November 06, 2011

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Affton High School

This is one of a series of posts by the Saint Louis University Athletic Training students featuring their clinical site and their clinical instructor. The number, quality and diversity of clinical instruction is a major asset for the SLU AT education program.

Affton High School
By: Lizzy Kienstra (MAT Class of 2013)

It has been about 8 weeks since I started my clinical rotation at Affton High School, and it seems like yesterday I was getting anxious just thinking about what it would be like at Affton.  It’s exciting to think that I waited three years to finally have my own experience and a chance to work with athletes, using my knowledge from my ACI and from class to have the best skills and knowledge for my profession as an athletic trainer. 

As my ACI Becky shows me the ropes at Affton, she and I have a good time working with the athletes and getting to know the players. I am enjoying the experience of the team dynamic and inclusion, being a part of Affton when we are on the sidelines with the teams. Becky and I work with all of the sports offered at Affton this season and with the athletes that come in with injuries every day when school lets out. We attend home soccer, volleyball and football games at all high school grade levels, and I get a lot of athletic training experience under Becky’s talented and skillful guidance.
Becky Stigen ATC with SLU AT student Lizzy Kienstra at Affton HS.
In class we have learned about foot, ankle, and knee examinations, evaluations, and pathologies along with how and why to use modalities like electrical stimulation and ultrasound. At Affton, Becky and I have worked on many things from perfecting my ankle and wrist taping, evaluating and examining for an injury, and working with an athlete and their rehabilitation program as they recover from ACL reconstruction surgery, just to name a few.I am continue to learn so much at Affton and am so lucky to have such a wonderful opportunity to work with Becky and the Affton students. I am sure that these experiences will make me become a better Athletic Trainer and prepare me for my first real job as an athletic trainer.
Special care is needed around wild animals....good thing Lizzy is trained in first aid!

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