SLU AT Students Enjoy Immersive and Engaging Clinical Environment at Lindenwood University - Belleville

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Lindenwood University - Belleville
By: Hannah Daily and Becca McGrail (MAT Class of 2020); and Adam Long and Justin Ullom (MAT Class of 2019) 

This semester we have gotten the opportunity to experience NAIA collegiate level athletics at Lindenwood University - Belleville. We are helping provide care for all sports including but not limited to: Men’s and Women’s Hockey, Baseball, Softball, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Track and Field and Wrestling.

We have gotten the chance to learn together in an engaging environment with each other as well as with the LUB athletic training students and amazing AT staff. Our preceptors, Stephen Slone MS, ATC, LAT, Curtis Wilkerson MS, ATC, LAT, Timothy Woodstock MS, ATC, LAT have been incredibly helpful by showing us new treatment techniques as well as other ways to help the athletes.

The entire Lynx AT staff is extremely knowledgeable and willing to answer any questions we may have. It is obvious that they want us to reach our full potential, so they are constantly there to encourage us and make sure that we are confident in our abilities. Some of our responsibilities include developing and implementing rehabilitation programs for individualized athletes, writing SOAP notes, preventative care such as taping and stretching, use of modalities, and performing evaluations. Lindenwood University - Belleville offers an immersive environment that has been very rewarding since we are able to really get to know some many different athletes along with being able to witness multiple athletes progress in their rehabilitation post-injury.

Adam and Justin, the PY2's, have gotten to primarily assist with pre-, in-game, and post-game responsibilities for both men’s and women’s hockey; along with practice coverage. Their main role as of now is to help prepare the team and gear up for their national tournaments in Nashville and Texas for men/women respectively. PY1's Hannah and Becca have been helping out with mainly baseball as well as other duties in the athletic training room. We are really getting to see how different the collegiate level is from the high school setting considering we were both placed at different high schools last semester. Every day we continue to improve our skills as well as learn how to connect with our athletes and peers to provide the best patient centered care.

Overall, we are all looking forward to what the rest of the semester 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.

SLU AT Students Benefit from a Wide Range of Clinical Opportunities at Lindenwood-Belleville

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Lindenwood University -Belleville

By: Ben Wildman (SLU MAT Class of 2018), Jazmon Carroll, Cody Hutson, and Chris Mecherle (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

The college experience at Lindenwood University - Belleville has been an amazing experience thus far. Shifting from a high school to a college has been an adjustment, but the plethora of modalities, staff, and diligent, hard-working student athletes has been a pleasure to be around. Life in a larger athletic training room has its challenges such as: staying organized, staying clean, and addressing less than full functioning appliances. However, it also has its perks including: more space for rehab, extra plinths, increased storage space, a more inviting atmosphere for student-athletes, and much more. The benefits outweigh the inconveniences by far, and we have never had a problem performing treatments before and after practices due to lack of space. The staff, athletes, and AT students have definitely appreciated its utility.

One of the main differences between being a athletic training student at a high school compared to a college is the number of sports teams you are assigned to. In a college setting, you typically are given one, maybe two or three sports, while you are the athletic trainer for all teams at a high school setting. At Lindenwood, we were all assigned to one sport. One of us is with wrestling, one with rugby, another is with baseball, and one with Men and Women’s ice hockey. By being with different sports, this is giving us the opportunity to have different experiences despite being at the same clinical site. This also provides us with opportunities to learn from our peers as we share techniques and teachable moments when we are all together. We are grateful to be given the chance to share a learning environment with our peers in the Lindenwood-Belleville Athletic Training Education Program. We are very lucky to have opportunities to mentor and learn alongside them.

Ben Wildman (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

As a PY2, I continued my clinical experience at LU-B after football season by joining the men and women’s ice hockey teams under the mentorship of Tim Woodstock, MS, ATC/LAT. Tim and I spend our afternoons at the Meramec Shark Tank where the teams practice and provide Athletic Training services for games on Friday and Saturday nights. Both of our teams have successfully secured bids to their respective National Championship Tournaments, which are played over spring break. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of their trip and their quest for the title of National
Champions. I really enjoy being around the student-athletes as they all have very diverse backgrounds. We have student-athletes that hail from Europe, Canada, and Australia. Each student-athlete brings unique experiences and talents to their teams. Being at the ice rink has forced Tim and I to become creative with our intervention strategies as well as our equipment and space. There is never a bad day at the rink as we are always having fun and learning every single day.

Jazmon Carroll (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

Going into my second clinical rotation at LU-B, I have been placed under the mentorship of Lauren Randazzo, MA, ATC, CSCS. Everyday during the week, Lauren and I, along with another AT student at Lindenwood, facilitate rehabilitations, prepare athletes for practice, and then head up to both men and women’s wrestling practices. Being a part of the wrestling team at LU-B has been an unexpectedly great experience. Coming in, I was not familiar with wrestling in the slightest bit, but now I have gotten really into the sport. On February 17th, LU-B hosted the Men’s Wrestling AMC Conference Championships. Despite it being a fifteen-hour day, it ended up being an amazing opportunity where I was able to learn a lot. At the end of the day, three of our wrestlers placed second, while one of them advanced to Nationals. Not only is there success on the men’s team, but one of the athletes on the female team recently became the National Champion. As previously stated, this experience has been a great one, and everyday I am learning and having fun. I am so grateful.

Cody Hutson (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

Never would I think that I would be helping out a sport such as men’s rugby. It is such an aggressive sport that I was honestly intimidated by. But I have had the opportunity to get to know a couple of the athletes and they treat me with respect and like part of their close-knit family. While I have had the ability to work with good athletes, I have been even luckier to have Sarah Hayden MAT, ATC as my preceptor. She is always available to answer any questions I may have and has enough confidence in me to wait until I ask for guidance or consider my answer as a possible option even if it isn’t her first choice. I am not always confident in myself but having someone behind me as a guide towards on hand learning is definitely the most beneficial way for me to learn. I am having a great amount of fun with the people that surround me at this clinical site and I cannot wait to see what else this semester has in store for me there. 

Chris Mecherle (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

Experience with the baseball team at LU-B began as a slow recovery for many injured players at the start of the season. Under the guidance of Stephen (Curtis) Wilkerson MS, ATC we have been able to successfully rehabilitate many of the previously injured players back to their full potential. We have spent more time this year at baseball practices than spent in previous years, and it has given us the chance to get to know the guys more and examine what makes some individuals more prone to injury. Being around Curtis, the other Lindenwood students, and the members of the baseball team has been a very rewarding experience, since we can all put forth our knowledge to keep the team healthy. Be it at double headers, practices, or in the AT room, injury prevention and rehabilitation are always being performed.

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 Unique Learning Environment with Staff and Students at Lindenwood-Belleville

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Lindenwood University-Belleville

By: Ben Wildman (SLU MAT Class of 2018) and Sarah Menzuber (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

This semester, we have joined the Athletic Training staff and students at Lindenwood University-Belleville. We have greatly benefitted from the abundant insight and experience of our many preceptors as we work with the Lynx football team. Our clinical experience has proven to be a unique and dynamic learning environment as we not only learn from our preceptors but also our peers in the Lindenwood-Belleville Athletic Training program. We began the semester in August assisting with football pre-season camp. During camp we learned the importance of recognizing and tending to urgent situations. We also had opportunities to work with individual student-athletes as they progress through the various stages of injuries and rehabilitation. 

Each day we arrive and assist with various duties from rehab to practice prep and then cover football practice. We arrive two hours before practice to begin rehab with the injured student-athletes. Having the opportunity to go to Lindenwood almost every day allows us to get to know the athletes and their injuries thoroughly, which provides us with the knowledge for improved rehab and treatment options. During practice, as an Athletic Training Staff, we oversee the whole field so we can assist any athlete that may need critical attention.  We are also there to provide quick fixes to the athletes, from bandaging a wound to assuring they stay hydrated, so they can return to play. 

Game days are incredibly exciting. We enjoy the energy the Lynx bring to each game and regardless of the result they are proud of the continuing development as a team and program. On game days, the importance of urgency is especially stressed, as the game is fast-paced and athletes, coaches, and fans, are looking for efficient and effective solutions. Also, these days can be very rewarding for both the players and us as athletic training students -whether we take home a win or help an injured athlete return to play to score the winning touchdown. We are looking forward to the next few weeks with home games to cheer on the team! Go Lynx! 

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 Appreciates the Diversity of Clinical Experiences at Lindenwood-Belleville

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Lindenwood University-Belleville
By: Madeleine Bresnahan (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

This semester I am fortunate to get clinical experience with the Lindenwood University-Belleville's Rugby team. I get to work with their talented and knowledgeable athletic trainer, Sarah Hayden, MS, ATC. I been able to work with the athletes in the athletic training room, performing all different kinds of treatments. I also have the opportunity to work with them on the field during practices and games. I’ve had a taste of how a college athletic training room works and I really enjoy it.

I have learned so much at this semester so far. I have learned a lot of different stretching and PNF techniques. I have also learned a bunch of different manual therapy techniques that I get to practice. Along with learning new things I get to practice and continue to develop my evaluation, rehabilitation, and taping skills. Sarah is constantly teaching me something new or helping me perfect my existing skills.

I’m learning so much and having such a good time. I love my clinical site this semester!

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 Feels Empowered During a Year-long Ice Hockey Experience at Lindenwood-Belleville

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Lindenwood University-Belleville
By: Madeleine Hauck (SLU MAT Class of 2017)

This semester, I have had the opportunity to work with the Lindenwood-Belleville Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey teams. I am very grateful for this opportunity, as I have grown up around hockey and there are few opportunities to get experience with the sport. I enjoy the fast pace of the game, the physicality, and the dedication of the athletes. The demands of hockey are not for all athletes. I have come to realize that the hockey athletes I have worked with are some of the hardest working individuals I have been exposed to in my clinical experiences. I appreciate the effort that they put in on the ice, in the classroom, and in the Athletic Training room. My role as an Athletic Training Student is more rewarding when the athletes are dedicated to rehabilitating injuries and geting back on the ice sooner and healthier.

My preceptor this semester is Tim Woodstock MAT, ATC. Tim has been a great resource to learn from in my last semester as a student. He has been through an MAT program and respects my knowledge. Tim gives me the autonomy to take on whatever I would like on the ice and in the clinic under his supervision. I am able to refine my skills and feel confident in my independence. Tim also has many informational nuggets to share with me. He has a great skill for making whatever he needs out of what he has in front of him. I have learned not only different ways to manage injuries, but also how to make efficient use of what resources you have.

It has been great to be at Lindenwood-Belleville for my full year of clinicals. When I come in for treatment hours at the Athletic Training Facility, I feel very comfortable. Everyone there is a familiar and friendly face that I know trusts my skill set, but will also be there to help me whenever I need it. Being at one clinical site for a full school year has really been beneficial to understanding what it will be like when I am employed in the future. I am very thankful for everyone on the staff at Lindenwood-Belleville for taking in a Billiken for a year and providing such a great clinical site!

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 Collaboratively Learn about, from and with AT Students at Lindenwood-Belleville

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Lindenwood University-Belleville
By: Madeleine Hauck (SLU MAT Class of 2017) and Donielle Francis (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

Throughout our experiences, it can be challenging to work with your peers even when they are within your own program.  Our clinical site this semester has not only challenged us to work collaboratively and helpfully as first (PY1) and second (PY2) year professional students from the SLU Athletic Training program, but to also work with Athletic Training Students from a different program.  This was definitely a daunting thought when we first arrived at Lindenwood-Belleville, but from the first day any fears we had were calmed.

The Athletic Training Staff, consisting of faculty and Graduate Assistants, were very welcoming. They wanted us to feel comfortable and that we are one of them rather than an outsider.  Gathered in a room full of Lindenwood Athletic Training students, they all made an effort to have conversations with us, introduce themselves, and let us in on the banter. Within a few days, we were able to feel at home and we are very grateful for that.

Our experience has been very unique due to this dynamic.  We can learn from the Lindenwood students, and we hope they have been able to learn from us.  It is great to see what a different perspective or learning technique can do to enhance your own knowledge and abilities.  All of our preceptors are somehow involved in the education process at Lindenwood, which makes them great advocates for our learning and enhancement of skills.  They ask us questions, give us feedback, and teach us new techniques on a daily basis.

Working with Football comes with its own set of challenges, but we feel we have been able to meet those well.  When we look past our experience as just being long hours and many injuries, we can see that it is actually a great opportunity for exposure to a multitude of treatments.  We have been able to come up with rehab plans, tape, brace, apply modalities, work with acute care situations, and help with documentation.  We are really excited about the opportunities we have had to grow as students and professionals.

From a PY2 perspective, I (Mada) have had more autonomy this year than in the past.  The staff at Lindenwood gives me space to show my skills and abilities.  These new responsibilities have helped my confidence in clinical decision making grow.  It is also helpful in my development of relationships with the athletes as they now feel more comfortable coming to me because they trust my decisions to help them.  I have been able to see patients through the whole rehab process, formulating and modifying treatments as we go.  I am very happy and thankful this sense of autonomy and professionalism.

From a PY1 perspective, I (Donielle) have been able to utilize what I am currently learning in the classroom and have started to immediately use those skills. When you can learn something in the classroom during the day and see it in the training room that evening, the puzzle pieces really start to come together! Most importantly, I have a better understanding as to what it is like to be an Athletic Trainer in a collegiate setting. There is collaboration taking place between your own staff, team doctors, coaches, players, opposing Athletic Trainers, Emergency Personnel and referees, just to name a few. Lindenwood University Belleville has been a very beneficial clinical site to aid in my development as an athletic training student.

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 Get a Wide Variety of Experiences at Lindenwood-Belleville

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Lindenwood University-Belleville

Stuart Plamp and Tony Mosello (MAT Class of 2015)

This school year we are fortunate enough to have our clinical rotations at Lindenwood University Belleville (LUB).  This fall we are lucky enough to be helping keep the LUB football team healthy alongside Head Athletic Trainer Bill Dill ATC, graduate assistants Billy Netzhammer ATC, Jessie Zehner ATC, Nichelle Harrison ATC, and the athletic training students of LUB.

The 11 of us have been working almost every day since early August to ensure that the football team stays as competitive and healthy as possible.  Days usually start with pre-practice treatments and rehab in LUB’s wonderful athletic training facilities along with pre-practice taping.  Practice time is spent managing any new injuries that may occur during practice and ensuring all athletes and coaches are properly hydrated.  The days are finished back in the athletic training room where we perform post-practice treatments and further evaluate injuries as needed.

Football season at Lindenwood is a crazy time and we are glad we are a part of it.  From practices, to away games, to all the on-football players who still come in for treatment, there always seems to be something to do at Lindenwood.  And when there is not, the coaches, staff, and players are always great people to talk to and be around. 

Although there is still a lot of football season left, We are already excited to see what the rest of our year at LUB brings us. After football, Tony will be working with the Men’s Hockey team in the winter and either men’s or women’s lacrosse in the spring, and Stuart will be working with men’s basketball in the winter and the lacrosse opposite of Tony’s.

Stuart Plamp (far left back) and Tony Mosello (far right back) with Lindenwood-Belleville Football AT staff.

Demeisha Crawford (MAT Class of 2016)

For my PY1 fall clinical rotation I’ve had the opportunity to work with women’s soccer at Lindenwood University in Belleville, IL with athletic trainer Emily Kaindl, ATC. So far I have gained many skills both interpersonal and medical that have helped in my growth as a future certified athletic trainer. Working with the women soccer team, I have learned that building trust is an important factor when establishing relationships with athletes. In addition to the great relationships established, I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in concussion assessment using the SCAT3 test and the IMPACT test to monitor symptoms in the return to play protocol. I have also been fortunate to assist in evaluation of many orthopedic injuries. To aid in the healing process of injuries, Lindenwood University has multiple modalities including Gameready, Ultrasound and E-Stimulation that I have become familiar and proficient in during rehab and treatments. I will continue to be fully involved to learn and improve as an athletic training student at Lindenwood University being sure to keep the athletes first. 

In all, I have gained many skills that will contribute to the successful athletic trainer that I aspire to be once I am certified. I am thankful for the time well spent at Lindenwood University so far and I plan to continue to grow as a professional and work to improve the care of the athletes for the remainder of my clinical experience. 

Josh Yanzer, Emily Kaindl, ATC and Demeisha Crawford.

Josh Yanzer (MAT Class of 2016)

For my first semester of clinicals in Saint Louis University’s Athletic Training Program I was very happy to be placed at Lindenwood University in Belleville Illinois.  I am very grateful to be placed here because it allowed me to experience and learn many different modalities such as Ultrasound, E-Stim, and Gameready right away that other clinical sites, like some high schools, don’t have the budget for.  Being able to spend a lot of time around all the different modalities right away and being at a clinical site with a lot of funding makes the clinical experience much more exciting and easy to get into.  

On top of the availability of modalities at Lindenwood University in Belleville there is also a wide range of sports there and over ten ATC’s to help me excel my skills as an athletic training student.  I was placed with women’s soccer and once that is over I will be going to men’s and women’s hockey.  

This was great for me because I am not familiar with either sport at all so having so many sports to choose from helped widen my range of learning different injuries associated with different types of sports.  It is also the first time I have been around one team so for long helping them out so I learned how to get to know my athletes and earn their trust when accessing their injuries, taping their ankles, or applying certain modalities on them.

Having Emily Kaindl, ATC as my preceptor for the women’s soccer team has been a very interesting experience.  She is similar in age to me and also going further in her education even though she is already certified which makes it more fun because we are both still learning so much about injuries on our way to becoming better athletic trainers.  We both learned a lot about concussions and how to manage them since we had so many people with them this year so now I really know how to distribute SCAT 3 exams.  Overall my experience has been amazing being under Emily as my preceptor at Lindenwood University Belleville.

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 - Lindenwood University-Belleville

Lindenwood University - Belleville, Home of the Lynx!
By: Mary Rhatigan (MAT Class of 2014) Ju Kim, Hillary Stepansky, and Tori Lycett (MAT Class of 2015) 

Lindenwood University-Belleville has become the second home to 4 SLU students this year. Ju Kim, Hillary Stepansky, and Tori Lycett are the PY1's stationed here for the Fall semester and this is their first real taste of athletic training. Mary Rhatigan, PY2, will be with the Lynx for the entire year.

It has been a great experience and we have all been exposed to so many new injuries, situations, clinical opportunities. It has been an exciting and busy semester that has just seemed to fly by. This is only the second season for the football program so routine is still in development and it is cool to watch it unfold.

Working with the football team offers us as students, a TON of practice opportunities. Every day we go through the big "waves" of athletes needing treatments, taping, rehab, and evaluations, and it has been incredibly beneficial because repetition and exposure are key steps to mastering the tricks of the trade.

The athletes are fun very receptive to what we have to offer.  It has been great building the professional relationships and watching the team progress as both a group and individuals.

One of the best aspects of LU-B as a clinical site is the great staff and energetic atmosphere that is created in and around the athletic training room. There is a great sense of teamwork that helps everybody take care of their responsibilities and collaborate in a fun, friendly, and comfortable professional environment.

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 - Lindenwood University-Belleville

Lindenwood University-Belleville, Home of the Lynx!

By: Nick Gastorf, Dan Herrin, Abby Breseman (SLU MAT Class of 2014) and Katie Herington (SLU MAT Class of 2013)

To say that Lindenwood University - Belleville has been busy this spring would be an understatement.  The Lynx are an NAIA University with many Varsity and Junior Varsity sports, all overseen by Head Athletic Trainer Bill Dill ATC.  For this past Spring, us SLU students were lucky enough to cover Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Men’s and Women’s Wrestling, Men’s Volleyball, Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse, Football (spring practices), and Softball.  In addition, we were also privileged enough to host the Men’s and Women’s National NAIA Lacrosse Tournaments.  Our men’s team was lucky enough to make the tournament as a #5 seed, however, lost a heartbreaker in overtime to DePaul as was eliminated this past weekend.

Our typical day at LU-B consisted of preparing for practices by setting up the practice fields and getting the athletes ready for practice by taping and utilizing multiple modalities to help prevent injuries. We then covered practices and games on a daily basis. Over our time, we were lucky enough to cover highly competitive teams, including, Men’s Lacrosse, Men’s and Women’s Wrestling, and Men’s and Women’s Basketball, all of whom qualified for their respected National Tournaments.

With so many sports going on, you can imagine the experience and knowledge we have gained throughout our time there. We would not have been able to gain such wonderful knowledge without the help and mentoring from the entire Athletic Training Staff.  Everyone at LU-B could not have been more helpful, including the Graduate Assistants of LJ, Craig, Amy, and Dani to the full time staff of Stephen, Curtis, and Bill.  Now our time is done here, we all feel honored to not only know all of these individuals in a professional sense, but also at the same, have developed a bond and friendship that will carry on over time.

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 Relates Spring Softball Travel Experience

On the road again…..

By: Katie Mae Herington (MAT Class of 2013)

As my PY2 (2nd professional) year wraps up I’ve transitioned into covering softball at Lindenwood University-Belleville.  The last weekend of Spring Break I had the opportunity to travel with the softball team to help cover an eight team tournament in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.  After a colorful five hour car ride early Friday morning we arrived in E-town.  In a two year time span, Elizabethtown through local funding built a brand-new sports facility named the Elizabethtown Sports Park.  It is equipped with six softball fields, four convertible softball/baseball fields, two baseball fields, nine soccer fields, two turf football fields, a handicap accessible softball and soccer field. 

The facility was absolutely beautiful and set up perfectly for sports medicine coverage.  The facility provided one certified athletic trainer, and Lindenwood University-Belleville sent one of their certified athletic trainers and me.  The three of us covered three to four games going on at a time, which sometimes led to stressful situations.  Luckily we only had one girl from a visiting team take a trip to the hospital. 

Injury-wise the tournament was uneventful, thankfully, but it was a great learning opportunity  traveling with the team and experiencing covering an event with multiple games going on at one time.  A lot goes on with tournaments, so it’s always a valuable experience to learn how to prioritize situations.  Also the Lady Lynx beat one of the top NAIA teams in the country!  Thanks Lindenwood University-Belleville for the travel opportunity!

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Lindenwood University-Belleville

Life at Lindenwood-Belleville University

By: Alex Sawyer & Katie Mae Herington (SLU MAT Class of 2013)

Our first few days at Lindenwood-Belleville University were early ones.  Preseason football started July 28^th at 5:00 a.m. and it took some getting used to.  Lindenwood-Belleville has been a unique experience.  Not only did we have to adapt to early mornings and long hours, but the football team was starting its inaugural season.  Therefore we had over one hundred new athletes to get to know as well as learning how a new program gets on its feet.  With five SLU AT students (two PY2, three PY1) at LBU we quickly got into a routine.  Three of us have ended up covering football full-time and every day is a learning experience.

Blake Hudspeth and Emily Grace (SLU MAT Class of 2014) with Katie Herington and Alex Sawyer (SLU MAT Class of 2013)

As PY2’s we’ve gotten a lot of hands on experience assisting with football.  We’ve spent almost everyday for three months with the football team, covering every practice and every game, home or away.  Some trips have been longer then others, like the twelve hour bus ride to Oklahoma Panhandle State University.  Or the shorter but more interesting ride to Lawrence, KS that involved leaking bus windows, no wi-fi, broken tvs, and our bus losing a mirror to a tree. 

William Dill ATC, Head Athletic Trainer, told us from the beginning to make this place our own, and in a way we have.  We’ve become a weird little family.  Once football season wraps up, we’ll be assisting in covering men’s and women’s basketball as well as men’s and women’s wrestling.  LBU has twenty-three sports so there’s always someone in the athletic training room that needs help. 

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 - Lindenwood University - Belleville

This is one of a series of posts by the Saint Louis University Athletic Training students featuring their clinical site and their clinical instructor. The number, quality and diversity of clinical instruction is a major asset for the SLU AT education program.

Lindenwood University-Belleville

By: Derrick Neuner (MAT Class of 2013)

Home of the Lynx!

My approved clinical instructor is William Dill, Bill for short. He’s the Head Athletic Trainer at Lindenwood University - Belleville, as well as the engineer behind the university’s growing AT services. I can honestly say that I hope to count Bill as a close colleague for the rest of my professional career.

There are several things that impress me about Bill, but probably the most significant is his dedication to me as a student and learning professional. There isn’t a week that has passed where Bill hasn’t asked me about what I’m learning and then facilitated what I’m learning in lecture into my clinical experience. He has been a major asset in prepping for exams, integrating different ideas, techniques and models into my professional “tool box,” and pushing me to think outside the classic clinical model. With Bill, it’s always, why, and what else can we do, to treat the athlete.

William Dill ATC (right) instructs SLU AT student Derrick Neuner (right)

I’ve also learned a great deal about how to work effectively in challenging situations with athletes and coaches. Bill’s athletic training room is relaxed, but that shouldn’t be mistaken for a lack of dedication to his athletes. He is very serious about what he does. I have seen him work with coaches who question decisions in an extremely effective manner; he gets his point across firmly and with upmost professionalism.  Likewise, athletes have a responsibility to care for themselves, too, and Bill makes that quite plain. Sure, there’s an athletic training staff there to guide the care, but it takes two to tango.

As students we don't give official grades to our clinical instructors, but if I could, I would grade Bill with an A+. I’m his first student in the clinical education setting, and I couldn’t be more pleased with my experience. Bill has become a great mentor and friend, and come December, I’m going to miss working with him everyday.