A group of Western Carolina University students has spent much of the fall semester traveling to and from high schools in Western North Carolina helping to prevent injuries to young student-athletes and assisting with treatments when mishaps occurred at football, basketball, soccer and volleyball practice sessions and games.
The 42 students traveled to 12 schools in five counties as well as northern Georgia for clinical experiences in athletic training, their major field of study. The four-year program prepares students for state licensing and national certification and has a strong emphasis on experiential learning and service. As soon as they become sophomores, students accepted in the program begin clinical work at designated sites and learn first-hand what a professional career in the field is like.
Four days each week, Tuesdays through Fridays, for seven weeks the students teamed up and traveled in pairs to the schools, where they practiced under the tutelage of certified athletic trainers. They helped the athletic trainers address health concerns of the student-athletes during practices after school, stayed on for night games, and occasionally traveled with the teams to away games, devoting about 150 hours to the experience. In the spring of 2014, they will be assigned to different schools for an additional 200 hours of clinical experience.
“Quite a few of our graduates will be working in a high school setting some day, and having these clinical experiences at the schools gives them the opportunity to practice the skills they will need. At the same time, hopefully, they’re helping the schools’ certified athletic trainers with their jobs and responsibilities in a way that is mutually beneficial,” said Jill Manners, director of the athletic training program in the College of Health and Human Sciences.
Athletic training is a fast-growing career field, especially in secondary schools and college settings, because of increased awareness of risks from injuries in sports, especially concussion. Certified athletic trainers are skilled at working with athletes to prevent injuries and in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation for muscle and bone injuries and other illnesses. Most WNC high schools hire certified athletic trainers to cover practices and games on a contract basis with regional clinics and hospitals, including Carolina West Sports Medicine, Southeastern Sports Medicine, Mission Sports Medicine and others.
For Amber Williams of Weaverville, being assigned to Franklin High School provided opportunities for a variety of tasks with the varsity and junior varsity football and soccer teams and the girls’ and boys’ basketball teams.
“My experience at the school gave me exposure to all the different aspects of the athletic training field,” she said. “I’ve been involved in athletics for most of my life and have always been interested in going into some type of medical work for a career, so this is a perfect mix for me.”
At the school, Williams assisted the certified athletic trainer, Lynette Mount, with follow-up evaluations of football players who had been hurt and treatments for injuries that ranged from a sprained ankle to a dislocated shoulder.
Mount is employed by Angel Sports Medicine, which is part of Mission Sports Medicine, and covers practices and games at the school. She serves as a preceptor for the WCU athletic training program and is both a professional role model and clinical instructor to the students assigned to work with her.
“The students are an extra set of hands for me, and it has been a positive experience because of the quality of the students in the program,” she said.
Williams’ twin sister Brittany also is majoring in athletic training at WCU. She did her clinical service at Cherokee High School. “We learn so much in class, but it’s another kind of experience entirely when you get a chance to work with the student-athletes, practice your skills and apply what you’ve been taught,” she said.
This fall, in addition to the schools in Franklin and Cherokee, WCU athletic training students were at Smoky Mountain High School in Jackson County; Robbinsville High School in Graham County; Erwin, Enka, Asheville, Roberson and Reynolds high schools and The Asheville School in Buncombe County; Rabun County High School in Tiger, Ga.; and Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Rabun Gap, Ga. In past years, students also have served at Swain County High School, Pisgah High School, Tuscola High School, and middle schools in Haywood County. Also, during the fall semester, students in their junior and senior years in the program are involved in full-time clinical education experiences at 28 sites, mostly colleges and universities, across the country.
During her experience at Robbinsville High School, Kelcey Holcomb of Charlotte assisted with injuries ranging from concussion to sprained knees and ankles as the football team fought its way to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association playoffs that started in November.
“We learned so many hands-on practical things in class last year, and it was exciting to be able to get out in the world this year and use them,” Holcomb said. Another pleasant outcome was the gratitude expressed by the athletic staff. “The coaches were so inviting and welcoming to us. They would stop by the training room just to say they were glad we were there and that they appreciated our help,” she said.
Students in the athletic training program often incorporate practical as well as scholarly aspects to their clinical and classroom education. They have created emergency action plans for responding to head injuries and participated in community service activities ranging from foot races to fundraising in support of research and education. Many have conducted research and case studies and presented their findings at regional professional conferences.
In North Carolina, athletic trainers must pass a national exam to be certified and obtain a license. All 14 graduates of the WCU program in the past year passed the test on their first attempt, even though historically, at the national level, fewer than 60 percent do so. This is the fourth consecutive year the program has achieved a 100 percent first-time pass rate. Additionally, 99 percent of all WCU graduates in the major are either currently working in the field or in graduate school.
For more information about WCU’s athletic training program, contact Manners at manners@wcu.edu or 828-227-3509.
WCU students Sara Markowski (white polo) and Amber Williams (purple polo) work with a player on the practice field at Franklin High School. Forty-two sophomores in WCU’s athletic training program are doing clinical service in Western North Carolina high schools this fall.