SLU AT Student Gains Valuable Soccer Experience with the STLCity 2 Team

By: Grace Golembiewski (MAT Class of 2024)

My time assisting and learning under my clinical preceptor, Head Athletic Trainer of St. Louis City 2, Zach Hopkins, MS, LAT, ATC, CES, PES and the rest of the sports medicine and sports performance staff at St. Louis CITY SC has helped me expand my professional and clinical skills exponentially. Every day, I am learning about and practicing the roles and responsibilities of an athletic trainer in a professional soccer setting. This includes engaging in daily administrative duties, collaborating with other sports medicine and sports performance staff to create individualized injury prevention strategies for athletes, assisting with daily treatments, recovery, and injury rehabilitation protocols, and participating in training and game coverage experiences at the highest level. 

In continuation, my preceptor does an excellent job at guiding my daily experiences by offering new opportunities to both observe and practice new clinical skills and emerging practices at the professional level. Overall, this opportunity has significantly improved my confidence in my professional skills and knowledge which excites me for what I have yet to learn at St. Louis CITY SC. 

This is one of a series of posts authored by students enrolled in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program. The number of clinical sites, the quality and diversity of the clinical experience opportunities, and the contemporary expertise of our preceptors are strengths of the CAATE Accredited SLU AT Program.