February 22, 2017

SLU Students Inducted into National AT Honor Society During Annual Speakers Series Event


6th Annual SLU Athletic Training Speakers Series and Recognition Ceremony

The Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program hosted its 6th Annual Speaker Series and Recognition Ceremony on Monday, February 20, 2017 at 7:00 pm in the Huh Auditorium at the Center for Global Citizenship. 

The event was presented by the Saint Louis University chapter of Iota Tau Alpha - the Athletic Training Honor Society - and supported by the SLU Student Government Association. The evening began with the 2017 initiation ceremony for the SLU Alpha Iota Chapter of Iota Tau Alpha, the National Athletic Training Honor Society.

Alpha Iota Chapter - Iota Tau Alpha
2017 Honorees

Undergraduate
Grant A. Hollander
Abigail E. Klosterman
Allison R. Stefan
Caitlyn E. Thomas 

Graduate
Sarah Haenchen


Scholarship award winners Amelia Meigs, Collin Peterson, Caitlin Gibson and Stephanie Ross were also recognized. Dr. Mardell Wilson, Dean of the Doisy College of Health Sciences, made introductory remarks and welcomed attendees.


The keynote speaker for the event was Erik Swartz, Ph.D., ATC, FNATA, Professor and Chair in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of New Hampshire. 

The title of his presentation was:
Changing the Paradigm: Can Taking Football Helmets Off Reduce Head Injuries?

Dr. Swartz’s described Helmetless Tackling Training – or HuTT® Technique – which involves removing the helmets during controlled tackling drills in football practices and has been shown to decrease the number of head impacts in games and practice.


Following the keynote presentation, there was a panel discussion which included Dr. Swartz; along with Washington University Athletic Trainer/former St. Louis Rams Athletic Trainer Jim Anderson ATC; and Super Bowl Champion/former St. Louis Rams Center Andy McCollum.

It was truly a memorable event!

February 15, 2017

SLU Pre-Professional AT Students Enjoy their Initial Experience at the MoATA Education Conference


Missouri Athletic Trainers' Association Educators and Student Leadership Conference
By: Erin Fabbri and Danielle Jabczynski (MAT Class of 2019)

As pre-professional students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program, attending the Missouri Athletic Training Association Education Meeting in Fayette, Missouri was our first experience as to what it will be like to be an athletic trainer. It was a one day meeting on February 4, 2017. It was full of educational lectures and labs where we got to work with professional students and get hands on experience. The day ended with the MoATA Quiz Bowl, which tested our memory on anatomy and exposed to us what we will learn in our future classes. 


We learned about many things like sudden cardiac death in athletes and how to transition from academic to professional practice. We were also given a brief lecture before being able to experience hands on practice in myofascial release and kinesio-taping. Although we have not had all the classes necessary, the professional students answered any questions we had to get us through the lab portions of the day. 

Being pre-professional students at MoATA was a great experience. It provided a lot of insight about what’s to come in our future practice as athletic trainers.