SLU AT Program Faculty and Alumni have a Big Week in the Big Easy

Each year, the NATA Clinical Symposia and AT Expo provides a great opportunity for professional development and fellowship.  This year's meeting was no exception and the city of New Orleans provided a great site for convention's festivities!

One of the highlights of the NATA Convention is our Alumni Reception!  Over 50 alumni and friends attended this year's reception at the Olde NOLA Cookery on June 27th.

There were several educational presentations with SLU connections:

Katie Sniffen MS, ATC presented research from our interprofessional DPT/MAT Therapeutic Modalities course.

Program Director Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC presented a poster on his interprofessional collaboration research.

SLU AT alum Tyler Wood MS, MAT, ATC presented his doctoral research from the University of Illinois.

Gatorade premiered a short film entitled "First on the Field" highlighting the experience of the NFL's first female athletic trainers.  SLU AT alum Hilary Stepansky MAT, ATC is featured in the video and served on a panel discussing her experiences with the Los Angeles Rams as one of six female AT's in the NFL.

The video of the presentation is available here:
https://www.pscp.tv/GPerformancePartner/1yNGaXDoyEqKj?t=1m56s 

SLU AT Students Give Roosevelt HS Students a Day with the Billikens

Roosevelt High School Athletic Training Club

By: Cat Chua, Rory Cusack and Paul Lamb (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

On January 23rd, we took the Roosevelt High School (RHS) Athletic Training Club for a field trip to Saint Louis University (SLU). This club, sponsored by the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program and funded through an Ethnic Diversity Enhancement Grant from the National Athletic Trainers' Association Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee is designed to nurture interest in athletic training and the health professions for students at RHS.  Kemba Noel-London MAT, ATC CES coordinates the RHS AT Club along with student mentors from the SLU AT Program.

First, we took the students on a tour of the SLU athletic training room. They learned about different modalities and treatments performed in the room. They also got to meet one of the basketball players. After the tour of the training room, the students went onto the basketball court to take some pictures before the game. Then we went to Grand Hall to eat dinner. We showed videos of injuries to the students and had conversations about what an athletic trainer does in those situations. Before going to the basketball game, the students got a tour of the Simon Rec Center. At the game, the high school students got to sit in the student section where they cheered along with the rest of the SLU students and fans, received cheer items from the people leading the student section, and even met the Billiken! The basketball game field trip was a great success and so much fun for all of us.

The students were able to experience the athletic training from from an athlete’s point of view and were able to ask many questions to both the Athletic Trainer and a few athletes. The students were extremely curious as to how an Division 1 athlete juggles basketball, course work, and social life. They asked how they athlete got their scholarship and how hard they worked in high school. The students then were asking us what our thoughts on how they can get to be like those D1 athletes, or the process of walking on to a team. The students from Roosevelt are all athletes themselves, and know what hard work it takes to stay on a team and be successful. As Athletic Training students, it gave us a chance to answer questions that we normally wouldn’t get in an athletic training facility, but from high school students that are genuinely interested in what it takes to be a healthcare professional or an athlete and what life is like in college. 

Moving forward in the semester, we plan on further exposing the students to the different roles and providers on a sports medicine health care team. Over the next few meetings, the students will have the opportunity to learn more about sports performance and how athletes prepare for a game through a discussion on eating like an athlete as well as preparing for a game through a presentation on training like an athlete. An additional field trip to the SLU Anatomy Lab will be an excellent chance for club members to understand topics we’ve discussed during club meetings in a more hands-on setting. Our goal at the beginning of the year was to get the high schoolers engaged in sports medicine, and present them with opportunities to see the many ways in which it can impact their lives and the lives of the people around them. Our field trip to the SLU basketball game helped advance that goal, and with so many exciting topics ahead of us, it’s hard not to be enthusiastic about what we’ll accomplish the rest of the year with the Roosevelt High School Athletic Training club!

SLU AT Faculty and Alumni Have a Great Week at the NATA Meeting in Houston

Saint Louis University Faculty and Alumni look forward to the annual National Athletic Trainers' Association Clinical Symposia and AT Expo each year to provide a week of service, professional development and fellowship.  The 2017 NATA meeting was held from June 26-29 in downtown Houston, Texas.

Hilary Stepansky ATC presenting at NATA 2017

Hilary Stepansky MAT, ATC (SLU MAT Class of 2015) presented "Breaking the Glass Ceiling, Becoming a Female Athletic Trainer in the NFL" on Tuesday, June 27th. Hilary, who works with the Los Angeles Rams, is one of five women who have full-time staff athletic trainer positions in the National Football League. 

Dr. Breitbach with alum Kellie (Black) Fisher ATC at his presentation.

Faculty Kitty Newsham PhD, ATC and Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC made "Special Topics" presentations on Thursday, June 29th.  Dr. Newsham presented "The Foot Core: Base of Stability" and Dr. Breitbach's topic was "Pedagogy Designed to Build a Foundation for Interprofessional Collaboration".

David O'Loughlin ATC, Dr. Breitbach and Demeisha Crawford ATC at EDAC Town Hall

Demeisha Crawford MAT, ATC (SLU MAT Class of 2016) also presented a poster on SLU's Ethnic Diversity Enhancement Grant at the NATA Ethnic Diversity Advisory Council's Town Hall on Wednesday, June 28th.

Andria Lampe ATC, Hilary Stepansky ATC and Will Rath ATC

An additional highlight of the week was the SLU Athletic Training Alumni Reception at Tejas Grill and Sports Bar on June 28th.

Demeisha Crawford ATC, Brad Bunten ATC, Ben Heimos ATC, Lizzy Kienstra ATC, Petra Knight ATC and Katie Sniffen ATC.

SLU AT Student Presents Poster at SLU Graduate Student Association Research Symposium

On Friday, March 31, 2017, Saint Louis University Athletic Training student Amelia Meigs (MAT Class of 2017) presented a poster of her Master of Athletic Training Capstone Project: "The Development of Cultural Competence in Athletic Training Students Through Educational Outreach at a Diverse Public High School" at the SLU Graduate Student Association Research Symposium in the Busch Student Center.

The research examines the Roosevelt High School Athletic Training Club, funded by a National Athletic Trainers' Association Ethnic Diversity Enhancement Grant, and its impact on cultural competence for the SLU AT Students who serve as mentors in the program.  

Amelia has coordinated the program this year with Faculty Mentor Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC; Doctoral Assistant Kemba Noel-London MAT, ATC; and fellow student Jenna Ginsberg (MAT Class of 2018).

Congratulations to Amelia and all involved in this project!

Saint Louis University Tips Off National AT Month at Chaifetz Arena

Saint Louis University's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Athletic Training Program joined forces to celebrate the start of National Athletic Training Month on March 1, 2017 in conjunction with a Billikens Men's Basketball victory vs the LaSalle Explorers at Chaifetz Arena.

Dr. Breitbach takes a pic with the SLU students who made this event a success.

There were many activities held that night to celebrate the event.  SLU's 13 Certified Athletic Trainers were recognized in a pregame announcement and presentation on the Chaifetz Arena video boards.

SLATS booth to promote the AT profession on the arena concourse.

The members of the SLU Athletic Training Society (SLATS) had an infomational booth on the arena concourse to promote #NATM2017.  They also had a Photo Booth to commemorate the event.

SLU President Dr. Fred Pestello joined in on the fun!

Additionally, the students in the Roosevelt High School Athletic Training Club also attended the event.  The RHS AT Club is sponsored for the 3rd straight year by the SLU AT Program through a grant from the National Athletic Trainers' Association Ethnic Diversity Advisory Council.  

RHS AT Club on the Chaifetz Arena court prior to the game.

The club utilizes SLU AT students to mentor and teach RHS students about AT and the health professions.

SLU staff member Petra Knight ATC takes time to talk to the RHS AT Club.

Thank you to all of the students, staff, faculty and administration that made this evening a great success!

SLU AT Student Reflects on her Experience at the 2017 NATA iLead Student Leadership Conference

2017 National Athletic Trainers' Association iLead Student Leadership Conference
By: Amelia Meigs (SLU MAT Class of 2017)

In February 2017, I had the privilege to attend the NATA iLead Student Leadership Conference for student leadership in athletic training with two other students from Saint Louis University: Stephanie Ross and Collin Peterson. If the 10 pages of notes doesn’t demonstrate the value of the NATA iLead conference, then surely the many connections made during the weekend does. The value of meeting students from different athletic training programs cannot be understated—learning how other schools educate and promote the growth of students can teach us about the variety of experiences an athletic training education can provide. I met two students from my home state of Washington—something I didn’t expect when heading down to Dallas, TX. I was also privileged enough to meet students from Missouri (my current home) but studying elsewhere.

The presentations at iLead were carefully crafted and chosen, and each held value to my leadership development. The presentation by Dr. Scott Bruce on ethics allowed me to build my skills discerning the appropriate response to difficult situations I may face in my career. I learned how my upholding of the NATA ethical standards will demonstrate to my colleagues, superiors, and community the high level of ethics athletic trainers are held to and advance the profession. The standardized patient experience, while already a part of my athletic training education program, reinforced the integration of classroom skills into practical situations, and left me knowledgeable about the skills required to be an outstanding athletic trainer.

Dr. Malissa Martin presented on post-professional programs, and allowed me to begin crafting not only a vision for my future, but a method to get there. The presentation by EDAC representatives Murphy Grant, Dr. Marnie Vanden Noven, Dr. Dani Moffit, and Dr. Kysha Harriell allowed me to build practical knowledge and skills about cultural competence and its effect on athletic training. The networking presentation by President Scott Sailor left me with practical skills to build my network and the confidence to begin. Throughout the conference, education I already had was reinforced and improved by practical applications directly to my career.

I was extremely privileged to be sponsored by the Missouri Athletic Trainer’s Association to attend iLead. The weekend taught me the importance of athletic trainers and how to articulate my value. I came back with practical skills and knowledge that I will apply to my career before and upon graduating this May. I am so appreciative of the lessons taught and path paved for me by the current leaders of the NATA and state associations. This experience was one we as students will never forget.

The SLU AT Program Kicks Off the Third Year of the Roosevelt HS AT Club

2016-17 Roosevelt High School Athletic Training Club
By: Amelia Meigs (SLU MAT Class of 2017)

We had the first meeting of the 2016-2017 Roosevelt High School Athletic Training Club just two weeks ago. 

This is the third year of the RHS AT Club, which has been funded by an Ethnic Diversity Enhancement Grant from the National Athletic Trainers' Association Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee.  A new development this year is that RHS now has an Athletic Trainer, Kemba Noel-London MAT, ATC (SLU MAT Class of 2012), who is pursuing a PhD in Health Management and Policy with an assistantship sponsored by the Doisy College of Health Sciences.

We met at Roosevelt with a group of about 15 students, and first introduced Saint Louis University Kemba, Dr. Breitbach and our mentors (Morgan Jasperson, Amelia Meigs, Brandi Burgett). First, I presented about what an athletic trainer is, what could make a person a good fit for an athletic training career, and how to become an athletic trainer.

Then we discussed what matters to the RHS students—a large focus of our club this year. We are aiming to meet the students where they are to provide them with the tools for a successful career in sports medicine based on their interests. We want to allow them to develop professionalism before entering a program, and allow them to understand the process of becoming an athletic trainer.

Then we got on to the real fun—teaching the students how to tape an ankle! All the Roosevelt High School students were excited to learn this new skill. Some of the students have been in our club all 3 years, and those students were able to assist their classmates in taping. I’m always surprised and amazed at the quality of the tape jobs by these first-time tapers—many of them are athletes and have an intuitive understanding of athletic training, even though this is the first year Roosevelt High School has an athletic trainer. 

Still to come this semester is a meeting with a Dietitian from Saint Louis University, a SLU basketball game, and much more!

SLU Starts Second Year of Athletic Training Outreach Program at Roosevelt HS

In 2015, the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program was awarded an Ethnic Diversity Enhancement Grant by the National Athletic Trainers' Association Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee. The grant funds an Athletic Training Club at Roosevelt High School, a public high school in the city of St. Louis approximately one mile south of the SLU Medical Center campus.

The intent of the Roosevelt HS AT Club is to provide information and experience to the high school students interested in athletic training and health care with four experiential learning sessions conducted by SLU AT Students who serve as peer mentors in the program. 

On Thursday, January 28, 2016 the RHS AT Club started its second year with a session at the high school where the peer mentors introduced themselves and talked about the Athletic Training profession.   Then the students began an experiential session learning about and practicing athletic taping.  The next session will take place on the SLU campus on February 23, 2016.

The following SLU AT students served as peer mentors for the RHS AT Club at the first session:

Demeisha Crawford, Coordinator

Cara Bowton

Amelia Meigs

Michael Milek

Phillip Soncasie

Great Week for Athletic Training in St. Louis!

Saint Louis University and the City of St. Louis welcomed colleagues from around the world during the week of June 20-27, 2015 in an outstanding week of fellowship and professional development!

The SLU Center for Global Citizenship was a great venue for the WFATT Opening Ceremonies

The 2015 World Congress of the World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy took place on the campus of Saint Louis University with a theme of "Overuse Injury in Sport, an Interprofessional Approach".  The outstanding program included keynote speakers Dr. Jill Cook from Victoria, Australia and Dr. Scott Reeves from London, England.  The Opening Ceremonies took place in SLU's Center for Global Citizenship and a Gala Dinner was held in the Allied Health Building's Multipurpose Room.  Check out photos from the WFATT events here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/slu_healthsciences/sets/72157654440358478

AT Leadership from around the world came together at the WFATT Gala Dinner.

The 2015 National Athletic Trainers' Association Clinical Symposia and AT Expo was held at America's Center in downtown St. Louis.  The Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program was active in the event.  Faculty members Dr. Kitty Newsham and Dr. Anthony Breitbach made presentation at the event.  

Dr. Newsham presenting on Exercise Related Breathing Disorders

Dr. Breitbach conducting a Peer-to-Peer Discussion on Interprofessional Education

The SLU AT Program was also mentioned in the NATA Press Conference on its upcoming partnership with the NFL, the St. Louis Rams, Athletico and the St. Louis Public Schools. The week was capped off with the SLU AT Alumni Party at Rosalita's Cantina with over 65 alums and friends in attendance.

Great turnout at the SLU AT Alumni Party!

This was a memorable week in St. Louis, the future of the profession of Athletic Training has never been brighter!

SLU AT Students Host the Roosevelt AT Club On Campus for Learning and Basketball

The Roosevelt High School Athletic Training Club had their second meeting of the spring on the campus of Saint Louis University where they toured the facilities at Chaifetz Arena, learned about concussions, had dinner at Busch Student Center and attended the SLU Billikens Men's Basketball game vs St. Bonaventure.

SLU AT student Connor Doherty teaches about the Swim-Ex at Chaifetz Arena

The RHS AT Club is sponsored by the SLU AT Program and funded through an Ethnic Diversity Enhancement Grant from the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee (EDAC).  In February, they began with a meeting at RHS and look to take trips to Rams Park and Busch Stadium later in the spring.

It is coordinated by Jose' Mendez (MAT Class of 2015), who is currently on a SLU Graduate Education Diversity Fellowship, and AT Program Director Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC who applied for and received the NATA EDAC Grant.  

SLU AT student Jose' Mendez leads a group discussion on concussion.

It utilizes a student mentor model where each SLU AT student involved works closely with 3 RHS students in hands-on learning designed to help inform the high school students about AT and nurture student interest in AT and other health professions.

SLU AT student Cara Bowton work with RHS students on using the SCAT 3 concussion  assessment.

SLU AT student Demeisha Crawford demonstrates balance testing for concussion.