Sports and Exercise in a Time of Injury Prevention
As our nation moves from a health care system focused on treating illness, disease, and injury to one focused on wellness and prevention, health care and fitness professionals are expected to lead the way. Here’s how three alumni from PSU’s Department of Health and Human Performance are ensuring safety in sport and exercise.
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eith Belmore earned his bachelor of science in athletic training in 2005 and is currently a faculty member and clinical coordinator at the University of Missouri School of Health Professions. He oversees the clinical education component of the school’s new athletic training program, a responsibility that entails placing students in clinical sites and evaluating their performance, their preceptors, and the clinical site itself. He’s also responsible for a variety of administrative aspects of the new program, from curriculum design to student recruitment, and he teaches a course in the program. On top of this, he dedicates eight hours a week to working with student-athletes in a clinical setting.
“One of the most important aspects of my job is injury and illness prevention,” Belmore says. “My colleagues and I create preventative exercise and strengthening programs, emphasize the importance of hydration and proper nutrition, and educate athletes, coaches, parents, and administrators on injury and illness prevention strategies.” Belmore believes that the connection between emotional and physical health is important and underestimated, and he is as concerned with his student-athletes’ psychological, social, and emotional needs as he is about their physical needs. “They identify themselves as athletes, so if they’re sidelined due to an injury or illness, that can affect their morale, their
perception of themselves, and their emotional health,” he says. “That’s why we take a holistic approach and care for and treat the whole athlete.” Belmore credits PSU with giving him a solid foundation in athletic training and believes his early handson clinical experiences were especially beneficial to his career today. As a sophomore, he had the opportunity to work with the men’s soccer team. “At a big Division I school, you don’t get that experience as early,” he says, noting that PSU’s smaller class sizes translated into more opportunities to work side-by-side with faculty. “At PSU, I was able to use the skills I learned in class right away—skills like wound care, taping, and therapeutic exercise.
Keith Belmore ’05, (above center) an instructor at the University of Missouri, had numerous mentors in PSU’s Athletic Training Program, including Professors Linda Levy, Marjorie King, and John Rosene. “They all influenced me in different ways and contributed to my academic and clinical success.” Megan Gill photo.
Winter/Spring 2014 ■ Plymouth Magazine 7