By Dom Lewis
For many athletes, the training room can be a good or a bad thing, depending on the situation. The two coexist together as one necessity and what happens behind the scenes of an athletic trainer for the most part goes unnoticed. Over the years the Mesa State athletic program has transformed from a small basement facility to one of the premier programs and facilities in the state. An added benefit this facility has is that they have a partnership with Western Orthopedic and Sports Medicine. Doctors come in the MSC training room Monday through Friday and fully evaluate athletes free of charge. With generous donations, a brand new facility and a partnership with Western Orthopedic and Sports Medicine this College has really grown. This process virtually transformed Mesa State athletics and its impact on athletics is extremely beneficial.
The relationship between the athlete and athletic trainer goes back to the 1930’s when the profession started and more recently has been recognized by American Medical Association (AMA) as a healthcare profession in 1990. “The relationship is very important because if your athlete doesn’t believe that you know what you’re doing, he or she would stop coming to you or might not believe in the rehab you write for them and not do the workouts to help get them better” Um said about the relationship of the athlete and trainer.
The program is very demanding of time and intense in its work. It’s also a reason why its one of Mesa state’s more popular majors to choose. Students must complete 15 to 20 hours per week of field/clinical experiences working with Mesa State College athletic teams and at nearby off-campus affiliate sites. The off-campus affiliate sites include high school athletic training settings, outpatient physical therapy clinics, and several physician offices including general medicine and orthopedics. “Very time consuming. you have to be at the training room before practice for some treatments, then during practice just in case something happens, and after practice for post practice treatments and if they need it you might have to come in on an extra day when they don’t have practice to do some treatments” Um said.
The Athletic Training program at Mesa State has come a long way and by taking a look into the facility it shows no sign of stopping. The transformation over the years hasn’t been easy or cheap. Mesa State athletic trainer Shane Um, says that the program definitely has come a long way over the years and continues to improve. “Every year there is some kind of new rehab equipment, and comparing to some of the other training rooms I’ve seen; it’s a lot bigger, with much more newer things.” With athletic training being one of the more popular majors at Mesa State combined with students will to help the athletes and growing facilities, it has virtually transformed Mesa State athletics and its impact on athletics is extremely beneficial.