2008 Woodie Awards
Trainers Make Sure Athletes Stay Healthy
Emily Jarrett/Muleskinner
Issue date: 10/12/06 Section: Homecoming 2006
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For many students at UCM, the real world begins after graduation. This is not so for the students in the athletic training program. Their classes literally take them to the field, the gym floor and the sidelines of many of UCM's athletic teams.
Student athletic trainers have been at UCM for years, but their presence has largely gone unnoticed.
"We do a lot," said Josh Agee, UCM senior athletic trainer. "We tape athletes, prepare them for practice, get them water...basically everything a professional athletic trainer does, just under supervision."
Head athletic trainer Brian Curless is one of the instructors in charge of supervising student trainers. Curless has been in the athletic field for 25 years.
"I started in high school and have done it ever since," Curless said. "I knew I wanted to be around athletes, but I also knew I wasn't good enough to be on a team. [Athletic training] was the best way to do that."
For many future trainers, the reasons to join the program are similar to Curless'.
"I always liked sports and the medical field, and I like the classes," Agee said . "I played sports in high school, so I was always kind of around it."
Most UCM trainers are in the academic program.
"Generally, first years in the program have observational hours only," Curless said. "Typically, by sophomore year, students start working with approved curriculum instructors."
"Clinicals are like an internship. They're every year and you work 20 to 25 hours a week with the athletes," Agee said.
Brian Hughes, associate professor of Health and Human Performance, said due to new accreditation standards, UCM had to create a "stand alone" major for athletic trainers. This new major was approved by the Missouri Board of Higher Education in summer 2003.
"It's important to have an athletic trainer education program because sometimes the only health care provided for student athletes is an athletic trainer," Hughes said.
Student athletic trainers have been at UCM for years, but their presence has largely gone unnoticed.
"We do a lot," said Josh Agee, UCM senior athletic trainer. "We tape athletes, prepare them for practice, get them water...basically everything a professional athletic trainer does, just under supervision."
Head athletic trainer Brian Curless is one of the instructors in charge of supervising student trainers. Curless has been in the athletic field for 25 years.
"I started in high school and have done it ever since," Curless said. "I knew I wanted to be around athletes, but I also knew I wasn't good enough to be on a team. [Athletic training] was the best way to do that."
For many future trainers, the reasons to join the program are similar to Curless'.
"I always liked sports and the medical field, and I like the classes," Agee said . "I played sports in high school, so I was always kind of around it."
Most UCM trainers are in the academic program.
"Generally, first years in the program have observational hours only," Curless said. "Typically, by sophomore year, students start working with approved curriculum instructors."
"Clinicals are like an internship. They're every year and you work 20 to 25 hours a week with the athletes," Agee said.
Brian Hughes, associate professor of Health and Human Performance, said due to new accreditation standards, UCM had to create a "stand alone" major for athletic trainers. This new major was approved by the Missouri Board of Higher Education in summer 2003.
"It's important to have an athletic trainer education program because sometimes the only health care provided for student athletes is an athletic trainer," Hughes said.
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