SLU AT Students Get an Amazing Action-Packed Clinical Experience with the St. Louis Rams

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - St. Louis Rams

By: Dustin Jamboretz and Brad Bunten (SLU MAT Class of 2016)

Our time with the Saint Louis Rams has been an amazing experience. At the time of this blog post, we have now been working with the organization for over 4 months. We began with the Rams as a requirement for our summer field experience which lasted from the middle of May through the month of July. After the completion of our summer field experience, we were presented with the opportunity to continue our education with the Rams. We were invited to stay for the remainder of the year; from the beginning of training camp to the completion of our academic school year in May 2016.

Every day at Rams Park is action packed. We typically begin each morning by preparing the athletic training room. This includes setting up the therapeutic modality machines, restocking any inventory, making ice bags, preparing a room designated for recovery for HRV (heart rate variability) readings, and placing GPS units inside the players’ uniforms for practice. From there, we monitor the recovery room during HRV readings, help with any treatments or rehabilitations, and assist with running the vision board for vision training. Usually after this point, the players will go to meetings. This gives us a chance to begin setting up the field for practice. During practice, we are assigned an individual position to cover. Coverage generally includes administering proper hydration and ensuring that any medical necessities are managed. After practice, it is our responsibility to put away all athletic training supplies brought out to practice, including field trunks, medical kits, spine board, etc.  We will then head back into the athletic training room and help provide treatments and rehabilitation services. 

Prior to this clinical site, we have both worked in the high school and collegiate athletic training settings.  As you can imagine, the resources that the Rams organization possesses are far greater than that of our prior clinical sites. As a result, our time spent here has allowed us to use a wide variety of modalities that we may not have had the opportunity to use with any other clinical placement. These types of resources and experiences may play an important role in our career, as exposure and familiarity to the best equipment could prove useful in our future work settings. 

It has been interesting to witness that although the Rams sports medicine staff does have access to more resources than other settings, the profession that is athletic training is still practiced in the same manner; with the main priority being patient-centered care. The time we have spent in the Rams athletic training room has taught us that although we have access to a multitude of resources (expensive modalities, rehab equipment and training aids); the fundamental aspect to this profession is treating our patients with respect and dignity.

We cannot give enough praise and thanks to the athletic training staff which consists of the head athletic trainer Reggie Scott ATC, assistant athletic trainers James Lomax ATC, Byron Cunningham PT, ATC, Tyler Williams ATC, and 2015 SLU alum Hilary Stepansky ATC for their  willingness and patience to serve as mentors and teachers on a daily basis. 

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 Students Experience Collaboration and Teamwork with the St. Louis Rams

SLU AT Summer Field Experience Spotlight - St. Louis Rams Football Club

By: Dustin Jamboretz, CJ Spink and Brad Bunten (SLU MAT Class of 2016)

Our time this summer with the St. Louis Rams has been an amazing experience.  Even though we’ve only been here for a short time, we have learned so many new things and continue to learn new things every day.  Our day at Rams Park starts earlier than most, as it is our responsibility to prepare the athletic training room for the day.  This includes getting the therapeutic modality machines set up, ice bags made, preparing the recovery room for HRV (heart rate variability) readings, and placing the GPS units inside the players’ uniforms for practice.  From there, we monitor the recovery room during HRV readings, lend a hand with any treatments and rehabilitations that may be happening that day, assist with running the vision board for vision training, then start setting up the field before practice and breaking it down after practice.  Afterwards it’s back inside for more treatments and doing just about anything else that may need to be accomplished to help things move as smoothly as possible for both the athletes and athletic training staff.  Through times of observation, asking questions, and some hands-on experiences we have gained more expertise in the areas of new treatment protocols, rehabilitation techniques, performance enhancements, and sports-specific progressions, and there is still so much more learn. 

Previous to this clinical experience, each of us worked in the high school and collegiate athletic training setting. Obviously, it is no surprise that the resources that the Rams organization possesses are far greater than that of our prior clinical sites. As you can imagine, it did take us a little bit of time to orient ourselves and become comfortable with the location of their inventory. Working with the Rams has also allowed us to use a wide variety of modalities that we may not have had an opportunity to use with another organization. These types of resources may play an important role in our career, as exposure to the best equipment will allow us to become technically savvy with nearly everything we could come across in the future.

It is been interesting to witness that although the Rams sports medicine staff does have access to more resources than other settings, the profession that is athletic training is still practiced in the same manner; with the main priority being patient-centered care. The time we have spent in the Rams athletic training room has taught us that although we have access to a multitude of resources (expensive modalities, rehab equipment and training aids); the fundamental aspect to this profession is treating our patients with respect and dignity. In conjunction with that, we have noticed that the other employees at Rams Park have the same attitude.  From the coaching staff to the building maintenance crew, each individual gives and receives the same amount of respect to each person that walks in the door. The athletic trainers value our role as health care professionals who can help improve their quality of care rather than only assigning busy work that they don’t want to do, which we gladly do anyway. This type of environment provides a feeling of a community in the workplace which you enjoy coming to your job each day.

We cannot give enough praise and thanks to the athletic training staff which consists of the head athletic trainer Reggie Scott ATC, assistant athletic trainers James Lomax ATC, Byron Cunningham PT, ATC, Tyler Williams ATC, and 2015 SLU alum Hilary Stepansky ATC for all of their willingness and patience to teach us new things and explain what they’re doing, even with their busy schedules.

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have a required field experience in the summer between their two professional years in the program.  This blog post details a student's reflection on their experience.

Our Professional Experience as SLU AT Students in the National Football League

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - St. Louis Rams

By:  Hilary Stepansky and Jose Mendez (MAT Class of 2015)

Jose and Hilary were once just lowly PY1 students going to school learning about patient care and how to manage athletes’ injures. Never in their wildest dreams would they have imagined that in their PY2 year they would be learning with the St. Louis Rams professional football team. 

So far this semester, we have witnessed a diverse array of injures from ACL tears to quadriceps strains, but the most unique aspect is that the players will and need to be healthy for their job. The role of the athletic trainer in professional sports is the same as any other level except that they are responsible for the athletes’ ability to do their work. Our responsibilities as athletic training may seem canned or trite, but the minuet tasks we accomplish daily allow the athletic training staff to perform their job. Self-titled hydration coordinators, we set up and break down the field for practice with water, Gatorade, and other supplies to help the players stay hydrated. We could tell you the facts about the Rams organization such as the number of Super Bowls (3), the amount of time players spend in the athletic training room (a lot), or the number of ankles taped during an entire season (too many to count). What we cannot tell you is what this means.

Being a part of the Rams organization has taught us that there is more to football than what you see on TV. The players and coaching staff are genuinely kind to us and appreciate all of our hard work. Although the players tackle hard on the field, they are athletes who grew up with a dream of making it to the big leagues. The facts are boring. What is exciting is seeing a player who could not sit up from a treatment table battle through his injury to make a tackle. Or seeing a rookie, unsure of his place on the team, craft himself into an integral part of the Rams community. 

Being given the opportunity to find our place in this community had taught us more than we could have ever imagined. More than just evaluation techniques, tape jobs or rehabilitation protocols. It has taught us how to be better athletic trainers and better people. We would like to thank Reggie, James, Bryon, Tyler, and Nick for coaching us in every aspect of the job. Also the entire coaching staff and front office staff for making us feel at home in Rams Park. And of course the players who tease us when our ice bags are not made to perfection or the HRV program does not work as quickly as we want it to. Thanks to all of you we grow everyday. 

We look forward to the rest of the season with the Rams and expect great things!

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 Students Start a Year-long NFL Experience with Summer Internship

Summer Internship Blog Post - St. Louis Rams
By: Hilary Stepansky and Jose Mendez (MAT Class of 2015)

Working with the St Louis Rams has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity.  We still find it unbelievable to be given the opportunity to serve as athletic training interns for the 2014 St. Louis Rams. Through countless hours of hard work and observation, we have learned about new treatment protocols, performance enhancement, and sports-specific rehabilitation progressions that has expanded our knowledge from textbook learning to real world application. The St. Louis Rams are without question a high-level organization from top to bottom.  We have been lucky enough to work with the great athletic training staff headed by Reggie Scott ATC, James Lomax ATC, Byron Cunningham PT, ATC, Tyler Williams ATC, and 2014 SLU Alum Nick Gastorf ATC. Each and every member of the athletic training team has taught us so much and the relationships we have made as athletic training interns are invaluable.

Back Row: Byron Cunningham, Tyler Williams, James Lomax and Nick Gastorf
Front Row: Jose Mendez and Hilary Stepansky

In the days leading up to our May 20th start date, we were not exactly sure what to expect. The first couple days of “information overload” were overwhelming, but soon enough the routine became natural.  From day one, we worked long hours until it felt like our legs would fall off, but we left everyday excited to come in the next day.  Rams Park has a way of making even the longest days fly by. The phrase “time flies when you’re having fun” applied to our experience at Rams Park.  Even with the early morning workouts, we could not help but wake up ecstatic for the opportunity and lessons that waited with each new day.  We have worked every OTA (organized team activities) and were recently extended through the rest of the season including training camp! So far we have worked alongside four of the six training camp interns, one seasonal intern, four full time staff members who amass over 29 years of NFL experience combined.  Our days as athletic training interns consisted of preparing the athletic training room for daily treatments, monitoring the recovery room for HRV (heart rate variability) readings each morning, pre-practice set up and post-practice breakdown, performing daily treatments with therapeutic modalities and therapeutic exercises, and taping the players prior to all practices.

Hilary Stepansky

Jose Mendez

With the amount of time we have worked with interns from other Athletic Training programs, we have grown personally and professionally by expanding our view of the profession outside our specific spheres of education.  This has been a valuable takeaway to us, as we can learn just as much from each other through simple observation and communication as we can from our textbooks in the classrooms.  Many of our weaknesses as clinicians may be strengths of other programs.  At the end of the day, we all want to leave as successful and confident athletic trainers; helping one another is essential to our success as a sports medicine team. Not only was knowledge exchanged, but also new connections were made that, otherwise, would have never been possible without this experience.

Always remember...it’s great to be St. Louis Ram!

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have a required internship in the summer between their two professional years in the program. This blog post details a student's reflection on their internship experience.

SLU AT Student Gets NFL Training Camp Experience With the St. Louis Rams

St. Louis Rams/NFL Training Camp Summer Internship

By: Nick Gastorf (MAT Class of 2014)

Coming into Training Camp with the St. Louis Rams I was not exactly sure on what to expect.  I knew I would be working long hours, but nonetheless, I was ecstatic for the opportunity to be working with an NFL team, albeit, my hometown team. Our days as training camp interns consist of preparing the athletic training room for daily treatments, pre-practice set up and post-practice breakdown, performing daily treatments with therapeutic modalities and therapeutic exercises, and taping the players prior to practice and games.

SLU AT student Nick Gastorf (middle) with James Lomax ATC and Tyler Williams ATC

The Rams have a top-notch athletic training staff consisting of four full time staff members: Reggie Scott ATC, Head Athletic Trainer, and three Assistant Athletic Trainers, James Lomax ATC, Byron Cunningham PT, ATC, and Tyler Williams ATC.  The staff is constantly attempting to enhance their knowledge on the many different topics related to sports medicine.  This is very evident by spending just one day in the athletic training room as multiple athletes are performing different exercise techniques or treatments throughout the room.  Because of this, I have had the privilege to learn a vast amount of new information in field of athletic training that I did not know existed beforehand.

With six training camp interns, one seasonal intern (SLU MAT graduate Ryan Vallo ATC), and four full time staff members, there is always something going on.  With the amount of time everyone spends together there is a lot of time to get to know each other.  This is a valuable asset to have as not everyone does everything the exact same way, and new ways can be developed by simply observing.  Not only can new information is learned, but new friendships and connections are made that would have never been possible without this experience.

SLU AT student Nick Gastorf, Program Director Anthony Breitbach ATC and 2013 MAT graduate Ryan Vallo ATC

However, I have failed to mention, in my opinion, the best part of the internship…the games!  You always hear people say that preseason games don’t matter.  I disagree.  There is no better feeling to know that you are working a game in the NFL.  Not many people in the world can say that.  I, fortunately, am one of the few that say I have.  Throughout my preseason with the Rams I was able to work two home games versus the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens as well as travel on the road and work the game against the Denver Broncos.  

Working an NFL Training Camp Internship truly is a once in a lifetime experience.  I would not trade the hours that I have worked, the information that I have learned, or the friendships I have made for anything.  I truly consider myself lucky and blessed to have had this opportunity to work for such a great organization.

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have a required internship in the summer between their two professional years in the program.  This blog post details a student's reflection on their internship experience.

SLU Athletic Training Students Get a Look at the "New" Rams Park

The St. Louis Rams are have a new quarterback and are having an exciting season.  They also have a new Head Athletic Trainer, Reggie Scott, who has come to the Rams from the Carolina Panthers.  Reggie and his staff have made significant changes at Rams Park and our students were excited to see them on our visit on Tuesday, November 2, 2010.  Rams Assistant Athletic Trainer James Lomax served as our host, but the entire Rams staff was there for our visit.  It is great to have such an accessible resource available here in St. Louis!

 The Rams Athletic Training Room is efficiently designed to serve the unique needs of an NFL team.

The SLU Athletic Training group that attended the tour in the Rams Locker Room.

SLU Athletic Training Students Meghan Gehrs, Jacob Blasingame and Laura Gosewisch.  Jacob served as an intern with the Rams during the summer.

Jacob is shown demonstrating the "Rams Stretch Matrix".

Our tour wrapped up in the Indoor Practice Facility.