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.