SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Webster Groves High School
By: Pat O'Neill (SLU MAT Class of 2018); Dimitri Kilian and Paul Lamb (SLU MAT Class of 2019)
Our clinical experience at Webster Groves High School has centered around a team-based approach to caring for a diverse community of athletes across the spectrum of sports. Critical to this team-based approach is communication that allows all voices to be heard, and collaboration that encourages all members of our team to be engaged in the care of our athletes. Our preceptor Sean Wright ATC has cultivated this culture of collaborating to give the best care to an athlete since he started at Webster Groves 10 years ago.
Sean strengthens this culture by inviting the next generation of athletic trainers, who Sean teaches in his athletic training classes at the high school, into the AT room for observation hours. We have found that athletes who are also in Sean’s athletic training classes have a better understanding of their injuries, and are often more accepting of diagnoses and the rehab protocols that follow. This is unique, as many high school athletes don’t have a similar background in foundational principles of athletic training, and thus are less likely to understand the severity, mechanism, or timetable for their injury.
During this busy Fall season, we have experienced a wide range of athletic events. Our football and volleyball teams have gotten off to hot starts, while our soccer and softball squads have built upon their successes as they get prepared for postseason play. From Friday night football games to cross-country meets, the chance to see athletes of different sports and different levels has strengthened our knowledge base by reinforcing competencies of Athletic Training that may be practiced in one sport, but not another.
Day by day, our team at Webster strives to work together to care for our athletes in the best way possible. Sean emboldens each member of our staff to curate confidence in themselves through independent evaluations, while nurturing a team-based atmosphere among our group that’s there to lend an idea or helping hand when needed. With postseason sports on the horizon for fall sports, and winter sports just around the corner, we’re looking forward to more great experiences with the Statesmen!
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.
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