October 26, 2020

SLU AT Students Practice and Grow Clinical Skills in Positive Environment at John Burroughs School


SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - John Burroughs School 
By: Kate Perko (SLU MAT Class of 2021) and Amra Kardasevic (MAT Class of 2022)

Activities are ramping up at John Burroughs as St. Louis County lifts COVID-19 mandates. John Burroughs School is a small, private, co-ed school serving 7th through 12th grade students. Burroughs has taken great precautions to bring students back to in person classes and sports activities safely. As games have begun, it is obvious that these precautions have been effective as we move into our 3rd week of contests.

Our preceptor Dean Tiffany, ATC is John Burroughs' athletic trainer, assistant athletic director, and wrestling coach. It has been eye opening to see how he balances his commitments and responsibilities effectively. With that, he has given us every opportunity, under his supervision, to step in and evaluate injuries, assign rehab, and determine return to play. During the first weeks of the semester, before contests were allowed, we used our time to practice taping techniques, modalities, lower extremity evaluations, and manual therapy techniques.

The community that John Burroughs has established among its students and athletes shines through after spending just one day with the people there. All of the staff and students are incredibly welcoming not only to us, but to each other as well. The amount of support and encouragement there is in the athletic training room among athletes creates a very positive environment that is essential for successful healing.

Even with a slow start to the semester, we have gotten to see quite a few interesting injuries, including a patellar dislocation and an ACL tear. As sports contests are starting to get back to “normal” we are excited to see how the rest of the semester will play out. We look forward to getting more opportunities to use our skills and being able to help the students play and feel their best!

GO BOMBERS!

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.

October 25, 2020

SLU AT Students Experience a Welcoming and Empowering Clinical Site at Webster Groves HS


SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Webster Groves High School 
By: Iris Herrera (SLU MAT Class of 2021) and Michael Ryan (MAT Class of 2022)

We have been learning a lot at Webster Groves High School! Our preceptor Sean Wright ATC welcomed us with open arms and let us get hands on practice from the beginning. 

It’s been exciting to practice our clinical skills with the athletes that are allowed to practice and have games. This semester we have been doing a lot of evaluations and spending a lot of time planning and executing rehabilitation programs for injured athletes. we love being able to guide athletes from evaluations to return to play progressions. 



Being in the high school setting has been great! We've formed some great relationships with athletes. Hearing thank-you’s and even getting letters of appreciation has been heartwarming. Earning their trust and getting them to invest time into doing rehab has been really fulfilling.  Going into the rest of the semester we are excited to continue to practice evaluations, rehabilitation, and return to play decisions. 

Iris has also continued doing hours with Tom McGowan MEd, LAT, ATC at Children’s Hospital / Lou Fusz Soccer Club. At the soccer and lacrosse practices she's been able to evaluate athletes and make triage decisions. Since the summer, Tom has helped her become more and more confident in her skills. Towards the beginning of the semester she was able to join Tom in teaching the Lou Fusz coaches the FIFA11+ injury prevention warm up routine. Throughout the semester she has had practice in evaluating injuries, rehabilitating athletes, performing SCAT5’s, and talking to young athletes and their parents. 

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.

October 23, 2020

SLU AT Student Finds Value in Clinical Experience Caring for SLU Billikens Men's Soccer


SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Saint Louis University Billiken Athletics
By: Jose Blanco (SLU MAT Class of 2021)

This semester I have had the opportunity to work closely with SLU Men's Soccer Team. Athletic trainer Benjamin Heimos, ATC, MS has been my preceptor and both my and him have been providing our best care to all their athletes. So far, I have enjoyed taking care of a hardworking team with great encouraging coaches at a high competitive level. Growing up in a big soccer culture has made me appreciate the intensity and effort that the whole team puts on each practice regardless of not having a set schedule yet. 


Times recently have been full of uncertainties regarding having a season or not due to the pandemic we are living in right now. However, the staff of his team has done a great job at maintaining their motivation. The players have shown a high physical preparation, and thus injuries have been minimal. For those players affected by injuries, we have treated these players with the highest efficiency that we can provide. 

This opportunity has been awesome so far and I am eager to see what the soccer world can bring us on the next weeks. 

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.

October 21, 2020

SLU AT Student Has Great First Clinical Practicum Experience at Rockwood Summit HS


SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Rockwood Summit High School 
By: Maddie Cavanaugh (SLU MAT Class of 2022)

I’ve had a great first clinical experience in the SLU AT Program.  Although different this year, clinicals are still providing great learning experiences across the board.  I have been able to learn from Tony Mosello, MAT, ATC, LAT, who works for Mercy Sports Medicine and is a graduate from the SLU AT Program.  He is the Athletic Trainer at Rockwood Summit High School, a middle sized public high school in St. Louis County.  It has been a great experience getting to learn protocols of working in a pandemic that could carry on to future experiences should we have to deal with a similar situation in the future.


Every day I am able to foster relationships with the athletes to create a trusting atmosphere that includes myself that has already been strongly established by Tony.  I help tape the athletes before practice and aid with modalities to help prepare for practices and games.  As I start to learn more about evaluations in class, I am able to complete more evaluations on the athletes and start to put pieces of the puzzle together to create a more solid foundation.  


It has been a great experience so far getting to learn so much in a short time in an immersion setting and I can’t wait to continue to gain experience throughout my clinical practicums.  

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.

October 12, 2020

SLU AT Student Appreciates Preceptor's Approach in Clinical Experience at Bayless HS


SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Bayless High School
By: Josh Hicks (SLU MAT Class of 2021)

During the Fall 2020 semester I am placed at Bayless High School. I was at this same location for the summer. My preceptor, Adam Krueger ATC, CSCS, SSM Health Sports Medicine, welcomed me back with open arms. The summer was very mild with injury compared to this fall semester. There was a day where we spent the day driving back and forth to the different facilities to deal with six or seven different injuries.


A unique experience I have gained while at Bayless is concussion rehab. I have been other places where they asked the athlete to exercise on a bike and asked them if they had symptoms. At Bayless my preceptor showed me the daily questionnaire and had a program of exercises that we made sport specific. 


Keeping the athletes motivated is another skill I have picked up on at Bayless. For example, there is a softball player with a jones fracture that warms up and sits near the dugout during practice. While we are checking in on softball, we take the injured athlete through drills that she can do to maintain her softball skill. My preceptor is always keeping an eye out for activities the team is doing that the injured athletes can participate in. 

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.

October 10, 2020

SLU AT Student Builds Knowledge and Clinical Skills at Christian Brothers College HS


SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Christian Brothers College High School
By: Sydney Nash (MAT Class of 2022)

This semester I have been placed at Christian Brothers College (CBC) High School for my clinical site. During this clinical experience at CBC I am caring for soccer, football, and cross country. My preceptor Kristen Jeans, ATC, LMT works through Mercy Sports Medicine for CBC and has made this first clinical experience exciting and knowledgeable.
During this time of craziness with COVID-19 Kristen has helped guide me through all the unknowns that have come from the ever-changing ways of sports in the time of a pandemic. During this clinical experience I have learned a lot of new and exciting ways in taping patients and new ways to implement rehabilitation without having access to modalities or the athletic training room. 


Kristen has been a great in teaching me things to look for and things to ask when assessing a patient to be able to help them best. CBC has been an amazing experience so far with the welcoming staff and players. 

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.

October 09, 2020

SLU AT Student's Confidence Grows Through Preceptor's Support with SLU Billiken Athletics


SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Saint Louis University Billiken Athletics
By: Gabby Herod (MAT Class of 2021)

Being at Saint Louis University has opened my eyes to so much with athletic training. The behind the scene work that Petra Knight, MS, ATC, CES is responsible for is intense and I wasn’t aware that ATs would have to do all of what she does. Being there since July, has given me a great chance to become comfortable with how things work at SLU and with basketball since that will be our main sport this year. Petra has given me a lot of freedom already with evaluations, rehab, and daily treatments with athletes. This has really increased my confidence in all those areas since this is the first time that I have really been able to do what I want to do. I have gotten very comfortable with documentation now that I see athletes for all injuries. She knows that is the area of work I want to be in after I am finished with this program and I look forward to getting better each day. 


We have been primarily with the Women’s Basketball Team since Covid has shut down fall sports. Being with them everyday is a dream come true. Since this sport is my passion I am ready and willing to learn from this team. It has been very different again because of Covid but we are managing the best we can. Everything that Covid has brought is still showing and teaching me that communication is the most important thing with this job.

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.