SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Columbia High School

Columbia High School - Home of the Eagles!

By:  Derrick Neuner (SLU MAT Class of 2013) and Angelo Bongiorno (SLU MAT Class of 2014)

Columbia High School is a fantastic place for athletic training students to learn and hone their skills. Located just about 15 minutes from SLU’s campus, Columbia High School is a smaller high school compared to other SLU clinical sites. The head athletic trainer, James Sepich, ATC, is contracted by the high school through Monroe County Physical Therapy and Athletic Training Room.

During his normal week, James works hours in the morning and early afternoon at the clinic, assisting in the treatment of patients, handing membership issues for the gym, and coordinating an athletic training staff that is contracted as outreach to five local high schools. Then, on Mondays and Wednesdays, we meet him at CHS for injury/general health checks following dismissal of school. There is no true athletic training room at CHS; rather, we work out of a large storage room and a hallway that connects the weight room and the main gymnasium.

Derrick Neuner (SLU MAT Class of 2013), CHS Head FB Coach Scott Horner, James Sepich ATC (Columbia HS Athletic Trainer) and Angelo Bongiorno (SLU MAT Class of 2014) 

For game coverage, we cover all home varsity matches and away varsity football competitions. Additionally, for football, we conduct post-game injury checks the next morning at Monroe County PT. Because the high school does not have modalities, this gives us an opportunity to utilize additional treatment methods to keep our athletes on the field.

Across all sports, Columbia has a history of success. This season, football and boys’ soccer progressed to the second round of IHSA playoffs, and the volleyball team reached super-sectionals. Historically, CHS has placed several spring sports at the state level, including cheerleading, girls’ soccer, and baseball. There’s no doubt that a trip to Columbia High will have you full of “Blue Pride” as an athletic training student.

This is one of a series of posts by the Saint Louis University Athletic Training students featuring their clinical site and their preceptors. The number, quality and diversity of clinical instruction are major assets for the SLU AT Program.