Charitable Contributions

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to make you all aware of some volunteer opportunities for Athletic Trainers that are coming up.

As Kelley mentioned last month, the Susan G. Komen 3-day is fast approaching, and they are always looking for volunteers. Ted Perry and Cindy Trowbridge have done amazing things for Athletic Trainers and the Sports Medicine Team for this event, and everyone should be a part of it. This year they are walking on November 7,8,9th in the North Dallas Area. The camp is Timberglen Park (Dallas TX 75287) and the route begins at Southfork Ranch and ends at Southern Methodist University. For more information, CLICK HERE >>> The experience is worth every bit of sleep you miss, sweat you put in and tear you cry. I promise you, it will be the three most rewarding days of your career. DO IT if you can.

Also, The Avon Walk will be returning to Houston on April 4th and 5th 2009. This is an equally rewarding event, but it is only two days. Last year at the Houston event the medical team was small, but athletic trainers were well represented. Let's do even better this time around. Right now, there is a reduced registration fee of only $35! Currently the non reduced registration fee is $65. This promotion will be ending on November 1st so if you want to take advantage you have to act soon!

To register at the reduced rate of $35 before 11/1, simply call 1-800-510-WALK, or better yet- go online and register at http://www.avonwalk.org/. To obtain the discount, simply enter in the promotion code 123108! Volunteer for the Medical Crew, and make sure you identify yourself as an Athletic Trainer.

There will be more opportunities to volunteer and use your athletic training skills to serve the greater good, so keep an eye out. I know that so much is asked of all of us on a daily basis and I know that it can be a lot to give up a weekend to volunteer. You have no idea what impact your presence has not only on those you encounter, but even those watching from the sidelines.
I just want to say I'm proud to be part of such a wonderful, selfless profession.

Keep up the good work!

A reminder to love your job...

Time flies genuinely and truly when you are having a good time. And I am genuinely and truly having a good time. I cannot believe it is already October and high school volleyball is close to an end and we are half way done with high school football. So many athletic trainers get stuck in a rut, doing the same rehab, making one too many ice bags, seeing the same athletes, watching the same monotonous football drills. In order for me to have fun and enjoy what I do on a daily basis I have learned that I need to challenge myself to do something new and think outside of the box. It pains me when a kid comes into treatment and says “Let me guess, straight leg raises?” Keep it fresh and challenge yourself with rehab…what else could a plyoball be good for besides core? Besides internal and external rotation, what shoulder exercises can be done with a theraband?

I have been a certified athletic trainer for only five years, but have already began to see that injuries are cyclical and that one body part will dominate your seasons. As of today, I am out of aircasts, boots, and crutches and have seen more ankle and fib injuries to last a lifetime. Last school year, we had nine shoulder surgeries plus several non-surgical injuries in various sports. If I wasn’t encouraged by wonderful professors at the start of my career to get creative, I might have hung myself with one of those therabands before I was done with that large group of gunslinger-wearing kiddos. But even then, I felt I had to do my homework to provide the very best medical care these students could get.

Not to be cliché, but learning shouldn’t end with graduation. If you don’t know what injury an athlete’s signs and symptoms are presenting, go back to the books and find it out. Don’t be too proud to say to an athlete “I don’t know, but I will find it out, or get you to someone who can.” I am convinced that the smartest people ask the most questions, are the most inquisitive. Our new group here is an awesome place to start. Those who need help, seek it out; I promise that we are all in this together.