SLU AT Students and Faculty Team Up at Nike Basketball Camp

Saint Louis University's Simon Recreation Center serves as the host site for one of the nation's top basketball events each June.  

Nike invites some of the country's top high school freshmen and sophomore basketball players to the Elite 100 Basketball Camp to help them develop their skills on and off the court.  Many of the top players currently in the NBA participated in this event over the years.

Once again this year, on June 7-10, 2018, SLU Athletic Training Program faculty and students worked side by side to provide medical care for the camp.  

This provides a great clinical connection for our program, and has emerged into a tradition and gives them a common experience over the years.

We appreciate this opportunity each year to empower our students in a fun and exciting clinical environment.

SLU Pre-professional AT Student Appreciates Trust Between Preceptor and Students at Chaminade College Prep

New AT Student Blog Post - Marissa Burch (SLU MAT Class of 2020)

When I think back to my days as a high school student, I think of all those who made an impact on my experience. Teachers, friends, coaches, anyone who helped to shape the person I became at graduation. Some of my favorite moments came from the sidelines during football games with the Athletic Trainer. Although my high school does not have a full-time Athletic Trainer, we were able to bring an AT in to do game coverage. Even in the short amount of time I was able to spend with him, I learned a lot about the profession and what it entails. I felt this same excitement as I observed in high schools this semester, particularly with Scott Kugler ATC at Chaminade College Preparatory. 

Having the opportunity to observe Scott was an absolute honor. He has been an Athletic Trainer at Chaminade for over 10 years, which has allowed him to gain the trust of the athletes he treats and the coaches with which he interacts. One of my favorite things about Scott’s relationship with the athletes is when one also happens to be a student in his Anatomy course. He is constantly trying to teach and encourage these athletes. If one of his students comes in with an injury, he quizzes the student on what could possibly be affected, depending on the area that is injured. Pushing these athletes and others to be the best version of themselves, building a relationship with the athletes seems to come naturally. 

Learning the importance of a developed relationship with those you treat and interact with was definitely one of the most important things I observed. However, it was not the only thing I was able to learn while at Chaminade. Scott made sure to always explain what he was doing and why. He ensured that I knew what was going on, even if I may not understand everything about it. Observing in Athletic Training rooms these past several months brought me great humility, as it reminded me that we, both as individuals and the profession as a whole, are always growing and learning. Our work as Athletic Trainers is exciting and can make a huge difference in the lives of the athletes we treat.  

This is one of a series of blog posts written by students entering the professional phase of the SLU AT Program as a part of MAT 3000 - AT Student Development II.

SLU AT Student Appreciates the Importance of Communication at Chaminade College Prep

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Chaminade College Prep

By: Jesse Schmitt (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

At Chaminade College Prep, I’ve had the opportunity to learn from head athletic trainer Scott Kugler, ATC. Scott is a great mentor, who gives me a lot of freedom when it comes to evaluating and rehabilitating student athletes. During my time at Chaminade I have learned that patience and communication are vital. When I first started all I wanted to do was evaluate and diagnose athletes, because becoming a better evaluator was one of my goals for the semester. I quickly learned from observing Scott, and doing a few evaluations of my own, that it’s not about only one thing. In order to become a better evaluator I needed to slow down and make sure that I had gained all the information necessary to move on to the next step of the evaluation process. It was an important building block for me because learning this new skill allowed for me to not only provide an accurate diagnosis, but it also allowed for me to rule out other differential diagnoses. I’m still learning new tricks of the trade, but I feel that personally I get better with every evaluation because I’ve learned to challenge myself.

I have also learned how important it is to be a good communicator. By observing Scott, I have been able to pick up on some key conversations he has with his athletes, coaches, administrators, and other athletic trainers. I’ve learned that it is important to be able to explain what it is we are doing, seeing, or feeling to athletes that have questions because it allows for them to buy-in to what we are doing. I’ve also learned that keeping a dialog with the coaches about players’ health, how a rehab is going, or certain preventative measures athletes should be taking both in season and out of season. I have also picked up on conversations Scott has had with administration or other athletic trainers about different ways to update the Chaminade athletic training room, and why these upgrades might be necessary.

Overall, my time at Chaminade has been quite a learning experience. I try to challenge myself each day by asking Scott different questions and trying to pick his brain about what it takes to be a certified athletic trainer. Chaminade is a great environment for students like myself to gain knowledge and expand upon their skills.

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 Learning in the Collaborative Environment at Washington University

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Washington University in St. Louis Athletics

By: Jenna Ginsberg and Mike Milek (SLU MAT Class of 2018) and Danielle Jabcyznski and Jesse Schmitt (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

Washington University has been a very impactful experience so far. Being able to work with such an experienced preceptor, Rick Larsen ATC, along with three other ATC’s, including recent SLU graduate Bailey Draheim MAT, ATC, has been great for our collaborative problem solving skills. The PY1’s developing skillset is challenged and growing everyday, and the PY2’s are held to very high standards of accountability in the day-to-day work of caring for the football team. 

Being with the football team provides constant opportunity for improvement in our ability to provide acute and emergency care, rehabilitation, and administrative/organizational skills. The university setting also allows us to practice with an abundance of great resources such as laser therapy and hydrotherapy in the form of an underwater treadmill. 

The sports medicine team at Washington University is vast, which allows us as students to witness great teamwork and interprofessional care between physicians, chiropractors, and other heath care professionals in addition to the athletic training staff. Rick Larsen and the rest of the athletic training team have created a very efficient system in which the coaches and athletes have great respect for what the AT’s do. Working in this environment as students has been and will continue to be great for our professional development.  

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.