NSU Horizons Fall 2007

horizons 11 Felecia Henderson is the Associate Director of Public Affairs. through proper conditioning, good nutrition, and positive life choices. The athletic trainer is there to provide the infor- mation and guidance that will allow student-athletes to achieve their goals. Horizons : What is a typical training regimen for a student-athlete? Does it vary depending upon the sport? Does your program include prevention, nutrition, and spring conditioning? Although similar in many ways, each sport has its unique training and conditioning programs. In addition, each sport has its unique injuries that occur. In baseball, for example, throwing injuries to the shoulder and elbow are the most prevalent problems that require significant preventive programs and treatments. Men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball have their share of ankle and knee injuries. Women’s rowing, with its stress of high repetition activities, causes lower back, hip, and knee concerns. An athletic trainer has to have a basic under- standing of the skills and activities that are unique to each sport in order to determine which conditioning, treatment, and rehabilitation programs are best. With this knowledge, preventive conditioning programs, hydra- tion/nutritional concerns, and general health care are better established. Horizons : Tell us about NSU’s sports medicine facilities. What’s different about our facilities when compared to other area colleges or local professional sports teams? The new, $85-million University Center gives us a modern student facility that is the envy of many Division II, if not Division I, universities. The athletic training suite includes offices for the five certified athletic trainers (Jason Palmateer, Dustin Gatens, Amy Reckard, Zevon Stubblefield, and me), as well as a treatment/rehabilitation room equipped with ultrasound, muscle stimulation, diathermy, laser units, and treatment/taping tables. The rehabilitation equipment includes two Upper Body Ergometers (UBEs), a rebound/ trampoline unit, and multiple pieces of strengthening and balance equipment. The suite also includes a fully equipped physician’s office that allows for private exams of our student-athletes. The other part of the athletic training suite is the hydro- therapy room, which includes two whirlpools, freezer for ice cups, a crushed ice unit, and the unique HydroWorx 2000 aquatic pool. The HydroWorx 2000 features an underwater treadmill, two resistant jets, and two underwater cameras to monitor the student-athlete’s running gait. The HydroWorx 2000 is the only one of its kind in the tricounty area and one of only a handful in the state. Also in the University Center is a fully functioning Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center. Our team physician, Drew Kusienski, M.D., is in the office Monday through Friday, along with two physical therapists, Eric Shamus and Steve Pfister. The facility has state-of-the-art equipment for physical examinations, diagnostic testing (X-ray, EKG), and physiological testing (VO2). In addition, the University Center has a 144,000-square- foot wellness facility that includes strength-training and cardio equipment. Specific programs are developed and supervised by the NSU strength and conditioning coach, René Pena, and his two graduate assistants, Jennifer Daratany and Cameron Yearsley. Horizons : NSU began an academic athletic training major in 2003. How does your program interface with the athletic training students? This past March, the Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP) gained national accreditation fromCAATE, which is an exciting milestone. I was involved in the initial development of the program and taught an Evaluation of Athletic Injuries course. Several of our ATCs also teach in the ATEP as adjunct faculty members, which gives them the added benefit of classroom experiences. We are able to give feedback to the ATEP and really make a strong impact on future professionals. Horizons : Where do you see the future of NSU athletics as it relates to your sports medicine program? My goal is to create the gold standard for an athletic training department among Division II athletics. The first phase was the completion of the University Center that included the Athletic Training Suite and Sports Medicine Clinic. The second phase was to assist in obtain- ing accreditation for the new Athletic Training Education Program. The third phase is to continue to improve the health care of the student-athletes by establishing programs that will give them the opportunity to have safe and enjoyable college athletic experiences. n