8th Observation

On Friday afternoon at 3:30, I was introduced to Tara, senior at Nova Southeastern, by Kim Urmaza (level one trainer). We met outside of the Recplex which is located near the Athletic Training Facility.Tara, a basketball player and track runner, is a level four athletic trainer who is currently interning at the university. At this level she is able to touch the student athletes unlike those who are currenty at level one. She discussed the perks of being a level four athletic trainer which includes being able to work close with the Miami Dolphins football team. I asked her about the board of certification exam she has to take before graduation. She told me that the exam consists of three parts: the written examination, the oral/practice test, and the written simulation. If passed, the athletic trainers become a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC). Tara is confident and hopes that she will pass the exam. She feels that Nova's Athletic Training Program fully prepared her for to enter into the field and start working in the athletic training industry.
After interviewing Tara, I wanted to see several procedures that athletic training does. Since I was not allowed in the athletic training facility room today, we went to the gym. She showed me several strength and conditioning techniques like the wingate anaerobic cycle test while working with the student athletes. This test demonstrated an overall anaerobic lower extremity power. I used the machine that works out hips, quads, and ankles.
In conclusion, I learned many things from Tara and saw the dedication she has to program. I have faith that she will become a very successful certified athletic trainer.

7th Observation

On Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 11:30, I observed Sports Psychology (PYSC 3400) class which is located in the Carl DeSantis Building, Room 3046. The class is held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. I was able to observe the last half hour of the class because I finished my Statistics test early. I decided to observe sports psychology, study of a person's behavior in sport, because I wanted to understand the psychological aspects of an athlete's peformance during a game. Athletic Trainers have used sports psychology to understand the psychological aspects as well to better communicate with the athletes.

The class focused on Sports Psychology Skills Training. I learned about Peak Performance which the goal is to control the physical, mental, and environment which meant to train hard, be positive, and focus. Although I was not able to observe the full 75 min of this sports psychology class, I learned that mental process an athlete takes before execution during a sport's game. Athletic Trainers must have high interpersonal communications skills since they are working with athletes, coaches, and clients all day long. Understanding these mental processes are essential so that the health care they provide for the athletes is outstanding. During the next observation I hope to observe a Level Four athletic trainee to discuss the obstacles and benefits of being a part of the athletic training program. Also, I would like to observe their preparation for their advancement to graduate school in hopes of becoming a certified athletic trainer.

6th Observation

On Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 10:30 a.m., I observed athletic trainees, Freddy Alcantara and Betty Masseus in the gym.They were in the gym for their Strength and Conditioning class. Dressed in their workout attire, their assignment was to document the other students in their class on which machine was used and how many sets were done throughout the gym. For example, Freddy documented that Betty did four sets of 12 on the leg extension machine and 3 sets of 15 on the hamstring curl machine. They explained to me their was more to the athletic training program than putting in clinical rotation hours. Betty said, "Going to the gym and observing other students are beneficial practice to improve the speed, power, and quickness for student-athletes. Without training, the athletes would not perform as well". I realized made a valid point and that this class is essential as these level one athletic trainees advance to level two. They have to be well-acquainted with their studies because of as of right now, the program has made an additional cut in which there are 16 students involved. Throughout past observations, I have observed the practical side of athletic training. In my next observation, I will observe Sports Psychology to observe the psychological aspects of an athlete's behavior in sport.

5th Observation

On Saturday , February 13, 2010 I observed NSU Women's Basketball team played against Barry University. The game started at 2:30 p.m. What was different about this game is that there was a theme for it which was Breast Cancer Awarness . The players wore pink that day to show their awareness. The athletic trainers stood close by the game to attend to any of the student-athletes. Since the athletic trainees are not allowed to touch the students when an injury occurs they observe the certified athletic trainers' technique when treating the student athletes' injuries. Four of the athletes were injured from earlier in the season. Also, it was homecoming week and many students, alumni, parents, and family came to the game to support the Lady Sharks. At halftime, Nova was in the lead 28-21. Barry tried to close the gap but they came up short. The girls won 56-48. It was a great way to end homecoming week with a win for the Lady Sharks.

Interview

During the interview with Larry Sheldrup, I learned that this program/ major is one of the most time consuming. I knew it was competitive, but now I know an exact number of how many students are involved. For example, there are 33 currently involved, and it will be cut down to 20 students. If students cannot keep up with the skills, they must change their major. Fourth years students are able to work with the Miami Dolphins which is a great life and clincal experience as an undergraduate. I also learned he has to arrange his schedule to create a lot of free time to do the rotations, and finish them early before the semester ends. Also, I learned that he is one of the top two athletic trainer students in the program, and that illustrates how dedicated he is to the program as a Freshman. http://www.fcas.nova.edu/divisions/mst/athletictraining/
http://nsuathletics.nova.edu/training.cfm

4th Observation

On Wednesday afternoon, I attended another athletic training clinical rotation. The rotation was from three to five. I came into the rotation at 4:30 p.m. and stayed until 5:00 p.m. I was only able to observe during this time because I had class. The rotation was in the athletic training facility room in the University Center. The students learned how to tape student athletes. Taping is important because athletic trainers have to know how to treat or prevent sport injuries. The learned these specific taping techniques which include figure 8s, heelocks, and basketweaving. Figure 8s or figure-of-8 bandage is a bandage that is applied to the limb in two segments. The reason why it is called figure of 8 because the pattern resembles the number eight. Heelocks are applications of tape to the ankle around the Achilles tendon which ensures support to the injured area. Basketweaving is similar to the other procedures except that it leaves the top of the foot unconvered. Taping is a difficult procedure because either the tape tears or steps can be done incorrectly,and the best thing to do is to keep practicing. Some students had difficulty with the exercise but Kim, athletic training student, was able to succesfully complete the tasks without error. I noticed that she is a very dedicated student because she know that the program is very competitive, and she would like to advance to the next level. I have been to two rotations they have both been similar because they were instructional. I initially thought athletic training major was not difficult, but after attending two rotations and a class, I realized that these students have to balance four hour rotations which include intense exercises and remembering every anatomical structure in the body. I hope to attend this saturday's basketball so that I can the trainers from another view and I will interview another athletic trainer, Larry Sheldrup.

3rd Observation : Strength and Conditioning

On Tuesday afternoon from 1:00 to 2:15 , I observed the Strength and Conditioning (ATTR 2400). This class is in the Carl DeSantis Building in room 3045 and taught by Professor Christie. There are approximately 20 students in the class. The class focused on chapter three which was about the neuromuscular system, nerves that providement movement to the muscles. It was mainly a lecture class with the teachers explaining several concepts and terms that were in the chapter such as the motor neuron, sensorimotor system, and locomotion. The students were engaged and took down notes. I found this class very interesting because it is important to know the basic human anatomy to therefore being certified to work with student-athletes or professional athletes in the future. One thing that I learned in the class was which disease degenerates myelin sheath which surrounds the nerve fibers to transmit nerve cells. The answer is multiple sclerosis which damages the central nervous system. Luckily, I was familar with all these medical terms because I took Introductory to Psychology and a Nueroscience seminar last semester. I was surprised that I retained all the information because the terms continue to appear throughout my studies. If I choose to become an allied health professional (athletic trainer) or a physician (doctor), I must not forget these terms. Now that I have observed the athletic training facilities and classes, I plan to do more interviews and attend a sporting event.

Reaction : 2nd Observation

During this second observation, I expected to see the students work with the athletes and not to be tested on which medical supplies and equipment that they knew. It was also shorter than a typical rotation that usually last four hours. I realized that it was important to know this information as each student completed his or her task. I was surprised that most of the students did not have difficulty in completing their tasks. The students are determined to become athletic trainers because this program is very competitive at this university, and many do not pass to higher levels. This second observation was more of an introduction like the first observation which included the basics of the program. For future observations, I will go to sporting events which will probably more intriguing so I can see more active clinical experiences by the students in the program.

2nd Observation

Wednesday afternoon after my Interpersonal Communications class, I went to the University Center to observe Kim and other students in the athletic training program. They were dressed in their proper uniform which consists of a NSU athletic training logo white t-shirt,khaki or blue pants, and sneakers. I followed them to the training facility inside the University Center.Their rotation was quit different on this day because instead of attending to injured athletes, the assignment was to name and identify medical supplies. Kim later told me that this task was important because when working with the athletes one must know which appropriate medical supplies or equipment to use for these individuals.I thought this task was very necessary as well because I know that because having an inexperienced trainer could result in malpractice. After each student successfully completed their task they had permission to leave. Although this rotation was different, it was a great introduction to see what is to come in future clinical experiences.

First Observation: Introduction to Athletic Training

Yesterday afternoon, I spoke with Kim Urmaza, a first year freshman, who is currently in the Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP). I had lunch with her so she can fully explain the program to me. She is in the Dual Program here at the university in which after seven years she will receive a doctoral degree in Physical Therapy.
I first asked Kim, “What is Athletic Training?” She answered, “Athletic Training is an allied health profession in which athletic trainers prevent and rehabilitate injured athletes.” In the beginning of fall 2009, Kim started this program by attending required Athletic Training classes and rotations. The classes prepare her for the clinical rotations, in which she attends to learn and improve athletes’ overall wellness. For these rotations, I learned that Kim must wear her professional uniform which consists of an NSU athletic training t-shirt, blue or khaki shorts or pants, and sneakers. Each semester she has to log in about 50 hours so she can advance to the next level of the program. A typical rotation can last four hours each session. Overall, Kim introduced the basics of this program which throughout the semester I will learn more about this highly respected program here at Nova.

First Blog Post

This is my first blog post. I will be writing about the Athletic Training Program at Nova Southeastern University this semester. I will observe the students' clinical experiences as they srtive to become future Athletic Trainers.