SLU AT Students’ Time to "Shine On" At MBU

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Missouri Baptist University
By:  Josh Harris (MAT Class of 2015), Haylie Dehm, Jack Dunlap, Krystin Haas, Brady Moore and CJ Spink (MAT Class of 2016)

The most prominent phrase at Missouri Baptist University is “Shine On.” At MBU, the natural light of students is nurtured, allowing them to shine and stand out from the world. The following are reflections of our individual experiences, (since we are all assigned to a different sport and preceptor) and how we have been nurtured to Shine On.

I began the spring semester caring for men’s basketball with my preceptor Ashley Broughton ATC.  After an eventful basketball season I now have the opportunity to cover spring football. All of the athletic trainers who work at Missouri Baptist are knowledgeable and always looking to help us learn even if we are not working with their sport.  Being placed at Missouri Baptist has been an eye opening experience because I have learned that there is a big difference between the high school and college settings.  My time at MoBap has been nothing short of amazing. (Jack Dunlap)

For my second semester of clinical rotations, I have been with Mike Nolan ATC. I have been helping him cover men’s wrestling, women’s wrestling, and baseball. One thing that has become evident to me over the last 3 months is the vast variety of roles that an athletic trainer has in his or her workplace. There are many responsibilities that I had never even imagined I might someday be faced with such as scheduling athlete’s appointments with other medical providers and assisting athletes with insurance information in order to make sure they are utilizing care that is covered by their health insurance. I have become interested in the prevention of injury and how I can apply methods to help a variety of athletes. As always, I am very excited to see what the future holds for my profession and myself. (Brady Moore)

I am with the men's and women's lacrosse team with my preceptor, Jamie Herron ATC. I am very much enjoying my clinical rotation here so far. I am not only learning practical skills, but in general they have ways that they set up the training room that seem much more sensible and functional to me. These tips could be useful down the road if/when I need to set something up in a functional manner. My preceptor is very good at quizzing me on injuries and making me think to help me learn and use me knowledge in every day practice. I have also received a much better view of how colleges are run and how they work from the athletic training aspect. This clinical rotation has been a wonderful addition to my learning and experience in the field. (Krystin Haas)

I have been with Meredith Dill ATC and the men’s volleyball team this season. Meredith is the Head Athletic Trainer at MBU. Because of this, I have learned more about the administrative side of the profession. The most interesting thing that has come up so far, has been interactions with other administrators, in which the ATs try to make them understand the legal regulations ATS have to abide by, via Missouri licensure. Mere’s teaching style with me has been of the “trial by fire” variety. I have always had great success learning from this style and I appreciate that she understands that. There have been some occasions in which Meredith has been engaged in administrative duties, but I have been able to work with and learn from the other ATs until Meredith’s return. This experience has been significantly different from my high school experience in the fall and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it, but I have, and am so thankful for it! (Haylie Dehm)

I am with Emily Lawrence ATC and the softball team. Being at MoBap has allowed me to interact with college level athletes as compared to last semester at the high school. There are many differences in maturity level, skill level, overall athletic ability, and understanding of an athletic trainer's duty with athletes at the college level. College level athletes do tend to challenge you more than the high school athletes simply due to the age similarities, but once you establish that you have the ability to help them with their sport or injury, they are more cooperative and open to working with you. (CJ Spink)

A typical day this spring at MBU has involved: preparing water coolers and ice for practice or a game, performing a variety of different treatments for lacrosse athletes before and after practice, attending practices and games, and learning something new about athletic training from my preceptor. I believe that my athletic training skills have come a long way since the beginning of this clinical rotation at Missouri Baptist University and I owe plenty of thanks to my preceptor, Jamie Herron ATC, and all of the athletic training staff at this institution. The MBU AT staff works hard to make this a quality experience for all of the SLU AT students they come into contact with and that workmanship definitely shows what kind of commitment the MBU AT staff has for the athletic training profession. Now I look forward to stepping into the MBU AT staff’s shoes and obtaining the ATC credential for myself. (Josh Harris)

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.

First and Second Year SLU AT Students Share Clinical Experience at Missouri Baptist University

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Missouri Baptist University

Josh Harris (MAT Class of 2015)

The Missouri Baptist University Spartans, founded in 1964, reside in what is commonly referred to as “West County” in St. Louis, Missouri. The Spartans compete in the American Midwest Conference, part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). There are a total of eight ATCs at Missouri Baptist, five of which are full time athletic trainers for the school and three that are graduate assistants. PY2, Josh Harris, and PY1s, Brad Bunten, Brandi Burgett, Rachel Spika, and Erika Cook share athletic training clinical experience primarily with four of the eight ATCs at Missouri Baptist, which is commonly referred to as MoBap for short.

Josh Harris (center) with Demeisha Crawford and Josh Yanzer at MoBap vs Lindenwood-Belleville Soccer game.

For this fall semester, Josh Harris has been working with Assistant Athletic Trainer Jamie Herron, MS, ATC and the men’s and women’s soccer teams. All of the PY1s have been working with the newly formed football team this fall and work with Head Athletic Trainer Meredith Dill ATC; Assistant Athletic Trainers Craig Zurliene, ATC and Ashley Broughton, ATC; as well as graduate assistant athletic trainer Emily Lawrence, ATC. 

Our time at MoBap has been an excellent learning experience for all of us, regardless of where we stand as a PY student. The athletic trainers at this university have been outstanding in helping all of us further ourselves as independent, future practitioners. 

All of us are excited to learn much more as the fall semester progresses - Go Spartans!


Brad Bunten, Brandi Burgett, Erika Cook and Rachel Spika (MAT Class of 2016)

We were not exactly sure what to expect when we arrived at Missouri Baptist University for our first day of clinical rotations.  Being PY1s and having never been out on clinical rotations before, this was going to be a new experience for all of us.  Our preceptors, Craig Zurliene ATC and Ashley Broughton ATC, quickly got us acclimated to the daily rigors of what it is like for an NAIA football team going through their first ever football season.

While it can be a struggle working with a team that does not even have their own field, we have gained an immense understanding of the fact that athletic trainers always need to be the ones that are organized and able to adapt to changing situations.

Ashley Broughton ATC, Erika Cook, Rachel Spika, Brad Bunten, Brandi Burgett, Emily Lawrence ATC and Craig Zurliene ATC

Our days start bright and early at 4:00 a.m. when we arrive at MoBap.  Before the athletes start coming in for morning treatment and prep for practice, we prepare the athletic training room for the day and get all the coolers, injury ice, and other practice necessities ready. After taping the athletes and going through any morning rehabs or treatments, we head over to our temporary field next door at CBC High School for 6:00 a.m. practice.  It is somewhat of an adventure being a team without our own field.  Recently it has actually served as an awesome opportunity for us, because we now have the privilege of practicing at Rams Park - the training facility of the St. Louis Rams - twice a week.

The first ever season of Spartan football has been nothing shy of action-packed for us as athletic training students.  So far we have seen everything from shoulder injuries to foot fractures, knee sprains to dislocated fingers, and the ever-classic ankle sprain. This being our first year in the professional phase of the program, we are lacking in some of the skills required to evaluate and treat these injuries when they occur.  But as of now, it has been extremely beneficial for our learning to simply be surrounded by all of these different types of injuries.

Additionally, our preceptors are great at answering any questions we may have, and they are always willing to provide us with supervised instruction. Overall, our experience at Missouri Baptist University has been a positive one and has been very beneficial in our development 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 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 Students Help Care for the Cougars at SIUe

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
By: Josh Harris & Eldon Reid (SLU MAT Class of 2015)

This semester, we have had the privilege of getting clinical experience at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (SIU-E), a university in the Ohio Valley Conference (NCAA Division I). We have mainly worked with Gerry Schlemer, ATC, during our semester. We spent one week each with assistant James Mays, ATC, who works with the softball team. During this time, we have been able to strengthen and practice our athletic training skills. We have learned how much work it is to actually be the head athletic trainer at a college, and it is a lot more work than one would expect.

We have been working with the athletes and athletic training staff of SIU-E since early January of this year. During the spring season, we have spent most of our time working with track & field and softball athletes, also getting some experience with men’s basketball.  We have been able to see a wide variety of injuries to the hips, foot, ankles, and knees.

As PY1’s in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training program, we have thoroughly enjoyed our time at SIU-E. We would both agree that our athletic training skillset has grown immensely since starting our rotation here. Gerry and his staff have been absolutely incredible with teaching us new athletic training skills and also helping us improve upon the skills we have already learned inside the classroom. It is undoubtedly an experience that both of us will cherish as we move further into our careers as athletic training students and future professionals. Go Cougars!

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 - Parkway South High School

Parkway South High School - Home of the Patriots!

By: Cat Costello (MAT Class of 2014) and Josh Harris (MAT Class of 2015)

Parkway South High School is the home of the Patriots and largest of the four Parkway schools, nestled on the border of Ballwin, Missouri. Kyle Boyce, ATC has been with the high school since he graduated from SEMO 7 years ago! Needless to say, he has a strong rapport and great relationships with both staff and students after all this time. Throughout the year, Kyle works with an average of 400 athletes between the three seasons. He certainly has his hands full!

Walking around the school in the first few months it seemed as though Kyle was at the center of it all and knew everyone. The athletes would update him on their injuries, or season as they passed in the halls, and the staff, a majority of them being coaches as well would do the same, (or ask for a Cardinals update!).  The relationship that Kyle shares with the coaches is both strong and effective. They each trust Kyle with every one of their athletes and ask his advice for even the smallest injuries; while Kyle understands the importance of returning the athletes to play in an efficient and safe manner. The atmosphere in the athletic training room is upbeat and laid back. The athletes know that they will get no non-sense treatment every time, though the jokes seem to fly no matter the student.

Josh Harris

Josh Harris, PY1 and I have both enjoyed our rotation and learned something new every single day. We were integrated into the school community almost immediately and were given a great deal of responsibility. They range from performing our evaluations and implementing treatment plans to practicing blind-folded taping in our free time. With so many years of experience, especially with Parkway South itself, Kyle understands the ins and outs of every sport and how best to treat each athlete individually. He offers guidance on special techniques while offering tips from his own experience that have proven invaluable.

Cat Costello

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.