Top Row (left to right):  Breanne Roth, Kyla Carrigan, Jennifer Unguren, Bryan Christiansen, Tyler Billings, Lance McKay, Brad Franzen, Hillary Hansen

Front Row (left to right):  Veronica Walker, Nikki Dean, Jamie Helgesen, Tralyn Layne

Congratulations Awards Winners!!

Jerry and Vickie Moyes College of Education, Department of Health Promotion and Human Performance

2008 Swenson Awards Banquet

Erick Hennessy receiving the Outstanding Clinical Track Graduate Award

Bryan Christiansen receiving the Outstanding Scientific Graduate Award

(Left to right):  John Henderson, Erick Hennessy, Alex Bravo, Paul Finster

Dr. David Draper spoke to the Weber State University Athletic Training students, staff, and faculty on March 20, 2008 about Heat Modalities.  Dr. Draper is the top researcher in this field in the world and has published over 70 articles in scientific journals.  He has received numerous awards for his research.  He has given presentations all over the world including Scotland, Japan, Korea, and China.  He has also recently co-authored a textbook entitled "Therapeutic Modalities:  The Art and Science."  He currently serves as a Professor of Athletic Training at Brigham Young University.

Athletic Training Students Practice Skills at Premiere Sporting Events

November 13, 2007

OGDEN, Utah – Several Weber State University students have had ample opportunity to meet and interact with some of the nation’s premiere athletes—sometimes under the worst of circumstances.

Sophomore T. Lucas Willson and senior Erick Hennessy volunteered as athletic trainers at the Dew Action Sports event in September in Salt Lake City, where they helped athletes prepare for competition, and aided those who suffered injuries.

Later this month, Willson and senior Brittnie Holmgren will staff the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Junior Championships in Salt Lake City and Murray (Nov. 26-Dec. 1).

Under the supervision of certified athletic trainers, the student volunteers help athletes with stretching and taping, as well as assist with the evaluation of musculoskeletal injuries. At the Dew Sports events, the students responded to athletes who suffered a ruptured spleen, head laceration, fractured ankle and a major concussion during the competition.

Experiences like these are part of the service-learning component of the athletic training major at WSU. Students in the program are required to perform between five and 20 hours of service learning per semester in various medical and athletic fields, depending on their year of study. By senior year, students are performing 20 hours of volunteer work each semester.

Volunteer experiences augment classroom and clinical training. During clinical rotations, students learn in a variety of settings on and off campus, including WSU varsity sports, high school athletics, physical therapy clinics, chiropractic clinics and physicians’ offices. The volunteer work allows students to focus on specific areas of emphasis.

 “We encourage students to choose volunteer opportunities that fit their interests or future career goals,” said Valerie Herzog, director of WSU’s athletic training program. “If a student wants to work with special needs kids, we’ll encourage them to volunteer with Special Olympics. If they are uncertain about their future career path, volunteering helps them discover which fields are a good fit.”

For Willson, a former baseball player who walked away from a career in engineering to pursue athletic training, the Dew Tour experience introduced him to a whole new area of interest.

“I fell in love with the extreme sports lifestyle, the athletes and the medical staff who take care of them,” Willson said. “I had a backstage pass to work side by side with these medical providers who treat world-class athletes, and I was amazed that they were willing to help increase my knowledge base by sharing all these pointers and tips with me.”

Willson hopes to have a similar learning experience at the figure skating championships.

Hennessy, who graduates in December, plans to become a physician’s assistant. He’s had clinical assignments with WSU football and track and field, and volunteered at an intramural volleyball tournament in Salt Lake City. Hennessy said the clinical and volunteer experiences have given him the opportunity to meet many people and to learn and practice different techniques.

“You learn about different injuries depending on the sport,” said Hennessy. “In track and field it’s recurring, chronic injuries like shin splints and arch injuries, while in football it’s mostly acute injuries like fractures or sprains.”

Herzog said volunteer opportunities extend beyond the realm of athletics. Students work with a variety of health care practitioners (nurses, EMTs, paramedics, doctors, physical therapists, specialty practices, etc.), gaining insights on relating to patients from across the spectrum.

“We have students who volunteer at the Ogden Rescue Mission,” Herzog said. “They treat patient populations and medical issues that are radically different than working with an Olympic gold medal snowboarder at an extreme sports competition.”

In addition to learning and growing, service learning provides an opportunity for students to network and build a resume.

“Our graduates say employers look at their resumes and say ‘Wow, you’ve had a lot of diverse experiences,’” Herzog said.

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.

WRITER:        John Kowalewski, director of Media Relations

OGDEN, Utah – Brittnie Holmgren, a junior majoring in athletic training at Weber State University, recently was selected as one of 20 students to attend the 2nd Annual Athletic Training Student Leadership Seminar in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., May 17-19.
 
The seminar is for two students from each of the 10 National Athletic Training Association (NATA) districts. The Collegiate Sports Medicine Foundation provides a scholarship that includes travel to and from the conference, as well as lodging and meals for each participant. Holmgren was the only student from Utah selected to attend.

During the conference, students will study the future of athletic training, graduate school opportunities, career development and organizational skills. Instructors include past and present NATA leaders.

Holmgren, who has been active in the WSU Athletic Training Association as the organization's vice president, was chosen after submitting an application in March. She is excited to attend the seminar.

"It's a neat opportunity," she said. "It will give me an extra edge learning from people who want to help me get where they are professionally."

After completion of the athletic training program at WSU, Holmgren plans to pursue a master's degree in exercise science and athletic training.

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.

Brittnie Holmgren, WSU student
(801) 458-2869 • brittnieholmgren@mail.weber.edu

Author:

Travis Clemens, assistant director of Media Relations
(801) 626-7948 • travisclemens@weber.edu