SLU AT Students Build Their Skills in a Dynamic and Collaborative Environment with Billiken Athletics

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Saint Louis University Athletics

By: Maddie Cavanaugh, Amra Kardasevic, and Michael Ryan (MAT Class of 2022)

For the start of our PY2 semesters, we have had the opportunity to gain clinical experience at Saint Louis University.  SLU provides a multitude of sports the opportunity to work with a variety of athletes and Certified Athletic Trainers.  Amra Kardasevic and Maddie Cavanaugh are primarily assisting Jonathan Burch, ATC, with Men’s Basketball.  Michael Ryan is primarily assisting Ben Heimos, ATC, with Men’s Soccer and will assist with Baseball in the Spring.  We are able to spend numerous hours in the athletic training room, gaining experience from all of the staff ATs and learn from the individual, unique skillsets.

It is a unique opportunity to provide medical care for high level athletes.  While basketball is still early on in pre-season, we are getting to see and assist with practices, rehabilitations and injury prevention. Men’s Soccer is partially through their season, so I have been seeing how rehabilitations differ when a player gets a minor injury in a game when the goal is to get them ready for the next game as opposed to how injuries are treated in pre-season.

Maddie and Amra look forward to getting the game day experience and the possibility of traveling with the team eventually to see what both home and away games look like for a Division I Certified Athletic Trainer for basketball.  Maddie is looking forward to experiencing the interprofessional atmosphere between the ATCs, strength and conditioning staff and nutritionists within Chaifetz.  Amra is eager to experience a fast pace environment that is associated with game day and learning more clinical skills from both ATCs and other medical staff if injuries arise.  Michael is looking forward to continuing to learn and get more experience to hone his skills as an athletic training student. Having experienced a few game days already this year, Michael is excited to continue being utilized on those days to help prepare the team for their game. 

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 Student Gets Hands-on Experience in Professional Baseball with the Schaumburg Boomers

SLU AT Summer Field Experience Spotlight - Schaumburg Boomers Baseball Club

By: Rory Cusack (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

This summer I have the amazing opportunity to be with the Schaumburg Boomers, a minor league baseball team in the Frontier League. My preceptor, Mylie Leatherman ATC, has been teaching me so much since the first day and she helps my clinical skills grow every day. This has been a great experience especially since I have not had an opportunity to be with baseball before. 

The team has games 6 days a week, so it’s game day every day. Before each game, the players come for treatment where we provide rehabilitation and pre-game treatment to get them ready for batting practice. So far, I have seen many different injuries from post-surgical to wound care. During rehab, the players perform functional exercises and we work to get them back to full strength as soon as possible due to the amount of games each week. I am getting a lot of experience with rehab and am learning more and more exercises with each new injury. The players are motivated to get better and come prepared each day for rehab and for the game. 

This summer has been so fun so far with the Schaumburg Boomers and Mylie, and I look forward to what the rest of the summer has for me. 

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

SLU AT Student “Gets Grizzlie” Spending a Summer with Pro Baseball Team

Summer Internship Blog Post - Gateway Grizzlies

By: Josh Harris (MAT Class of 2015)

A part of the West Division of the Frontier League (Independent League; non-MLB affiliate), the Gateway Grizzlies Professional Baseball team resides right across the Mississippi River in Sauget, Illinois. GCS Ballpark is where the Grizzlies play their home games and it was also was the site of my athletic training internship for the summer. Outside of GCS Ballpark, I had the opportunity to gain more athletic training experience by traveling with the team to T.R. Hughes Stadium in O’ Fallon, Missouri. These trips to O’ Fallon would occur when the Grizzlies were scheduled to play their cross-town rival, the River City Rascals. I share the internship experience with a fellow ATS from the University of Arkansas, Andy Scheumann, and the head athletic trainer of the Grizzlies, Geof Manzo, MS, ATC. Geof was really great to work with and he undoubtedly helped Andy and I build upon our athletic training skills.

Andy Schuemann, Izzy the Grizzly, Geof Manzo ATC and Josh Harris

The vast majority of my summer internship was spent at GCS Ballpark; in the athletic training room, treatment and rehabilitation room, on the field, and in the dugout. A typical day interning with the Grizzlies would begin around 1pm and end about an hour or so after the game was over. As soon as we arrived at GCS, Andy and I had to fold towels, that would later be used by the players on both teams, and also prepare the visiting team’s athletic training room. After these prep tasks were completed, Geof, Andy, and I would wait for our players to show up and then begin treatment and rehab with those who needed it. Some common treatments we performed on the players throughout the day included: therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, thermotherapy via heat packs, cryotherapy via ice bags, massage, taping, therapeutic exercise, and stretching. The treatment session lasted until 3pm, which is when we would go outside and begin the warm-up session for pitchers. About 30 minutes after that, we would begin the warm-up session for position players. After the warm-ups were over for both sets of players, batting practice would commence and then end around 4:45pm.

From the end of batting practice up until about 6:30pm, we would again perform treatment on any player that requested it or needed it. It was then time for the game, where all of us would be sitting in the dugout with the team. If any injury presented itself during the game, Geof would walk out on the field and evaluate the athlete. After his evaluation, he would come back into the dugout and discuss his findings with Andy and I. If there was no injury presented during the game, we would mostly spend our time making sure our players (and umpires) were properly hydrated. At the conclusion of the game, Andy, Geof, and I would all return to the athletic training room and wait for players to come to us for any treatment or evaluation before they went home for the night. The last task Andy and I had before the day was considered over was cleaning up the opposing team’s athletic training room.

Going into this summer internship, I really didn’t know what to expect. It was a totally new environment for me, as I had never worked with a baseball team this in-depth throughout my whole first year of athletic training practice. The experience was also an opportunity to practice with high-level athletes; much higher of a level than I had worked with in previous athletic training experiences at Parkway South High School and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Overall, I feel that I have gained a lot of athletic training knowledge by engaging in this internship. I am very blessed to have had the opportunity to work with a great athletic trainer, staff, and team. This experience with the Grizzlies taught me a lot and I am looking forward to the next steps and challenges in becoming an athletic trainer.

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 Spends a Summer Learning in the Big Leagues

Summer Internship Blog Post - St. Louis Cardinals
By: Michael Aaron (MAT Class of 2015)

Since May 26, 2014 I have had the opportunity to work with a team of great athletic trainers and team doctors that work with the St. Louis Cardinals.  I was lucky to start with some advice from 2014 SLU MAT graduates Dan Herrin ATC and Kelley DeGreeff ATC who were able to work with the Cardinals in the 2013 season.  Even with the advice and assurance that I would learn more than I could imagine, I am still blown away by the information and skill sets that I have been able to observe and begin to apply on a daily basis.

Greg Hauck, Michael Aaron and Adam Olsen

Greg Hauck ATC is the Head Athletic Trainer for the Cardinals and is assisted by Chris Conroy ATC and Adam Olsen PT, ATC. These three have had a big impact on the way that I look at and will evaluate injuries in the future.  Their approach is much different than other athletic trainers that I have worked with and it’s easy to tell why players get back on the field in good shape when coming off injuries.  This isn’t just due to the athletic trainer’s efforts, but also the team doctors that put a lot of time and thought into each evaluation and rehab process.  They all take their jobs very seriously and have fun doing it, which makes an atmosphere that the athletes are more inclined to include themselves in on a daily basis for any work that they may need done.  Not only did they make the environment good for the athletes, but it was a good environment for me to learn, observe and ask questions for hours every day.

Chris Conroy and Michael Aaron

Some of my responsibilities for the summer included making lots of hydration drinks, keeping first aid items stocked, help taking inventory, packing for road trips, keeping things organized and clean, and trying to absorb as much information as possible.  These things may not sound like a lot of fun, but they are things that have to be done in order to keep the athletes on the field every day.

Overall, I was very pleased with my experience and I can’t thank Greg, Chris and Adam enough for the opportunity to watch and learn from them all summer.  It is an experience that will have a big impact on the rest of my career.

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 Experiences Professional Baseball with Future Colleagues

Summer Internship Blog Post - River City Rascals
By: Eldon Reid (MAT Class of 2015)

My internship this summer was with the River City Rascals. The Rascals are an independent professional baseball team, which play in the West division of the Frontier League. The Frontier League consists of 14 teams primarily from the Midwest. The Rascals play their home games at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O’Fallon, MO, which is about 35 miles west of Saint Louis.

Eldon Reid, Jordan Schaeffer ATC and Melanie Burkholder

I worked along with 3 other interns this summer. I got to work every day with Melanie Burkholder, an athletic training student from Missouri State. Chris and Aaron, who attend school at Lindenwood, were the other 2 interns that would come and help out. All of us worked under Jordan Shaeffer ATC, who is the athletic trainer for the River City Rascals.

 Melanie and I would get there usually about 4 hours before the game started. Our day usually started with us making the water and ice coolers for both teams. After that, we would administer treatments before players went to batting practice.  We would go out and watch the players take batting practice. Then we would perform pre-game treatments before the game started. After the game was over, we would do any post-game treatments to players if they needed it.

It was definitely a fun and challenging experience working with the Rascals. It was challenging due to the limited budget and number of resources, but we made do with what we had. The team was great to work with, and they would let us do some extra stuff like take batting practice or help shag balls during batting practice. I would like to thank EXCEL Sports and Physical Therapy and Rascals for allowing me to have this opportunity.

Good luck to the Rascals on the rest of the season!

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 Students Get a Great Baseball Experience with the Grizzlies

Gateway Grizzlies Summer Internship
By: Angelo Bongiorno and John Runde (MAT Class of 2014)

The Gateway Grizzlies are a professional baseball team located in Sauget, Illinois, a suburb of Saint Louis.  The Grizzlies are a member of the West Division of the Frontier League. The head athletic trainer for the Grizzlies is Geof Manzo, MS ATC. Geof has worked with the team for several years and is a veteran preceptor for multiple athletic training programs. He was great to work with and helped us to expand our knowledge in the field of Athletic Training.  We would arrive around 1pm on game days and stay until about an hour after the game had ended.  Geof also gave us the opportunity to travel with the team to away games a few times during the season when playing the River City Rascals, a team based out of O’Fallon, Missouri.  This was a great experience and allowed for even more time to practice our skills and work with the Athletes in a different setting. 

SLU AT student John Runde, Geof Manzo MS, ATC and SLU AT student Angelo Bongiorno.

While working with the Grizzles most of our time was spent in the athletic training room, on the field, and in the dugout.  The athletic training room was fairly small and compact containing only 3 tables to work with the athletes, the home and away locker rooms, a workout facility for in-house rehabilitation, as well as two offices for the coaches.  Although small, everything was very organized and easy to use. The Gateway Grizzlies provided a great facility to learn and practice multiple therapeutic modalities.  We were able to practice modalities such as electrical stimulation, Combo, hot packs, ice, massage and stretching.

A typical day with the Grizzlies began as soon as we arrived around 1pm.  The first thing we were assigned to do was to fold towels and prepare the opposing teams athletic training room before they arrived.  We would then begin treatments and rehab with players who needed it until around 3:30. At this time we would help with stretching and warm-ups for the pitchers, followed by the position players around 4.  It was then time to head to batting practice until about 5:15 where we then would head back to the athletic training room for last minute treatments until 6:30. We then would head to the game, sitting in the dugout with the team.  After the game we would return to the athletic training room waiting for anyone to come in for treatment and treat anyone who needed it.  After the opposing team had left, we would then clean their athletic training room.  This was our final task for the night before we were dismissed. 

Overall, we were able to learn and gain much experience during our summer internship.  We are thankful to have had the experience to work with such great staff and team and for everything we have learned from them.   

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 Experiences a Summer in the Big Leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals Summer Internship

By: Kelley DeGreeff (MAT Class of 2014)

MY SUMMER IN THE BIG LEAGUES

This summer I was fortunate enough to get an internship with the St. Louis Cardinals under the guidance of Greg Hauck, Chris Conroy, and Adam Olsen, all certified athletic trainers. Through June and July, I spent home games at Busch Stadium helping with pre-game responsibilities and experiencing what goes into preparing athletes to be game ready.

Each day started 6 hours before game time. Myself and the other intern, Ryne Eubanks of University of Arkansas, would prepare whirlpools, make hydration drinks, stock supplies, and make sure everything was ready for the players. Once the busy work was finished up, we were able to observe the ins and outs of day-to-day maintenance for a baseball player.

Chris Conroy ATC, AT intern Ryne Eubanks, Adam Olsen ATC, SLU AT Student Kelley DeGreeff and  Greg Hauck ATC

I don’t know if the questions I asked ever annoyed the guys, but they were troopers as I relentlessly questioned every exercise, stretch, manual technique, and modality they used. They were always willing to share why they chose what they did compared with something else, along with what the purpose of each intervention was. I was able to learn so much from watching their techniques, and to refine my own skills as I practiced on anyone who was willing to be my subject.

Getting a chance to learn in this environment surpasses all classroom learning. Yes, we need the classroom to learn principles, but seeing it used in this setting really helped me grasp why athletic trainers work so hard and so many hours to do what they do. I can now appreciate these principles in practice. Observing these athletes maintain or improve their performance over the course of 2 months is proof enough. Having the satisfaction of knowing you helped with that process is what drives me to this career.

Coming in as a woman into this man’s world was scary. However, my anxieties vanished as soon as I arrived. The athletic trainers, coaches, players, medical staff, and clubhouse guys made me feel right at home. This opportunity has helped open my eyes to the millions of things I can do and to remember that my gender is not a barrier in this profession. I am so grateful to have met such wonderful people who have shown support for me and hopefully for students to come.

Thanks to everyone who made this internship possible!

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 Valuable Baseball Experience with the River City Rascals

River City Rascals (Frontier League) Summer Internship

By: Jay Maturan - MAT Class of 2014

My internship this summer is with the River City Rascals. The Rascals are an independent, professional baseball team and a member of the West Division of the Frontier League who competes other teams primarily from the Midwest. The team is based at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon, Missouri and it is 35 miles west of downtown St. Louis. From the 1999 season to the present, the River City Rascals have player their home games at T.R. Hughes Ballpark. The team has won two League tittles (1993, 2010) and five Division tittles (1993, 2000, 2009, 2010, 2011).

Mike McNulty, ATC and SLU AT Student Jay Maturan

My preceptor was the Rascals athletic trainer, Mike McNulty. I spent my summer learning rehabilitation techniques, evaluation process, treatment, assessment, and prevention process. This is Mike's first year with the Rascals as he serves as the graduate assistant athletic trainer in University of Kentucky for two years with exposure to men's soccer, track and field and football. Mike has three-intern student this year and each intern has to pick numbers of home games for the season. Every home game of the regular season we provide medical treatment for the 25 man roster that includes pre-game treatment, supervising team stretching and warm up, and post-game treatment. Unfortunately, due to limited budget we do not travel with the team.

Athletic Training Room

The most challenging part working with the Rascals are the following: independent nature of the athlete, limited budget, limited resources and athletic training room space. However, Mike has been incredibly encouraging, supportive and a great leader.

River City Rascals Ballpark

Working with the River City Rascals has given me an insight as to how athletic training operate in a professional sports team. This summer provided me with a great educational and professional experience, was introduced to many new clinical experience and wealth of knowledge. To the River City Rascals Team and Excel Sports and Physical Therapy thank you for helping me achieve my goals and for being part of my journey as a future athletic trainer.

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.

AT Program Director Interviewed Regarding Little Leaguer's Elbow

https://www.kmox.com/

On Thursday, March 11, 2010; Tony Breitbach, Ph.D., ATC, Director of the SLU Athletic Training Education Program, was interviewed on KMOX-AM 1120 about little league pitching injuries.

Fred Bodimer conducted the interview regarding youth baseball players throwing injuries including use of the curveball and other overuse problems.

Congrats to Zach Miller!

Zach Miller, a freshman Athletic Training major and baseball player from O'Fallon, MO, was named Atlantic 10 rookie of the week for the second consecutive week and the third time total this season.

For the year, Zach leads the team with 40 RBIs and is tied for team-high honors with six home runs. He is second with a .368 batting average and leads the team with a .605 slugging percentage.

To read more click here.