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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
801-626-7212
·
jkowalewski@weber.edu |
Health Promotion & Human Performance
