey, assistant professor in athletic training education at Saint Louis University.
"But if you haven't conditioned your body over the winter, an overuse injury could sidetrack your new routine for the foreseeable future."
Downey offers the following tips to get the most from your spring exercise tune-up:
Be aware of the winter weight.
Many of us put on extra weight over the winter. Of course, this puts more stress and strain on bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Don't expect to pick up where you left off six months ago. Starting gradually is the best course of action.
Vary your workout.
Mix a light jog and brisk walk one day, with some core and abdominal work the next. This helps the body steadily adjust and builds a good base as you increase your activity level.
Break your routine into parts.
A long warm up is essential to protect against soreness. Stretching should always be done after the warm-up. After you've completed your main set a cool down is also crucial in preparing for the next day's activities.
"Soreness is a natural response to unfamiliar body activity," Downey said. "Begin gradually, change up your routine to keep it fresh and remember a good cool-down."
Drink water.
It is always important to continue hydrating before, during and after all workouts.
Protect yourself from the sun.
Overexposure to the sun can cause headaches, nausea, fever and fatigue in addition to sunburn. Wear sunscreen and breathable clothing to protect yourself.
"The best advice I can give is just to work into your new workout routine gradually," says Downey.



March 19, 2010

SLATS Helps Doisy College Experience March Madness


As a part of the National Athletic Training Month activities, the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Society (SLATS) brought March Madness to the Doisy College community by providing broadcast of the NCAA men's basketball tournament games in the second floor.  This allows students, faculty and staff to enjoy off times and keep track of the games and their "brackets"

March 15, 2010

SLU ATEP and SLUCare Physicians Team Up to Cover the Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Tournaments


The faculty and students of the SLU Athletic Training Education Program, for the straight third year, covered the Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Tournaments March 4-7 at the Scottrade Center and March 11-14 at the Family Arena in St. Charles.  This year we were joined by a team of SLUCare physicians, coordinated by Dr. Scott Kaar and Dr. Will Mitchell.
SLU ATEP faculty member Jason Bennett PT, ATC courtside at the MVC Men's Basketball Tournament at the Scottrade Center.
AT Students Samatha Peltzer, Kellie Black and JJ Hannigan.
Dr. Scott Kaar getting a photo with a snarling Wichita State Shocker at the MVC Women's Tournament in at the Family Arena.

SLU ATEP Faculty Member Makes Presentations at GLATA Meeting


Kitty Newsham, PhD., ATC, Assistant Professor in the SLU Athletic Training Education Program, made two presentations at the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers Association (NATA District 4) 42nd Annual Meeting & Symposium on March 11, 2010.
She presented "Cooperation Among Research, Education, and Clinical Practice in Athletic Training" to the certified athletic trainers and she presented "Taping Techniques in Athletic Training" as a part of the student program.
The meeting took place at the Marriott at the Renaissance Center in Detroit, MI.

March 13, 2010

AT Program Director Interviewed Regarding Little Leaguer's Elbow


On Thursday, March 11, 2010; Tony Breitbach, Ph.D., ATC, Director of the SLU Athletic Training Education Program, was interviewed on KMOX-AM 1120 about little league pitching injuries.

Fred Bodimer conducted the interview regarding youth baseball players throwing injuries including use of the curveball and other overuse problems.

March 09, 2010

AT amongst "Tomorrow's New Hottest Jobs"

by Carol Tice, PayScale.com

Wouldn't it be great to know which jobs will see growing demand in the future? It sure would help with planning a career change, or even with picking a college major.

Turns out, you don't need a crystal ball to find out. Every two years, researchers at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics create a new 10-year forecast detailing the specific occupations the government expects will grow and shrink over the coming decade. The 2008-2018 projections came out in December.

The new data is especially valuable because it includes the first year of the current economic downturn (2008). The new Occupational Outlook Handbook, which went up on the BLS Web site in mid-December, provides a first look at how specific jobs may recover -- or not -- over the next eight years.

Job-seekers may find the new report comforting, as BLS economists generally do expect us to pull out of our current job slump. Some broad job categories see big job growth over the next decade because they're projected from the recession-era low in 2008. An example is construction laborers, projected to add 256,000 new jobs by 2018 as the sector recovers from its current slowdown, says Dixie Sommers, assistant commissioner of occupational statistics and employment projections.

One particularly heartening piece of news involves wages: the previous fastest-growing jobs forecast showed just four of the 10 jobs had high wages. The 2018 forecast, by contrast, lists six jobs that pay more than $70,000 per year. If you're interested in health care, there's lots of opportunity for you ahead -- eight of the top 10 occupy some niche in the field.

Only three occupations appear on both the '06 and '08 top-10 fastest-growing lists -- networks systems and data communications analysts, home health aides, and personal-care aides. The other seven of the top 10 are new for '08. See these jobs listed below. Some are fairly small employment niches, but all are seeing exploding growth:

Biomedical engineer
This field's expected growth through '18 -- a whopping 72 percent -- far outstrips any other occupation. As health-care technology becomes ever more complex, demand will explode for more engineers who can combine medical knowledge with engineering principles to develop needed new medical devices and equipment. The BLS reports most have a background in another engineering specialty and additional medical training.

Financial examiner
Part of a broader trend of growth in supervisory positions, BLS foresees a 41 percent increase in demand for financial professionals who can analyze and enforce laws governing the financial and securities industries. The field is expected to add 38,000 jobs in the next decade. Most have a bachelor's degree.

Medical scientist (excluding epidemiologists)
As technology makes it possible to delve deeply into the causes of diseases, demand for medical scientists is expected to rise 40 percent. Most have a Ph.D. in a biological science.

Physician assistant
Physician assistants work under a doctor's supervision in big cities, or may be primary care providers in rural areas where doctors are in short supply. Apparently, more shortages are forecast as demand is set to increase 39 percent by 2018. Most physician assistants have a two-year degree on top of a bachelor's degree.

Biochemist/biophysicist
Biochemists study living things and their chemical composition, while biophysicists study how electrical and mechanical energy impact living things. Growth is expected to exceed 37 percent. Some in this field start with a bachelor's degree, while a Ph.D. may be needed for independent research work.

Skin-care specialist
Also known as aestheticians, skin-care specialists were No. 11 last year and made it to the top 10 at No. 8 in the 2018 projections. With expected 38 percent growth, this field is one of the quickest to get into in the top 10 -- a high-school diploma or G.E.D. and a cosmetology-school certificate are all that's required.

Athletic trainer
America's love affair with sports is forecast to grow in the future, spurring a projected 37 percent increase in the need for athletic trainers to keep our athletes fit and help them recover from injuries. Trainers usually work under a doctor's supervision or in cooperation with other healthcare providers. Most have a bachelor's degree, and more than half have an advanced degree, the National Athletic Trainers Association reports.

Business writer Carol Tice is a regular contributor to Entrepreneur, The Seattle Times and other major publications. She can be reached at caroltice.com.

March 04, 2010

SLATS celebrates AT month at SLU Men's Basketball game

Saint Louis University Athletic Training Society (SLATS) members attended the SLU Men's Basketball game vs #16 Temple on March 3rd. SLU lost a close game, but all had fun.  AT student Emily Monahan was also recognized as a senior member of the Saintsations spirit squad.

March 03, 2010

Getting the word out about National Athletic Training Month!

We have placed posters regarding National AT Month around the Doisy College of Health Sciences!
SLATS, our student organization, also plans on putting an information booth at the Busch Student Center later in the month, after spring break, which will promote athletic training.