Athlone Student Gains Clinical Skills and New Friends in the USA at Saint Louis University and Webster Groves High School

International Clinical Exchange - Saint Louis University and Athlone Institute of Technology
By: Daire O'Regan (Athletic Rehabilitation Therapy Student, Athlone Institute of Technology)

I am a student in the Athletic Rehabilitation Therapy program at Athlone Institute of Technology in Athlone, Ireland and I spent Fall Term 2018 in the USA at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri.

For my clinical placement I was at Webster Groves High School, with SLU 2nd Year student Erin Fabbri and 1st year student Carmen Roberson, along with Lindenwood University Student Kaylen Howard. Under my preceptor Sean Wright ATC we got plenty of field experience, covering a range of sports American Football, Soccer, Basketball and Volleyball. In these sports we got to see a wide range of injuries and got the opportunity to work with a lot of different athletes.

Coming into the clinical placement I was really looking to improve my Rehabilitation skills, and I think we were afforded enough time with athletes and a variety of injuries that I was able to improve these skills. I also learned new rehab skills in class at SLU with Mike Markee PT, ATC, which I think really benefited me. Also over the course of the 16 weeks I was in Webster I was shown different ways of doing certain things, for example in ankle taping I was shown a variation of the way were taught in class.

At Webster, I covered sports like American Football, and despite not winning a game, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of a sport that I hadn’t previously covered and the intensity at which it was played, meaning something was always going on to keep us busy. In the last few weeks I got to work with the basketball team, and got to see them play in the Webster Classic.

While we were here we got to tour around Busch Stadium and got to hear from the AT there and his experiences with professional sports. I also got to experience what college athletics when we got clinical Experience with SLU Women’s Basketball team, however, it would have been nice to have got more time to experience college sports and maybe even a few games.

I really enjoyed my time in St. Louis at Webster and would like to keep in touch with my preceptor and fellow students who were on placement there with me.

SLU AT Students Benefit from Diverse Experiences with Veteran Preceptor at Webster Groves HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Webster Groves High School
By: Erin Fabbri (SLU MAT Class of 2019), Daire O’Regan (ARTi Student, AIT) and Carmen Roberson (SLU MAT Class of 2020)

This fall semester our clinical site is at Webster Groves High school. We have a good variety of athletic training students with Erin Fabbri as the PY2, Carmen Roberson as the PY1, and Dàire O’Regan from Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland. We have had a busy fall semester thus far with a variety of 9 sports teams.

Our Preceptor, Sean Wright, ATC has been great, allowing each of us hands on experience and trusting our athletic training skills. He is a great teacher and we have learned a lot from him. We have had the ability to enhance our taping, evaluation, rehabilitation, treatment skills and assessments. We also have had lots of exposure to all different types of athletes this season, which allows us to manage many injuries.

We are looking forward to the rest of our semester at Webster Groves and continuing to improve our skills. We have made great relationships with the faculty, coaches, and athletes here and have truly enjoyed our clinical experience thus far at Webster Groves. We know that our experience here will push us forward and give us what we need to continue to learn more within our profession.

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 Enjoy Contributing to a Championship Season at Webster Groves HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Webster Groves High School
By:  Matt Eifert and Sarah Menzuber (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

Webster Groves High School is filled with a variety of competitive athletes and a supportive community behind them. The basketball team’s success over the last decade has paved a road for future champions and opened the gym doors to a growing fanbase.  Our preceptor Sean Wright ATC ensures that these high schoolers perform to their fullest extent.

Most times the athletic training room can be cramped with athletes of all shapes, sizes, and levels of competition.  Working with WGHS students is a rewarding experience, the AT Room is always filled with injured athletes and their entourage after school. The players adhere to rehab plans; knowing that the AT staff is looking out for their best interests. The  men’s basketball team started districts at the beginning of March, and repeated as state champions!

All while enjoying the excitement of districts, spring sports just started up as well.  We are excited to meet new athletes and watch their programs succeed.  We have been working with a lot of athletes on preseason injury prevention and treatment, so they can be well conditioned to produce optimal performance.  These high school athletes have been amazing to work with and create relationships with.  They are all very motivated to rehab their injuries and return to play as soon as possible, which makes our job exciting and well worth the time put in.

Learning from Sean has also been a great experience, and we know we will leave Webster Groves at the end of the semester with new skills and perspectives to help us grow in our knowledge and confidence as Athletic Training students.

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 Program Provides Varied Immersive Experiences for Irish Clinical Exchange Students from Athlone Institute of Technology

International Clinical Exchange- SLU and Athlone Institute of Technology
By: Andrew Moran & Fiachra Lennon (Athletic Therapy Rehabilitation Students - Athlone Institute of Technology, Ireland)

Our experience studying at Saint Louis University for 15 weeks has now come to an end, we feel that we have found the experience that we were looking for before we came out to St. Louis. Working with Webster Groves HS and the SLU Billikens Sports Medicine staff at Chaifetz Arena, we have definitely benefited from this international clinical exchange. From our very first day at Saint Louis University we were welcomed by Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC the Athletic Training Program Director who took time to collect us from the hotel we were staying at and brought us to induction day at SLU.

Induction week was very helpful as we got a good feel for SLU and its facilities. We also had the privilege to be brought to a park along with the rest of the international students to witness the Solar Eclipse on the 8/21/17 which was one of the most incredible things we have ever seen.

After we got settled into our new apartment and familiar with SLU, we got out schedule for clinical placement and class. We were placed at Webster Groves HS Monday to Friday working from 2pm till 8-9 depending on what sporting events were on each day. We also had rotation with Jason and Jordan the other two Irish students from AIT, at Chaifetz Arena in the morning where we working with the SLU sports medicine staff in the medical room in Chaifetz. We began our day at Chaifetz at 7am and finished at 10:30 am. At first we found it hard to get up for this but once we got into the swing of things we became more accustomed to it.

In the middle of the day we took 3 different modules Rehabilitation in AT II with Mike Markee, ATC, PT, OCS, COMT, Clinical Practicum III with Tim Howell, EdD, ATC, CSCS and Contemporary Clinical Practice with Kitty Newsham, PhD, ATC. We found these classes really beneficial for us. We also had the chance to take a Mock BOC exam with our PY2 classmates which will help us study for our ARTI exam that we will be taking for accreditation. In these classes, as well as furthering our knowledge in athletic training, we made a lot of friends for life with our classmates. This turned out to be a very symbiotic relationship as we could share the knowledge that we have learned in AIT and in turn they could share what they have learned with us.

Our clinical experience at Webster Groves high school has been extremely beneficial towards our learning experience in St. Louis. Our preceptor Sean Wright ATC has been head AT at Webster Groves for the past 13 years and his continued culture of collaborating to give the best care to athletes. Sean welcomed us into his school and Athletic training room with an open hand. From day 1 he threw us into the fire with evaluations and treatments which I felt was very beneficial because we could get hands on real life AT experience right from the start.

We made many friends working at Webster Groves, especially the SLU AT students who we traveled to Webster with, Paul Lamb, Pat O’Neill and Dimitri Kilian. We benefited greatly from working alongside each one of them which made our life in SLU much easier and also became very close friends whom we will never forget. Sean Wright ATC was so beneficial to work alongside at his high school, his vast knowledge of athletic training and his care for athletes will stand with us as long as we practice athletic training. This busy fall season we experienced a wide range of athletic events. Sports which were new to us such as American Football, Basketball, softball and wrestling along with sports we would be more accustomed to back in Ireland such as soccer, volleyball, athletics and field hockey. To work in a school with such a high caliber of athletes and working Friday night football was everything and more we expected when we heard we were working at a High School.

Working at Chaifetz Arena with the SLU Billikens Sports Medicine staff was a huge opportunity which allowed us to work with high quality athletes at a top of the range sports facility and medical room. We had the opportunity to work with the SLU Men’s Basketball team and Jonathan Burch ATC, SLU Men’s soccer, SLU baseball and Ben Heimos ATC, SLU field hockey and Petra Knight ATC, and SLU volleyball, tennis and softball and Tammy Pastor ATC. We had great experience working with each athletic trainer at the sports medicine room in Chaifetz arena, from covering a SLU baseball game at Busch stadium to taking full volleyball practices with Tammy pastor ATC at 6am in the Chaifetz pavilion. We loved every minute of this experience and gained valuable knowledge along the way. We honestly felt that this experience was more than we asked form the first day Tammy let us do a full evaluation on one of her athletes we felt a huge amount of respect and gratitude towards Tammy to the final day when we said our goodbyes, it will be an experience we will never forget.

Our time in Saint Louis University sadly has come to an end. We have gained so much experience on our 15 week international clinical exchange. From taping Ironman’s wrist at the Marvel Universe Live show at the Chaifetz Arena, working Friday night lights at Webster Groves HS, sharing classes with PY2 SLU students, to the early, early mornings in the sports medicine room at Chaifetz Arena and the late, late Saturday nights with our new and lifelong friends we made along the way this experience will never be forgotten.

SLU AT Students Thrive with Veteran Preceptor's Team Approach at Webster Groves HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Webster Groves High School

By: Pat O'Neill (SLU MAT Class of 2018); Dimitri Kilian and Paul Lamb (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

Our clinical experience at Webster Groves High School has centered around a team-based approach to caring for a diverse community of athletes across the spectrum of sports. Critical to this team-based approach is communication that allows all voices to be heard, and collaboration that encourages all members of our team to be engaged in the care of our athletes. Our preceptor Sean Wright ATC has cultivated this culture of collaborating to give the best care to an athlete since he started at Webster Groves 10 years ago. 

Sean strengthens this culture by inviting the next generation of athletic trainers, who Sean teaches in his athletic training classes at the high school, into the AT room for observation hours. We have found that athletes who are also in Sean’s athletic training classes have a better understanding of their injuries, and are often more accepting of diagnoses and the rehab protocols that follow. This is unique, as many high school athletes don’t have a similar background in foundational principles of athletic training, and thus are less likely to understand the severity, mechanism, or timetable for their injury. 

During this busy Fall season, we have experienced a wide range of athletic events. Our football and volleyball teams have gotten off to hot starts, while our soccer and softball squads have built upon their successes as they get prepared for postseason play. From Friday night football games to cross-country meets, the chance to see athletes of different sports and different levels has strengthened our knowledge base by reinforcing competencies of Athletic Training that may be practiced in one sport, but not another. 

Day by day, our team at Webster strives to work together to care for our athletes in the best way possible. Sean emboldens each member of our staff to curate confidence in themselves through independent evaluations, while nurturing a team-based atmosphere among our group that’s there to lend an idea or helping hand when needed. With postseason sports on the horizon for fall sports, and winter sports just around the corner, we’re looking forward to more great experiences with the Statesmen!

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.

UCJC Clinical Exchange Students Live and Learn in the USA at SLU and Webster Groves High School

Our Experience in Saint Louis
By: Kike Aranda Lopez and Jorge Atienza Gomez

We are spanish physiotherapists from the Master in Physical Therapy in the Sport program at Camilo Jose Cela University of Madrid, and thanks that we had the opportunity to do clinical training at Saint Louis University, in the USA.

Our experience started at 28th July, when we arrived in St. Louis. It was a good chance for us to improve our knowledge, a good life and professional experience.

We spent the Month of August at Webster Groves High School as Athletic Training Students, with our preceptor and friend Sean Wright ATC. Sean is an excellent professional who taught us a lot of things. Moreover, we were also with Paul and Dimitri, two SLU AT students with a brilliant future. At WGHS we prepared to the athletes for their practice, taping and stretching; watched their practices and games; and rehab in the Athletic Training Room.

In that time we could see some concussions, traumatic injuries like ankle and knee sprains and muscular injuries. We had to wait in the AT room until the athletes finished their classes. It was a good experience, because we had to speak in English with all the people, and that was a very good choice to improve it.

Because of our schedule, we only had the chance to be at one football high school game. We were with Sean at the field, with the players and coaches, helping in all that we could. Was an amazing atmosphere with the band and the cheerleaders also. Webster Groves HS won, let’s go Statesmen!

Also we had the lucky to be with the college athletes, in the soccer and volleyball teams, with Ben Heimos ATC and Tammy Pastor ATC at SLU. They worked with us, and we assisted with them with rehab.

In only one month, we have made a lot of friends in the USA, we have met great people, and all of them have been very nice with us. It has felt like in home, and we were very sad when we left.

We want to say thank you to Paul and Dimitri to be awesome with us, to all the AT's that have been with us for all the help, specially Sean, SLU faculty member Dr. Tony Breitbach, who took care to us these month, and to UCJC faculty member Álvaro García-Romero to give us this opportunity to go to USA.

Nuestra experiencia en Saint Louis

Por: Kike Aranda López y Jorge Atienza Gómez

Somos dos chicos españoles que estudiamos un máster en la universidad UCJC de Madrid, y gracias a ello tuvimos la oportunidad de realizar las prácticas clínicas en la Universidad de St. Louis de USA. 

Nuestra experiencia comenzó el 28 de julio, cuando llegamos a St. Louis. Una oportunidad que sabíamos que iba a ser muy enriquecedora en cuanto a conocimientos, experiencia de vida y profesional, y así ha sido.

Estuvimos trabajando todo el mes de agosto en el Webster Groves High School (WGHS) como Athletic Trainers junto con nuestro tutor y amigo Sean Wright ATC, todo un profesional del cual hemos aprendido muchas cosas. Además, estuvimos junto con Paul y Dimitri, dos alumnos de SLU con un futuro brillante.

Nuestro trabajo en el WGHS consistió en preparar a los deportistas para sus entrenamientos, mediante vendajes y estiramientos, observar los entrenamientos, sobre todo de football, por si había alguna lesión, además de tratar a los deportistas de la escuela lesionados.

En este periodo tuvimos que enfrentarnos a conmociones, lesiones traumáticas como esguinces de tobillo, rodilla y dedos, además de otras lesiones musculares.

Las lesiones las tratábamos en la sala de Athletic Trainer, en la cual, los deportistas llegaban al finalizar las clases. Fue una buena experiencia, ya que tuvimos que interactuar con todo el mundo en una lengua diferente a la nuestra, lo que nos sirvió para mejorar nuestro inglés.

Por desgracia solo pudimos estar en un partido de Football en el High School. Estuvimos con Sean a pie de campo, con los jugadores y técnicos, dando asistencia al que lo necesitase, a la vez que observábamos cada jugada del encuentro. Fue increíble el ambiente con la banda y las cheerleades incluídas. Por suerte ganaron los Websters ¡Vamos Websters!

Además de la experiencia en el High School, tuvimos la suerte de poder estar con el deporte universitario en SLU en el equipo de Soccer y de Volleyball con Ben Heimos ATC y Tammy Pastor ATC de Athletic Trainers. Se portaron muy bien con nosotros y nos hicieron partícipes el poco tiempo que pudimos estar con ellos.

Para terminar, queremos decir que nos llevamos grandes amigos de Estados Unidos, hemos conocido grandes personas y todo el mundo nos ha tratado muy bien, nos hemos sentido como en casa, y nos dio mucha pena cuando todo esto acabó. Agradecer a Paul y a Dimitri por el trato que nos dieron desde el primer día, a todos los profesionales con los que hemos estado por todo lo que nos han ayudado, sobre todo a Sean Wright, a Dr. Tony Breitbach por preocuparse tanto por nosotros y hacer que todo esto sea posible y a Álvaro García- Romero, el director de nuestro máster, por darnos la oportunidad de poder haber ido a Estados Unidos.

SLU AT Students Get a Rich Experience Guided by Veteran Preceptor at Webster Groves HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Webster Groves High School

By: Morgan Jasperson (SLU MAT Class of 2017) and Michael Milek (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

Webster Groves High School has provided an incredibly diverse clinical experience with an emphasis on student to student collaboration and hands on experience. Our preceptor, Sean Wright ATC, has been the sole athletic trainer of WGHS for the last ten years and a member of the SLU preceptor network since its creation. He is great at establishing an environment in which we can communicate openly and problem solve with one another.

In addition to providing athletic training services, Sean also teaches Athletic Training I and II, as well as Health and P.E. Students from his athletic training class are required to gain a certain number of observation hours in the ATR or with us at games or events. They love to test us on what they are learning in class…and ask lots of questions. But it keeps us on our toes and helps expose some of the areas in which we need to review.

Over the last couple of months, we have had the pleasure of gaining experience with our winter sports teams, notably basketball and wrestling. While we sent two wrestlers to the state tournament earlier this month and our women’s varsity team were recently crowned district champions, our men’s basketball team have stolen the spotlight as they just became state champions! In convincing fashion, of course. Working with such high-level athletes in the high school setting has challenged us to become more creative and intentional in designing functional rehabilitation plans.

As spring sports are now upon us we must transition into a busier time of the year with more of a focus on evaluation. On a typical day, we are presented with numerous opportunities to practice our skills in evaluation both on the field and in the clinic, and Sean encourages us to work as a team on harder cases, ‘tapping out’ only when we have exhausted all of our options. This has really pushed us to be more prepared, not only for our athletes, but also for each other. We are all looking forward to seeing what the next couple of months brings.

#GoStatesmen!#StateChamps

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.

Clinical Exchange Student from Spain Enjoys Athletic Training Experience in the USA

My (American) Football Experience in the United States
By: Jaime Pomar (Clinical Exchange Student - UCJC, Madrid)

I came to the USA and Saint Louis University for clinical experience as a part of the Masters of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation in Sport program at the University Camilo Jose Cela. I decided to set out on this adventure when I enrolled in the Masters last year because he knew the options I had to come here and I could not refuse that opportunity. I have been getting Athletic Training experience at Webster Groves High School in an agreement with Saint Louis University under the tutelage of Anthony Breitbach ATC (SLU) and Sean Wright ATC (WGHS).

An Athletic Trainer could compare in Spain as a sports physiotherapist and who have similar skills and knowledge of anatomy, physiology and biomechanics, taping techniques and test valuation among others.

My day to day routine was to be attending the High School students but more specifically the football (not soccer) team players because they were still on holiday but the football team conducted their preseason training and workouts. Our work began looking after players in the athletic training room for who need a specific stretching or warming up and to perform preventive tapping. After preparing the coolers and bottles with water and ice and went to training camp to observe and take care for the players because the weather conditions were extreme with averages of 35 Celsius degrees (95 Fahrenheit) but with the humidity, the wind chill exceeded 40 degrees (105 Fahrenheit). I have had the opportunity to interact with two students from the SLU with whom I have been working with Sean. We talked about the similarities and differences, and we could learn from each other on how to make different tapping and ways of working.

I also took the trip to visit different cities and learn more about American culture and traditions and to live closely the world of football in his homeland. I was with the Athletic Trainer of the Green Bay Packers (professional football team) and visited all the facilities and knew how they worked. I also did the same with the professional baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals. And I have witnessed a preseason NFL Tennessee Titans game on my visit to Nashville.

In short it has been a great experience that I will remember the rest of my life and allowed me to compare my professional skills in the country that someday, I hope to return to implement them.
Personally thanks to Alvaro García-Romero (University Camilo Jose Cela), Dr. Anthony Breitbach and Dr. Timothy Howell (University of St Louis), Sean Wright (Webster Groves High School) and SLU students Morgan Jasperson and Alex Hubbs for this wonderful experience and the opportunity to make this trip.

See you soon USA!!!

Mi experiencia con el fútbol (americano) en los Estados Unidos

Por: Jaime Pomar ( Clínica del Estudiante de Intercambio - UCJC , Madrid)

Fui a  EEUU para realizar las prácticas del máster de fisioterapia deportiva y readaptación de la Universidad Camilo José Cela. Decidí emprender esta aventura cuando me inscribí en el máster el año pasado porque conocía las opciones que había para venir aquí y no podía rechazar esa oportunidad. He estado trabajando como athletic trainer para el High School Webster Groves en un convenio con la universidad de St Louis bajo la tutela de Anthony Breitbach (SLU) y Sean Wright (WGHS). 

Un Athletic Trainer se podría comparar en España como un fisioterapeuta deportivo ya que tienen competencias similares como conocimientos en anatomía, fisiología y biomecánica, técnicas de vendaje y test de valoración entre otras.

Mi día a día era estar atendiendo a los estudiantes del High School pero mas concretamente a los jugadores del equipo de football (que no soccer) ya que todavía estaban en vacaciones pero el equipo de football realizaba sus entrenamientos de pretemporada. Nuestro trabajo comenzaba atendiendo a los jugadores en la sala de athletic training para los jugadores que necesitaran estiramientos o un calentamiento específico y para realizar vendajes preventivos. Después preparábamos los coolers y botellines con agua y hielo e íbamos al campo de entrenamiento para observar y cuidar de los jugadores ya que las condiciones eran extremas con medias de 35 grados Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) pero que con la humedad, la sensación térmica superaba los 40 grados (105 Fahrenheit). He tenido la oportunidad de interactuar con dos estudiantes de la universidad de St Louis con los que he estado trabajando con Sean. Hemos hablado de las similitudes y diferencias, y hemos podido aprender unos de otros sobre cómo hacer distintos vendajes y formas de trabajar. 

También aproveché el viaje para visitar distintas ciudades y conocer mejor la cultura y tradiciones americanas, así como poder vivir de cerca el mundo del fútbol americano en su tierra natal. Estuve con el Athletic Trainer de los Green Bay Packers (equipo profesional de fútbol americano) y visité todas las instalaciones y conocí como trabajaban. También hice lo mismo con el equipo profesional de baseball, los St Louis Cardinals. Y he podido presenciar un partido de pretemporada de la NFL de los Tennessee Titans en mi visita a Nashville. 

En definitiva ha sido una gran experiencia que recordaré el resto de mi vida y que me ha permitido comparar mis habilidades profesionales en el país en el que algún día, espero volver para ponerlas en práctica.

Agradecer personalmente a Alvaro García-Romero (Universidad Camilo José Cela), Anthony Breitbach y Timothy Howell (Universidad de St Louis), Sean Wright (Webster Groves High School) y a Morgan y Alex por esta magnífica experiencia y por la oportunidad de realizar este viaje. 

See you soon USA!!!

SLU AT Students Enjoy a Dynamic and Positive Learning Experience at Webster Groves HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Webster Groves High School

By: Alissa Beeman (MAT Class of 2016) and Max Alander (MAT Class of 2017)

This spring we are doing our athletic training clinical rotation at Webster Groves High School in Webster Groves, MO. Sean Wright, ATC, Head Athletic Trainer at Webster Groves, provides copious amounts of challenges to always further develop our clinical skills. Regardless of the situation, whether it’s a new tape job or new type of trauma, he expects our full presence and participation so that this new experience will no longer be new to us in our future.

Alissa has been here since last August, and she is very comfortable with her role everyday. The athletes and coaches are now familiar which makes this line of work a lot more enjoyable. We've been exposed to working with other interprofessional health care providers such as physicians, physician assistants and counselors. Working with these professionals has been valuable in that it forces us out of our comfort zone, which ultimately makes us better clinicians.

One really great thing about working with Sean is he is always pushing us to learn new things. If we have down time in the training room, he’ll pull out the orthoplast and tell us to make him a splint. If we have an athlete walk in for rehab, he encourages us to present him with new exercises, and not use the same ones as we did last time. His persistence to constantly better us as clinicians is inspiring and unparalleled.

Our experience this spring has been such a positive one. To say we will leave here better clinicians with an heightened skill set is an understatement. We are pushed everyday to be the best we can be, and we are so very grateful for that. We are looking forward to continuing our learning as we dive into the last season of sports here at Webster Groves.

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.

Visiting Students from Ireland Get a Wide Variety of Experiences in Athletic Training at Saint Louis University

International Field Experience  - SLU and Athlone Institute of Technology

By: Ronan Coyle and Gerald Percival

We are athletic training students from Ireland where we study at Athlone Institute of Technology. We will be spending 7 weeks total, of which we have 5 weeks completed, developing our skills at SLU’s clinical sites. 

We both work predominantly at two clinical sites, one together and one apart, whilst also participating in two PY2 classes. We work together in the early mornings with Slu woman's basketball, start classes late in morning and then head to separate high schools during the late afternoons to evenings. 

At SLU basketball it's an early start most mornings, with us having to be in the magnificent Chaifetz arena and ready for the athletes to arrive in at 6am.

Kara Cummings-Ludwig ATC is the AT responsible for the woman's basketball where she also covers the cheer and field hockey teams too. We work with her to create comprehensive rehabilitation programs for them. Kara gives us free reign in the AT room in the Chaifetz Arena when it comes to treating the women's basketball and field hockey players. There is a wide variety of modalities for us to use, some of which we have never used before like the game ready, or we would use soft tissue mobilizations if we feel they would be more beneficial.  

Gerald Percival

I'm currently at Webster Groves High school for my high school clinical experience under the supervision of veteran preceptor Sean Wright, ATC. The training room at WGHS has a constant flow of students coming through its doors right from the end of school to the end of practices. They come in looking to be taped, treated, evaluated or continue their rehab. The sheer magnitude of athlete numbers struck me as a culture shock as there was so many sports and some excellent facilities. Sean runs a very well organised ship where he has created a very enjoyable working environment to learn in. We take turns taking athletes between Alissa PY2, Phillip and Nick both PY1 students, dealing with each new case. Sean allows us to be very much hands on with each athlete to the point where we are comfortable encourages us to be confident. He is allows available to run tests and treatments over with. The use of modalities over manual treatment techniques I have found to more commonplace that back home. This I can see is due to the limited time you have per athlete, making it not as feasible. 

At Webster Groves there is an Athletic training class within the school that's Sean teaches, this is unique as we are encouraged to pass on our knowledge to the students. Sean himself is very open to learning to new things, and it feels good to pass on my skills to him along with the Slu and high school students in return for learning off them. We have both only watched American football at the highest level, such as Super Bowl. It struck us, just the length of time the whole game took place. It was a unique experience before games as 20+ athletes ascend to the training room all at once to be taped and treated in preparation for the game. I had the pleasure of helping out at the big turkey day game against Kirkwood High School, although we lost it was a great and unique experience. 

Ronan Coyle

For my clinical placement I was with Westminster Christian Academy. As this is my first time in America it was quite the cultural shock with the different sports and the top class sporting facilities available to the students compared to back home in Ireland. My first experience of an American sport was working with the football team at Westminster. It was an exciting experience as the only other time i've seen football was watching the Superbowl on the TV. On game day i was constantly on my feet from 9 in the morning looking after the players with various tapings to assessing any injuries picked up during the game. My preceptor at Westminster is Hilary Orf ATC. Right from the start we hit it off as we both compete on Track & Field. I was able to learn different ways of taping and performing special tests on the variety of injuries that came into the training room. Hilary let Bailey who is a PY1 at Westminster and myself take the lead on any injury evaluations and then once we have concluded we would discuss the evaluation on why and what we think the injury is. I am always getting a chance to practice some sort of skill whether it be special tests, taping, using modalities or giving athletes rehabilitation exercises. I hope that I will develop and grow professionally as an Athletic Therapist back in Ireland when I continue placement next semester.

We have really enjoyed our experiences here in Saint Louis University so far and hope it continues that way. 

Veteran Preceptor and Busy Pace at Webster Groves HS Creates Engaging Experience for SLU AT Students

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Webster Groves High School

By: Alissa Beeman (SLU MAT Class of 2016), Nick Kellerhals and Phillip Soncasie (SLU MAT Class of 2017)

This fall we are doing our athletic training clinical rotation at Webster Groves High School in Webster Groves, MO. The high school setting can get pretty intense as an Athletic Trainer, especially when you’re the only one. Sean Wright, ATC, Head Athletic Trainer at Webster Groves however, does a remarkable job at handling the demands of the environment in both a positive and efficient way every single day. It is incredible to see the amount of work that one ATC can excel at with so many athletes.

The students get out of school at 2:35pm and are in the athletic training room by 2:36pm. They line up out the door anxiously waiting to get taped, treated, evaluated or rehabilitated before their practices begin. We have one Certified Athletic Trainer and three athletic training students that work vigorously to meet the needs of all the athletes quickly and efficiently. Usually around 3:30pm the chaos slows down and we can head over to practice or a game. 

With as many sports as there are at Webster Groves, it is impossible to be everywhere at all times. We pick the highest contact sport and cover that first. We have a supportive coaching staff that knows to call if there is an injury that we need to come tend to. The athletic director, Jerry Collins ATC, is also a certified athletic trainer and is a huge component of the team at Webster Groves. He helps Sean cover big events that we can’t be at. 

Working with Sean has been a pleasure and such a phenomenal learning experience. He allows us plenty of hands on experience with all of the athletes and their injuries. We have learned so much since we started with him in August and continue to absorb more and more knowledge every day we’re here. We look forward to continuing our clinical education here at Webster Groves and are excited to see what else it has in store for us. 

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.

One Outstanding Site Produces Two Great Clinical Experiences for SLU AT Students

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Webster Groves High School

By: Demeisha Crawford and Dave O'Loughlin (MAT Class of 2016)

Webster Groves has been an awesome clinical site.  I could tell the first day I came in for observational hours last year.  Our preceptor, Sean Wright ATC, promotes such a learning environment with a hands-on approach.  We are given a high amount of privilege and responsibility, so we get a really good feel of life as an athletic trainer.  Usually, we get to assess the athletes first, and we have our chance to perform a full examination.  Afterwards, whether we know what the issue is or if we have questions, Sean comes over and either confirms our diagnosis or helps us out.  It is especially nice that our preceptor always goes the extra mile to ensure that we are very thorough. Every time I think I have come to a diagnosis and tell Sean, he always asks if I have cleared additional structures which I might not have thought to assess initially. 

- Dave O’Loughlin

My experience at Webster Groves High School with Sean Wright ATC has been both exciting and challenging.  I have been able to take the lead with evaluations, rehabilitation programs and documentation.  The initiative that I take each day when helping an athlete has increased my confidence as an athletic training student and has allowed me to build trust with the athletes in order to provide care for them.  Sean is always there to answer questions when I get hung up while treating an athlete but reminds me that I must use critical thinking to understand with I am doing and to explain what I will be doing with the athlete.  I am very thankful for the opportunity to work with Sean because it has been a dynamic experience and one full of growth.  I hope to continue to grow and improve as an athletic training student as I learn new techniques and skills each day. 

- Demeisha Crawford

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.

Preceptor Creates a Great Experience for SLU AT Students at Webster Groves High School

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Webster Groves High School

By: Cara Bowton and Mark Pais (MAT Class of 2016)

Life as students in the first professional year of the SLU Athletic Training program comes with a plethora of experiences, demands, and challenges. Fresh off of a rigorous summer of gross anatomy and MAT 501, we are now armed with a foundation of information that is critical for our success as athletic training students. Most of us entered our first week of clinical rotations with some trepidation due to the fact that we lacked experience in the field that we all hope to soon be certified in. For the two of us, any feelings of uneasiness were quickly quelled as soon as we stepped foot on campus at Webster Groves High School. Our clinical site preceptor, Sean Wright ATC, immediately made us feel welcomed and comfortable with our new second home. He made it clear that he did not want us to be put into situations that we were uncomfortable in handling, but he did (and continues to) encourage us to challenge ourselves and our knowledge. Sean is always willing to answer a question, elaborate on treatment/procedure rationale, or demonstrate a technique in order to facilitate our learning. This strong relationship with Sean has been the driving force in our positive experience so far at Webster Groves.

Mark Pais, Sean Wright ATC and Cara Bowton

The clinical rotation at Webster Groves allows for PY1 students like ourselves to garner a wide variety of experiences valuable to our growth. We have been exposed to all levels (Freshman, Junior Varsity, Varsity) of a wide variety of sports, with our priorities lying mainly with high contact sports. However, that is not to say that we have not seen our fair share (as most everyone probably has) of cross country self-diagnosed “shin splints.” In our daily routine, we see some regular faces of those who need taping and treatment prior to practice and games, and then we get to work with the rehabbers who are coming off of injury. As our time has progressed, Sean has given us more freedom to develop and carry out the rehab programs. This gives us a chance to work exclusively with athletes and to develop strong relationships with them, as well as giving us a better understanding of the rehabilitation process. Once 4:00 hits, we are out to the fields to monitor the home games for that day. The coaches and athletes always acknowledge us with a smile and a kind word, which is a testament to the relationship that Sean has built during his time there. His decisions are respected and never questioned due to his professionalism and expertise as an athletic trainer. Sean exemplifies the importance of staff collaboration and how it is imperative for smooth functioning of an athletic department.

Our clinical rotation at Webster Groves has already provided us with memorable experiences that we will not soon forget. Seeing an injured athlete, who has worked hard day after day in rehab, return to play is a very rewarding moment. One of the football athletes sustained a sprained MCL during a game and required significant rehab before he could return to play. He worked with us for two weeks doing countless monster walks, terminal knee extensions, and rounds of the “VMO special” in order to be fit to return to play. After his dedicated effort in rehabilitation, he was back on the field and playing at a high level, and that was a very rewarding moment for us as students. It this sort of impact that we can have on an athlete’s life that drives our desire to be athletic trainers. Being at Webster Groves has offered us an experience that reinforces our decision to become athletic training students. All of the time and effort required to help things run smoothly is incomparable to the feeling of gratification when we can help athletes return to a high level of performance for the sport that they love. We feel incredibly fortunate for our opportunity to work with Sean and Webster Groves and we look forward to what the next two months bring!

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 have a Busy Spring Semester with the Statesmen!

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Webster Groves High School
By: Michelle Cybulski (MAT Class of 2014) and Shannon Kane (MAT Class of 2015)

During the winter sports season for the Statesmen the wrestlers, the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams definitely kept us busy.  The indoor sports season gave us the opportunity to spend some quality time with our athletes and focus on our rehabilitation skills.

SLU AT student Shannon Kane administering an electrical stimulation treatment.

Our preceptor, Sean Wright ATC, has allowed us to evaluate injuries and work through designing our own rehab programs.  He gives us guidance and asks us questions to lead our thought process in decision making.  Sean Wright has been the athletic trainer at WGHS for the last 8 years.  He teaches health, PE, and offers two levels of athletic training classes for Webster Groves students.  The coaches, students, and parents trust and respect him; it shows in the athletes compliance with his recommendations.

Webster Groves Athletic Trainer Sean Wright ATC.

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 - 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.