Body of Knowledge

Sports Medicine program spurs interest in health sciences

On the evening of Nov. 30, 2020, Science Department Co-Chair Lydia Arguelles was sitting in an emergency room, her foot throbbing. X-rays confirmed what she already suspected: She had fractured her foot. She had played competitive team sports over the years, but this injury was caused by a less-than-active opponent—the corner of her bed. She could only chuckle. Her Sports Medicine class was starting a unit on the foot the next day, so she decided to bring in her own x-rays to see how sharp her students’ diagnostic skills were. Spoiler alert: They aced that test. And now, at the end of the school year, that class knows a lot about feet. “It’s really cool to be able to put a name to all the bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments that comprise something even as small as the little toe,” says Sarah Tupy ’21.

How unusual is it to have a sports medicine class in high school? Depends on what type of high school it is.

“St. Francis has a huge sports medicine program,” says Ms. Arguelles. But six years ago, when she established her class, “none of the all-girls Catholic schools had a sports medicine program.”

Ms. Arguelles came to Mayfield in 2009 as a part-time athletic trainer through a local physical therapy practice. Teaching a Sports Medicine class came entirely organically out of student interest, after then-student Gabriella Ciulla ’15 approached Ms. Arguelles for help with her sports training and became fascinated with the equipment (How do you use ultrasound machines?) and the job (Can you study this in college?).

Six years after Gabriella successfully lobbied the Mayfield administration to add Sports Medicine as an official course, she is now a certified athletic trainer and is pursuing a graduate degree in the field at West Virginia University. It turned out Gabriella wasn’t the only student who was curious about this health science discipline. That first year, there were four full Sports Medicine classes, and Ms. Arguelles’ courses continue to attract a devoted following.

Science Department Co-Chair Lydia Arguelles, who pioneered Mayfield’s Sports Medicine program in 2014, introduced a popular Anatomy & Physiology course this year.

“This is by far one of my favorite classes ever!” says Sarah. As a studentathlete, Sarah is also gaining some beyond-the-classroom knowledge during this course. “It’s rare for me to not be injured at any given moment,” she says. “With this in mind, I have taken the lessons from class with me to the orthopedist, and I can now clearly see the intention behind his every note, palpation, and question regarding my injury. This is the type of real-world application that the class prepares us for, and it’s truly eye-opening to see what I’ve learned play out in a professional setting.”

Like several students before her, Sarah is taking this course with a very direct goal in mind. “For as long as I can remember, my dream job has been to become an orthopedic surgeon,” she says. “With my long history of sports injuries, this passion has only strengthened.”

I always want them to feel like they were a part of the class, that they contributed to something, that they felt heard as a student... Ultimately, I really want them to enjoy learning.

— LYDIA ARGUELLES, SPORTS MEDICINE TEACHER

In the 2020-21 school year, there are still two full classes of Sports Medicine, and Ms. Arguelles has also started teaching a popular Anatomy & Physiology class. “I thought when creating my Anatomy class that it was going to kill my Sports Medicine class,” says Ms. Arguelles, laughing at how wrong she was. Several of her current Sports Medicine students took her Anatomy class last year, and one of her students, Jolie Beegle ’21, is taking both courses concurrently this year.

Jolie reflects on how these two courses work hand-in-glove. “One block I learn about the anatomy of bones, and the next block I actually get to learn how to treat any sudden injuries to bones!” Jolie plans to major in biology, and Ms. Arguelles’ classes help her engage with her subject material in a more in-depth way. “The crossover between Anatomy and Sports Medicine is challenging but really aids me in understanding concepts better.”

These comprehensive take-home study kits gave Anatomy & Physiology students hands-on learning opportunities during remote school.

When Mayfield classes went remote, several teachers created take-home study kits—but Ms. Arguelles’ goodie bags were by far the most striking. Anatomy & Physiology students took home mini skeletal forms, which they use to mold clay into the shape of muscle groups. The Sports Medicine class all got life-sized CPR mannequins and have been officially certified— entirely remotely—to perform these lifesaving techniques. And, because there are many such practical assessments (stop a bleeding wound, bandage an injured body part), reluctant younger siblings and stuffed animals are often recruited for unintentionally adorable Flipgrid videos that allow Ms. Arguelles to give feedback and students to see one another’s work.

It is hard to say how many of Ms. Arguelles’ students hope to directly enter the medical or orthopedic fields, but the skill sets addressed in her classes span many disciplines, touching on medical, legal, athletic and ethical issues. And she doesn’t think every student will get the same thing from her courses. “I always want them to feel like they were a part of the class, that they contributed to something, that they felt heard as a student,” she says. She hopes these classes spark a curiosity in students, a desire for “further investigation,” even if the knowledge they gain is that these disciplines are not for them. “Ultimately,” says Ms. Arguelles, “I really want them to enjoy learning.”

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Major Influence

Sports Medicine teacher Lydia Arguelles knows firsthand the power of a single class to open up an entire career path. “My high school Anatomy course changed everything about what I decided to study in college,” she says. “And my Human Anatomy course during my undergrad years changed my life!” Here are some Class of 2021 seniors who have been inspired by Ms. Arguelles’ classes to pursue health sciences or a related field in college.

Jolie Beegle ’21: University of San Diego (biology)

“Ms. Arguelles really helped me to narrow down what type of sciences I want to study and focus on in the future. I took both Anatomy & Physiology and Sports Medicine so I really got a feel for what a science focus feels like.” — JOLIE BEEGLE ’21

Laura Kate Byers ’21: Gonzaga University (human physiology)

“I loved Sports Medicine because Mrs. Arguelles made it interactive. I am an athlete and this class interested me because I wanted to learn more about rehabilitation from injuries. [It] has helped narrow my focus of study for the future of becoming a physical therapist.” — LAURA KATE BYERS ’21

Gillian Gorocica ’21: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (biomedical engineering)

Adrianna Greenup ’21: Tulane University (sports medicine)

Danni Murray ’21: Baylor University (public health)

Gabrielle Owen ’21: Azusa Pacific University (nursing & humanities)

Kate Parry ’21: Fordham University (pre-health)

Sally Pontrelli ’21: Gonzaga University (human physiology)

Stephanie Rodríguez ’21: University of Nevada, Las Vegas (bio sciences)

“Ms. Arguelles’ Anatomy & Physiology class really pushed me to go for a pre-med track with a major in biology because she presented the most handson version of the human body and how it works. I thank Ms. Arguelles a lot for the motivation to continue with an academic path in biology and hope to continue it throughout my…college and professional life.” — STEPHANIE RODRÍGUEZ ’21

Taylor Thorell ’21: University of Southern California (health & human sciences)

Sarah Tupy ’21: University of Southern California (human biology and applied physiology)

“This [Sports Medicine] class showed me how vast the medical field actually is; you don’t need to work in a lab 12 hours a day to help treat people—you can work out on a field, court, or in an office and still do what you love. I want to be able to help athletes return to or achieve peak performance since this has been a large part of my life as well.” — SARAH TUPY ’21

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Mind, body and spirit: Q&A with Lydia Arguelles

When Lydia Arguelles came to Mayfield Senior School as a professional athletic trainer in 2009, she never imagined she’d end up in the classroom full-time. Now the co-chair of the Science Department, Ms. Arguelles’ popular Sports Medicine and Anatomy & Physiology courses have inspired a wave of student interest in the health sciences. Despite her deeply religious upbringing (“I’m a missionary kid!”), Ms. Arguelles says that her introduction to the Holy Child mission and philosophy has redefined the way she approaches both education and spirituality.

Do you have a teaching philosophy? Or guiding principles?

I honestly have to say that I never sat down and thought of the nitty gritty details behind it. The teachers that have had the biggest impression on me were the teachers that I remember how they made me feel. I love [what I teach]—and I think most teachers who have a really big impact on students…love what they teach, and they love having their students learn about that.

You have had some mentors who have made a strong impression on you at Mayfield, haven’t you?

Of course. What got me to where I’m at today would be Sr. Barbara [Mullen, SHCJ]. Oh, I’m going to cry...I miss her so much. That woman was just a wealth of wisdom. When I was first hired full-time at Mayfield, we had a great conversation and she said, “I would love for you to be part of the senior retreat program.” Little seeds of inspiration have kind of put me into this point.

What is it about the Holy Child educational mission that resonates with you?

Educating the “whole child” means meeting their needs and coming to them where they’re at...Yes, academics are part of it, but education is way more than academics. I think now in these times people are really starting to understand that…realizing that a lot of [students’] needs aren’t just “one plus one equals two”—that they have this social need, and parents understand the importance of the community that happens at school. When you’re a part of Mayfield, you are part of a much larger family, and you don’t even realize how deep it goes until you’ve been there just long enough and it starts springing up on you and you’re blown away by it…I’m still taken aback by the generosity of Mayfield families and the generosity of Mayfield students.

How has working at Mayfield shaped your experience of Catholic education?

My dad is ordained [as a Protestant minister] and taught at Fuller Seminary. What Mayfield has given me on the Catholic perspective has changed my life and, I have to say, has broadened my view of the world. I mean, I am not the person I was. I wasn’t expecting that. I had some preconceptions in my mind of how [Catholic education] was supposed to be. And it was not at all what I thought it was going to be! It was a joyous, beautiful surprise. And it kind of fits in with my whole philosophy on what I want the students to get out of the classroom: the joy of learning.

ABOUT LYDIA ARGUELLES: A Certified Athletic Trainer, Ms. Arguelles received her B.A. in Athletic Training from Azusa Pacific University before continuing on to earn her M.S. as a graduate assistant, CAATE-approved clinical instructor and adjunct faculty member at APU. She has worked with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and elite athletes, and currently volunteers her athletic training services for fundraising sporting events. She lives in San Dimas, Calif., with husband Rene and daughter Ella (5), along with Loba the German Shepherd and Joshua the orange tabby. After Ella was born, Ms. Arguelles decided to trade triathlons and IronMan competitions for family travel and adventure—including learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu together.