SLU Pre-Professional AT Students Enjoy their Initial Experience at the MoATA Education Conference

Missouri Athletic Trainers' Association Educators and Student Leadership Conference
By: Erin Fabbri and Danielle Jabczynski (MAT Class of 2019)

As pre-professional students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program, attending the Missouri Athletic Training Association Education Meeting in Fayette, Missouri was our first experience as to what it will be like to be an athletic trainer. It was a one day meeting on February 4, 2017. It was full of educational lectures and labs where we got to work with professional students and get hands on experience. The day ended with the MoATA Quiz Bowl, which tested our memory on anatomy and exposed to us what we will learn in our future classes. 

We learned about many things like sudden cardiac death in athletes and how to transition from academic to professional practice. We were also given a brief lecture before being able to experience hands on practice in myofascial release and kinesio-taping. Although we have not had all the classes necessary, the professional students answered any questions we had to get us through the lab portions of the day. 

Being pre-professional students at MoATA was a great experience. It provided a lot of insight about what’s to come in our future practice as athletic trainers. 

SLU AT Students and Faculty Participate in NATA District V Meeting

District Meeting Provides a Memorable Experience!
By: Nick Gastorf (SLU MAT Class of 2014)

The Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program had six athletic training students along with faculty members Kitty Newsham PhD, ATC and Tony Breitbach PhD, ATC traveled to Des Moines, Iowa on March 27-29, 2014 to represent the program at the 35th Mid-America Athletic Trainer's Association (MAATA) Annual Meeting and Symposium.  Tyler Wood, Cat Costello, and I represented the Missouri Athletic Trainers' Association (MoATA) in the District Quiz Bowl competition after previously taking home the state title at the MoATA conference earlier in the year. We gave a valiant effort, but we fell short of our goal of reaching the finals of the Quiz Bowl, which is held at the National Athletic Trainers' Association Annual Meeting this upcoming summer in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Quiz Bowl Members: Nick Gastorf, Cat Costello, Kelly Peck (alternate) and Tyler Wood

While there, we were able to attend a number of lectures discussing various topics in athletic training, including talks on drug interactions and concussions.  One of the talks given that we were able to attend was on food and exercise-induced anaphylaxis by Dr. Newsham, one of the faculty members in attendance from SLU.  Not only did we have the opportunity to attend these lectures, but we also attended the MoATA meeting.  We were able to hear and get an update on the athletic training related events that are happening in state.  One topic of interest for many of the students was the young professional group.  With graduation approaching shortly, this young professional’s group is a great way to network and meet other professionals in the field who are also trying to start their careers.

Overall, the MAATA symposium was a great experience!  We were exposed to a number of items for the first time in this type of setting.  We were given the opportunity to meet professionals within athletic training, hear multiple talks on differing topics of athletic training, and represent SLU AT Program in the Quiz Bowl. We would not have had these wonderful opportunities without attending the symposium.

SLU AT students Cat Costello, Kelly Peck, Tyler Wood, Jess Buschjost, Nick Gastorf and Dan Herrin prepare for the drive to Des Moines.

Team of SLU AT Students Finish First in Missouri AT Quiz Bowl

Three athletic training students from Saint Louis University finished first in the Missouri Athletic Trainers' Association (MoATA) Quiz Bowl competition to qualify for the district competition in West Des Moines, Iowa on March 28, 2014.

MoATA holds a Quiz Bowl competition yearly to determine Missouri's representatives for the Mid-America Athletic Trainers' Association (MAATA) Quiz Bowl competition in March.  The winners of the district Quiz Bowls qualify for the national competition at the National Athletic Trainers' Association Clinical Symposia and AT Expo in June.  These Jeopardy-style competitions require teams of 3 to answer questions on all of the Domains of Athletic Training.

SLU's Quiz Bowl team is comprised of second-year professional students Cat Costello, Nick Gastorf and Tyler Wood. They will graduating with a Master of Athletic Training degree in May of 2014.

Cat Costello

Nick Gastorf

Tyler Wood

Congrats Cat, Nick and Tyler! Good luck at the MAATA Quiz Bowl!