November 26, 2013

SLU AT Program Advisory Board Conducts Fall Meeting


On November 20, 2013, the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program Advisory Board met at Cafe' Ventana near the SLU Frost Campus.  This group provides essential community feedback regarding the program and is invaluable in program planning and improvement.  The program is very fortunate to have such a wealth of expertise available in the St. Louis region.


Anthony Breitbach, Julie Davitz and Laura O'Connor

Randy Craig, Tim Howell and Jennifer Baine

Tyler Wadsworth, Bridget Quirk, Mark Reinking and Mike Markee

Laura O'Connor and Kitty Newsham

Matt Bayes and Paul Nativi
2013-14 SLU AT Program Advisory Board Members

Jason Bennett PhD, PT, SCS, ATC
Saint Louis University Program in Physical Therapy

Jonathan Burch ATC
Saint Louis University Department of Athletics

Randy Craig PT, ATC, MS
PRORehab Physical, Sports and Occupational Therapy

Julie Davitz PT, ATC, MHS
Rehab 1 Network

Matt Bayes, MD
Blue Tail Medical Group

Scott Kaar MD
Saint Louis University Orthopedics

Rick Larsen MS, ATC
Washington University in St. Louis Department of Athletics

Aaron McBride MPT, ATC
PRORehab Physical, Sports and Occupational Therapy

Paul Nativi DMD
Saint Louis University and part time private practice

Laura O'Connor MPT, ATC, CSCS
PRORehab Physical, Sports and Occupational Therapy

Fred Shinn MS, PT
Monroe County Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine

Tyler Wadsworth MD
Saint Louis University and Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

November 25, 2013

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - John Burroughs School


John Burroughs School – Home of the Bombers!
By: Jessica Buschjost (MAT Class of 2014) and Christian Ahlstrom (MAT Class of 2015)


We currently have our clinical education practicum at John Burroughs School in Ladue, Missouri with their head athletic trainer Dean Tiffany, ATC. This school may be small in numbers, but they sure know how to make their name known. Being given the chance to work with Dean, the coaching and administrative staff, and the athletes at JBS has been a very enjoyable experience.  The respect that has been given and shown to us as vital members of the medical team has been unremarkable. JBS offers a wide range of opportunities for us, as we have been given the chance to work with football, boys soccer, girls volleyball, cross country, girls tennis, field hockey, and boys swimming in the fall season. We are getting ready to switch over into winter sports, which will consist of boys wrestling, girls and boys basketball, and girls swimming.

SLU AT students Christian Ahlstrom and Jessica Buschjost with Dr. Don Bassman and Dean Tiffany ATC. 
JBS just finished up renovating most of the school. The athletic training facility was part of this major project and has gone from working in a closet to a top of line athletic training facility.  The atmosphere is much like working in a small university, but with the joys of interacting with high school student athletes. The modalities and resources that we have available to us really accentuate our experience here. It can be very chaotic after school, but there is a method to our madness. It is very enjoyable to spend time here learning from the best, our preceptor Dean Tiffany.  We feel very privileged to be given the chance to call JBS our home for a while. GO BOMB!!!

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.

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Washington University in St. Louis


Washington University in St. Louis – Home of the Bears!
By: Nick Gastorf, Angelo Bongiorno and Tyler Wood (MAT Class of 2014); Connor Doherty and Shannon Kane (MAT Class of 2015)

For the academic year of 2013-2014 PY2 students Nick Gastorf, Angelo Bongiorno and Tyler Wood have the privilege of working at Washington University – St. Louis.  For this fall semester, two PY1 students, Connor Doherty and Shannon Kane are also assigned to WashU.  At WashU, we are under the instruction of 4 certified athletics trainers. Head Athletic Trainer Rick Larsen ATC works with the football team. Assistant Athletic Trainer Jacob Blasingame ATC works with football as well and also covers men’s soccer.  Assistant Athletic Trainer Jim Anderson ATC covers women’s soccer and Assistant Athletic Trainer Mary Tarzon ATC covers volleyball and cross country.

SLU AT students Connor Doherty, Nick Gastorf, Angelo Bongiorno and Shannon Kane
To say that the fall has been busy would be an understatement.  We have had great success on the field in almost every sport.  At this point in time, our football team and women’s soccer team are still alive in their NCAA Division III tournaments. The football team has earned their first at large bid since 1999, their second such in school history!  While the athletic teams have had great success on the field, we, as athletic training students, have also had great learning experiences off and on the field. Unfortunately, we have had numerous injuries this fall semester to take care of.  While you never want to see an athlete get hurt, it does allow for us SLU students to enhance our athletic training skills.  Although these injuries have occurred, we are confident these are athletes will be back on the field in no time with the great care they are receiving from the WashU Athletic Training Staff.


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.

November 24, 2013

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Webster Groves High School


Webster Groves High School – Home of the Statesmen!
By: Michelle Cybulski (MAT Class of 2014), Kayla Kelley and Michael Aaron (MAT Class of 2015)

We currently have our clinical education experience at Webster Groves High School with their athletic trainer Sean Wright, ATC. Working with Sean, all the coaches, and their athletes has been an enjoyable educational experience for us. From day one we were welcomed and treated as vital members of the sports medicine team. The coaches and athletes at Webster Groves are very respectful, cooperative, supportive, and we feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to work with them.

SLU AT students at the Webster Groves-Francis Howell football game.
This fall we worked with football, boys soccer, field hockey, cross country, girls tennis, girls volleyball, and softball. We’ve had the opportunity to cover the varsity football team all the way to the semifinals and have upheld the crazy, WGHS tradition of ATs wearing shorts to every varsity football game.  We hoped to get the chance to travel with them and wear our shorts one more time for the state championship game at the Edward Jones Dome, but we are proud of the team on their great season!

Michelle Cybulski, Sean Wright ATC, Michael Aaron and Kayla Kelley
We’ve also began working with the winter sports athletes for girls and boys basketball, and wrestling.
Sean has been the athletic trainer at Webster Groves High School for 8 years, and you can tell how much his help is appreciated by all the coaches, athletes and their parents.  Sean is a great teacher and he’s very passionate about the field of athletic training; we are fortunate to have him as our preceptor. Sean also teaches health and offers two levels of athletic training classes to his students at WGHS. These students accompany us to games to help out and learn about athletic training.  It’s a nice opportunity for us to test our knowledge by teaching them what we have learned and answering their questions about athletic training.

The best part about working at WGHS and with Sean is how much we get to help out and be hands on. He lets us do as much as our comfort levels allow, giving us guidance as needed, and we are very grateful for this.

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.

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Parkway North High School


Parkway North High School – Home of the Vikings 
By: Jay Maturan (MAT Class of 2014) and Mike Griffith (MAT Class of 2015)

This semester, we had our clinical rotation at Parkway North High School and a part of the Parkway School District.  Our preceptor is Jim Craghead, ATC, the Parkway North athletic trainer who is contracted through PRORehab. Working with Jim has been a great experience. During our time here we have been able to perform numerous evaluations, treatment, assessment, rehabilitation and helped athletes return to play. Everyone who works at the school was very accepting of the two of us and express their appreciation for all of our help.

Jim Craghead ATC with SLU AT students Jay Maturan and Mike Griffith
Working closely with Jim helped us grow so much as a student and as a future health care professional. He provided us with opportunities to apply the knowledge we learned in the classroom to a real life situation.  We really enjoyed the experience and learning that we have had at Parkway North.

SLU AT students Mike Griffith, Jay Maturan, Abby Breseman and Will Rath at Parkway North-Kirkwood football game.
At Parkway North they have a wide variety of sports such as football, soccer, volleyball, softball, tennis, field hockey, cross country, track and field, water polo, swimming, basketball and baseball. This fall, the softball team even made it all the way to the state final 4, ever since 1980’s.  Both football and soccer teams all made it to playoffs. Finally, it was a great atmosphere to work with such great talent as the high school level. I can’t wait for the winter and spring season to start. GO VIKINGS!


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.

November 23, 2013

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Kirkwood High School



Kirkwood High School - Home of the Pioneers!
By: Abby Breseman (MAT Class of 2014) and Will Rath (MAT Class or 2015)


This semester we have had the opportunity to serve as athletic training students at Kirkwood High School, a Class 5A high school about 25 minutes outside the city of St. Louis. The head athletic trainer, Denise Grider ATC, makes sure we have a fun, educational work environment and each day is filled with chances to expand our knowledge and further prepare us for a career in the field of athletic training.

Abby Breseman
Our days at Kirkwood begin as soon as school gets out and the athletes come to the athletic training room for treatment or to get taped in preparation for practice or games. We are responsible for care at home games and if there are none, we rotate between practices in case an injury may occur. 

Will Rath
Having a large high school as our clinical site has been a great learning experience because we are able to experience all in-season sports instead of being assigned to just one team, which is common in a college setting. Being able to provide athletic health care for a large football team has been one of our favorite opportunities thus far. With a high-contact sport like football, comes a high chance of injuries, and being able to evaluate those injuries and then help the athletes return to play was an incredible learning experience. Working with a competitive and passionate team like Kirkwood, it was great interacting with players that are eager to get back on the field after injury. 


All of the athletes, coaches and staff members at Kirkwood have been so welcoming and we would like to thank all of them for being a part of our clinical experience. 

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.

November 22, 2013

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Parkway South High School


Parkway South High School - Home of the Patriots!
By: Cat Costello (MAT Class of 2014) and Josh Harris (MAT Class of 2015)


Parkway South High School is the home of the Patriots and largest of the four Parkway schools, nestled on the border of Ballwin, Missouri. Kyle Boyce, ATC has been with the high school since he graduated from SEMO 7 years ago! Needless to say, he has a strong rapport and great relationships with both staff and students after all this time. Throughout the year, Kyle works with an average of 400 athletes between the three seasons. He certainly has his hands full!


Walking around the school in the first few months it seemed as though Kyle was at the center of it all and knew everyone. The athletes would update him on their injuries, or season as they passed in the halls, and the staff, a majority of them being coaches as well would do the same, (or ask for a Cardinals update!).  The relationship that Kyle shares with the coaches is both strong and effective. They each trust Kyle with every one of their athletes and ask his advice for even the smallest injuries; while Kyle understands the importance of returning the athletes to play in an efficient and safe manner. The atmosphere in the athletic training room is upbeat and laid back. The athletes know that they will get no non-sense treatment every time, though the jokes seem to fly no matter the student.
Josh Harris
Josh Harris, PY1 and I have both enjoyed our rotation and learned something new every single day. We were integrated into the school community almost immediately and were given a great deal of responsibility. They range from performing our evaluations and implementing treatment plans to practicing blind-folded taping in our free time. With so many years of experience, especially with Parkway South itself, Kyle understands the ins and outs of every sport and how best to treat each athlete individually. He offers guidance on special techniques while offering tips from his own experience that have proven invaluable.

Cat Costello

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.

November 21, 2013

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - SIU-Edwardsville



Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville, Home of the Cougars!
By: Emily Grace and Blake Hudspeth (MAT Class of 2014)

SLU AT students Blake Hudspeth, Kelley DeGreeff and Emily Grace with Ben Heimos ATC & Miya Sullivan ATC at SIUe-SLU Women's Soccer game.
For the 2013-14 school year, we have the luxury of working with the athletic training staff at a NCAA Division I institution at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. Under the guidance of head athletic trainer Gerry Schlemer ATC, assistants James Mays ATC and Ben Heimos ATC, and graduate assistants MacKenzie Liko ATC, Brittany Lowell ATC, and Kaitlin Adams ATC, we have been able to practice and strengthen our skills in the field of athletic training.  Each of these individuals have been very helpful and supportive in our learning process, answering any questions that we have and allowing us to work with their athletes one on one in the athletic training room.



During the fall season we have spent most of our time working with James, Ben, and the men’s and women’s soccer teams.  We saw a number of injuries involving the hip, knee, ankle, and foot. It was fun working with these athletes throughout their seasons and assisting in the various rehab activities that they performed in order to get healthy and back onto the field. From the typical ice and e-stim treatments to the range of motion and strengthening exercises, it has been a long and fun ride in the athletic training room at Korte Stadium. Now that soccer has come to an end, we are looking forward to working with the men’s and women’s basketball teams and the wrestling team for the upcoming winter season. Gerry and his staff have done a wonderful job in making us feel welcome and we are very thankful for this opportunity to work with all of them at SIUE. Go Cougars!


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.

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Lindenwood University-Belleville


Lindenwood University – Belleville, Home of the Lynx!
By: Mary Rhatigan (MAT Class of 2014) Ju Kim, Hillary Stepansky, and Tori Lycett (MAT Class of 2015) 

Lindenwood University-Belleville has become the second home to 4 SLU students this year. Ju Kim, Hillary Stepansky, and Tori Lycett are the PY1's stationed here for the Fall semester and this is their first real taste of athletic training. Mary Rhatigan, PY2, will be with the Lynx for the entire year.


It has been a great experience and we have all been exposed to so many new injuries, situations, clinical opportunities. It has been an exciting and busy semester that has just seemed to fly by. This is only the second season for the football program so routine is still in development and it is cool to watch it unfold.


Working with the football team offers us as students, a TON of practice opportunities. Every day we go through the big "waves" of athletes needing treatments, taping, rehab, and evaluations, and it has been incredibly beneficial because repetition and exposure are key steps to mastering the tricks of the trade.

The athletes are fun very receptive to what we have to offer.  It has been great building the professional relationships and watching the team progress as both a group and individuals.


One of the best aspects of LU-B as a clinical site is the great staff and energetic atmosphere that is created in and around the athletic training room. There is a great sense of teamwork that helps everybody take care of their responsibilities and collaborate in a fun, friendly, and comfortable professional environment.

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.

November 20, 2013

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Mascoutah High School


Mascoutah High School, Home of the Indians!
By: Kelly Peck (MAT Class of 2014)


Mascoutah High School in Mascoutah, Illinois is class 3A school in the Mississippi Valley Conference with about 1,100 students. Featured sports are football, volleyball, girls and boys golf, tennis, basketball, cross country, track and field, boys wrestling, baseball, and softball, dance, and cheerleading. The Indian's athletic trainer is Cathy Webb ATC, a McKendree graduate in her second year at Mascoutah. 

SLU AT student Kelly Peck with Mascoutah HS AT Cathy Webb ATC


This high school has been a great clinical site and environment for learning. The staff, athletes, and coaches have been great to work with and always make me feel like an honorary Indian.


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.

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Francis Howell High School


It’s a great day to be a Viking!
By: Heather Koch (MAT Class of 2014)

Francis Howell High School, Home of the Vikings, is a Class 6 member of the Francis Howell School District. As a PY2 student here at Howell I have become very involved with the students and staff. With such a large school there is never a dull moment. From 2pm until the end of practices and games we are constantly treating athletes with every kind of ailment you can think of.  I have been at Howell for a very short period of time, but in this time I have already seen and been able to be a part of so much growth and improvement at the school. They introduced a new wing to the school in the fall of 2012 which included a new gymnasium, weight room, and giant athletic training room among other things. This spring they will debut two baseball fields and one softball field to the campus.

SLU AT student Heather Koch with Francis Howell HS Athletic Trainer Ruth Young ATC.
Athletic training coverage for the school is provided by Excel Sports and Physical Therapy. Excel is a private, locally-owned practice with offices in and around St. Charles County. Along with outreach coverage to area high schools, their athletic trainers also cover youth sports and provide community wellness to businesses in the area. Ruth Young is the athletic trainer here at Howell as well as my preceptor for the 2013-2014 school year. As an athletic trainer for the past 10 years she has worked with the Indiana Fever WNBA team, Saint Vincent's Sports Performance in Indiana, and now resides at Excel Sports and Physical Therapy. This is Ruth’s first year having an athletic training student and she has been so willing and eager to provide me with a variety of knowledge and experience and I have enjoyed every second of it.


It has been a pleasure to work with the students and staff at Francis Howell and I cannot wait to see what the rest of this year at Howell has in store for me.  It truly is a great day to be a Viking!

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.

November 18, 2013

AT Faculty Member Combines Teaching With Health Care at SLU Ice Hockey Games


It’s not just cool --- it is ice cold!
By: Timothy G. Howell Ed.D, ATC, CSCS

I love being a Billiken! As the clinical education coordinator for the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program (ATP), a position I have held for almost three years, I have a vested interest in AT Student (ATS) success. My primary role in the ATP is to make certain we have the right types of preceptors and clinical sites to ensure ATS are getting some great opportunities to practice the skills they are learning in the classroom in a real-time athletic training environment.

SLU AT students Michael Aaron, Claire Botting and Angie Vitale on the bench at a SLU Ice Hockey game.
One such environment has a playing surface of between 14-24 degrees.  An ATS, either PY1 or PY2, can sign-up with me to provide athletic health care when I provide home game coverage for the SLU Club Ice Hockey Team. It is a great opportunity for me to see first hand what skills athletic training students are taking with them from the classroom to the field (or in this case the ice.) I get to interact with the ATS outside of the classroom as their preceptor, not their faculty member nor their clinical education coordinator, but someone who, beyond the dasher boards, can help refine an athletic training students skills and abilities.


November 17, 2013

SLU AT Students "Use Their Head" at Healthfest


The Saint Louis University Athletic Training Society (SLATS) sponsored a display and presentation on concussions at the Saint Louis Science Center's Healthfest program on Saturday, November 16, 2013. This is the third straight year that the SLU AT program has been involved in this annual program designed to educate families in science, health and safety.  Approximately over 1000 people attend this event every year. Coordinated by PY2 student Jay Maturan, SLATS members developed the materials and staffed the booth at the event.  They also offered a free raffle for 4 tickets to a SLU Men's Basketball game.



The SLU AT students that participated in Healthfest 2013 were:
Jay Maturan (Coordinator)
Cat Costello
Haylie Dehm
Harold Gonzales-Ortiz
Emily Grace
Candie Hill
Brittany Koops
Jose Mendez
Stuart Plamp
Raquel Roberts-Hamilton 
Stephanie Ross
Michael Sickels 
Rachel Spika
Hilary Stepansky
Nygel Williams



For more information on the center go to: www.slsc.org