Well I figure that everyone else has posted on the YPC blog. So now its my turn. As some of us start to wrap up with football its important to think about all of the other avenues that athletic trainers work in.
I started out as an assistant at a private university here in Houston. I left to become an intern with the Houston Texans. After that I became a Head, and only, trainer at a small junior college. During that time I was also an assistant with the Houston Ballet. I never would have thought about dancers needing the services that can be provided by an athletic trainer. Like baseball, swimming, or tennis, dance has many of the same overuse injuries that other sports do.
My first night working with them my counter part and I were sent to watch a performance that was being put on by summer intensive students. The summer intensive is like their version of a camp. It is just six weeks long 8 hours a day and six days a week. This group of students came from all over the world China, Japan, Australia, Finland, Canada and Mexico. One young man got ready to do his solo performance and began. In the middle of it he jumped in the air and landed. When he landed he didn’t get back up. Being my first night I was not sure what to do. As I started to walk out on to the stage, the stage manager pulled me back and said wait. The young man had to crawl off the stage to me. After a few special test it seemed clear that he had torn his ACL. He went to the doctor and it was confirmed. He did tear it. Trying to talk to a frantic mother in another country was a very interesting experience for me. The young man made a full recovery and is currently at National Ballet in Canada.
The longer I spend working with ballet dancers the more I realize that there are similarities between dancers and other athletes. As everyone else begins to wrap up with football we are getting ready for our big season. 36 shows of The Nutcracker in 30 days. The life skills that are learned in the field of athletic training can take you places you never knew about.
As some of you know I work part time with the ballet. My full time job is an administrative position with Cy Fair ISD. I am the districts Athletic & Aquatic Safety Coordinator. It has been an interesting experience going from being a full time athletic trainer to being a full time administrator. Much of my time is spent looking over and reviewing policies. I also over see the districts 11 competitive pools, schedule lifeguards, and EMT’s. I also work very closely with our districts athletic trainers as well as some of our other safety departments. I communicate with our districts Security Department and our Health Services Department. I also conduct critical incident stress debriefings when we have athletic related catastrophic injures, which at times has been difficult for me. I have learned that no matter how much classroom training we get when we, as athletic trainers, are put in certain situations it is difficult for us when we are helpless. With any newly created job people will have to be open to change. This includes the person whose job has just been created. I look at everyday as a learning experience. This job has taught me so much, and yet everyday there is something more to learn.
I have been very fortunate that I have had some of the experiences that have had. They have led me to a great job and even better people. I work with some of the most well respected athletic trainers in the field. As a Young Professional I could not find myself in a better place to learn.
Best of luck to those in playoffs,
Anthony
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
More on the three day...
I, along with Kelley, worked the 3 Day Race. This was my second year being on the sports medicine crew, and I can say with some certainty that I will continue to work it as long as I am around. It is such an up-lifting experience, both for the touching moments you share with walkers and survivors, like Kelley mentioned in her post, and for the excitement and tenacity every single walker shares.
I had one walker at the 6 am medical tent Sunday morning that needed me to take care of a monster of a blister in between her toes. After I was finished I asked her to put her shoes on and tell me what she thought; whether the big bandage would be OK there between her toes. She then confessed to me that she didn't have her shoes with her and that her teammates were looking for them from the previous day's campground. This lady fainted on Saturday, was taken to the ER for fluids, monitored all night long, and was released at 5:30 that morning to come and finish the race. She was adamant about finishing what she started and was all smiles about the 18+ miles ahead of her. I don't know what happened to her on down the road, but it is my hope that she reached the finish line and met her goal.
I even had another man, ask for my hand in marriage after stretching his hamstrings and calf! Stuff like that doesn't happen to me everyday! :)
The gratitude the walkers have for us, the medical staff, is genuine and reassuring, and like Kelley said, it fills your heart with the idea that there is good in the world. I know that as athletic trainers, we give and serve others daily, and that this is just one more example of this what we do so well. I love the opportunity to be an advocate for the profession. Almost every walker asks, what do you do for a living, and it is great to answer back "I'm an athletic trainer." It all makes me proud to be a part of this profession and to surround myself with those who work tirelessly (and tired!) to help out those in need. Thanks for the mammories!
I had one walker at the 6 am medical tent Sunday morning that needed me to take care of a monster of a blister in between her toes. After I was finished I asked her to put her shoes on and tell me what she thought; whether the big bandage would be OK there between her toes. She then confessed to me that she didn't have her shoes with her and that her teammates were looking for them from the previous day's campground. This lady fainted on Saturday, was taken to the ER for fluids, monitored all night long, and was released at 5:30 that morning to come and finish the race. She was adamant about finishing what she started and was all smiles about the 18+ miles ahead of her. I don't know what happened to her on down the road, but it is my hope that she reached the finish line and met her goal.
I even had another man, ask for my hand in marriage after stretching his hamstrings and calf! Stuff like that doesn't happen to me everyday! :)
The gratitude the walkers have for us, the medical staff, is genuine and reassuring, and like Kelley said, it fills your heart with the idea that there is good in the world. I know that as athletic trainers, we give and serve others daily, and that this is just one more example of this what we do so well. I love the opportunity to be an advocate for the profession. Almost every walker asks, what do you do for a living, and it is great to answer back "I'm an athletic trainer." It all makes me proud to be a part of this profession and to surround myself with those who work tirelessly (and tired!) to help out those in need. Thanks for the mammories!
3 Day Walk
In light of Carissa's last blog, I thought I would do a follow up after the 3 Day Walk.
It was yet again another amazing weekend. We had 3,131 walkers and raised $7.9 million for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. At one point during the weekend, Ted Perry said he looked up and counted 31 people hard at work. This included LATs and students, a few OT and PTs and even a medical student. Needless to say, when we send out a call for volunteers, it is answered triumphantly.
The mornings and evenings were cold, the lines to the sports medicine tent were long, and the blisters were large but the hugs, tears and thanks made it all worthwhile. There are many stories that could be told about the weekend and some of you may have heard them already. The one that touched my heart the most follows: Mike Pruitt, Mike Stokic, Cindy Trowbridge, Cheryl Ferris (ATC from PA) and I decided to leave the last pit stop on foot Sunday and walk the last 2 1/2 miles with the walkers. We joked along the way with everyone, asking why they had been complaining so much; "this is easy" we said as they glared and laughed at us. It was nice to see the weekend through the eyes of all of those we had been caring for. About 3 blocks from the finish line, a young lady was struggling to walk and had to stopped to climb into the gator that the EMT offered. She had a couple of friends with her but they too were almost done with 60 miles and exhausted. As she sat down, with tears in her eyes, I heard Mike Pruitt say "oh no you're not! you have come this far and you will finish". Before anyone could blink, Mike Stokic and Cindy Trowbridge (they were closer in height) had their arms around her and the young woman out of the gator. For the next 3 blocks, the 3 of them slowly finished the 60 miles. I don't think any of us had a dry eye. This is what we do...we leave no one behind, we help those that can't finish, finish and we give everything we have. This is why we are athletic trainers and this is why when we are asked to help, we step up.
God bless those 3,131 walkers and God bless the sports medicine crew of close to 100. I hope that those that were there are a little more energized and a little more aware of the small things. I know that I am.
It was yet again another amazing weekend. We had 3,131 walkers and raised $7.9 million for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. At one point during the weekend, Ted Perry said he looked up and counted 31 people hard at work. This included LATs and students, a few OT and PTs and even a medical student. Needless to say, when we send out a call for volunteers, it is answered triumphantly.
The mornings and evenings were cold, the lines to the sports medicine tent were long, and the blisters were large but the hugs, tears and thanks made it all worthwhile. There are many stories that could be told about the weekend and some of you may have heard them already. The one that touched my heart the most follows: Mike Pruitt, Mike Stokic, Cindy Trowbridge, Cheryl Ferris (ATC from PA) and I decided to leave the last pit stop on foot Sunday and walk the last 2 1/2 miles with the walkers. We joked along the way with everyone, asking why they had been complaining so much; "this is easy" we said as they glared and laughed at us. It was nice to see the weekend through the eyes of all of those we had been caring for. About 3 blocks from the finish line, a young lady was struggling to walk and had to stopped to climb into the gator that the EMT offered. She had a couple of friends with her but they too were almost done with 60 miles and exhausted. As she sat down, with tears in her eyes, I heard Mike Pruitt say "oh no you're not! you have come this far and you will finish". Before anyone could blink, Mike Stokic and Cindy Trowbridge (they were closer in height) had their arms around her and the young woman out of the gator. For the next 3 blocks, the 3 of them slowly finished the 60 miles. I don't think any of us had a dry eye. This is what we do...we leave no one behind, we help those that can't finish, finish and we give everything we have. This is why we are athletic trainers and this is why when we are asked to help, we step up.
God bless those 3,131 walkers and God bless the sports medicine crew of close to 100. I hope that those that were there are a little more energized and a little more aware of the small things. I know that I am.
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