GoldenBison b
u
l
l
e
t
A newsletter for Nichols College alumni of the past 50 years or more
i
n
Vol 2 Issue 2: Summer/Fall 2021
Good medicine: Bennett pushes Bison athletes to be their best, on and off the field Tim Bennett came to Nichols as a graduate assistant in sports medicine 10 years ago to gain experience in the field and pursue his MBA. When he arrived, there was a team of four athletic trainers; within six months it was down to two. “I was able to work with all of the sports teams and got such great experience for a first-year graduate assistant,” he says. After just a year, Bennett, who graduated from James Madison University in 2012 with a degree in athletic training, was promoted to the full-time position of assistant athletic trainer while he continued with his graduate classes. During this time, he was able to work closely on the new athletic training room, which was part of the renovations to Chalmers Field House in 2015. “When I first started, our athletic training space was a small room with carpet and just a couple treatment tables. Now we have an amazing facility that I was lucky enough to help implement,” Bennett says. “Our goal was to make it the most functional space possible for our sports medicine staff and our student athletes.” After two years in the role of assistant athletic trainer, Bennett was promoted to his current position as head athletic trainer and assistant director of athletics. Bennett supervises a team of one assistant athletic trainer and three graduate assistants. “It’s my job to make sure my team and I take care of our kids so that they can have the
best competitive experience possible,” he explains. “Our department provides direct medical oversight, first aid, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, preventative treatments, therapeutic interventions and rehabilitation services for all varsity athletes.” Over the summer Bennett works with student-athletes to get their medical records on file; in mid-August, pre-season practices start for the varsity teams. During these weeks, leading up to the start of classes, teams are practicing non-stop. Bennett and his staff can work over 80 hours a week to make sure the athletes and coaches are supported. “During pre-season we survive off of pizza, salad and ice cream,” he jokes. Once classes start, the sports medicine team settles into their usual cadence. A typical day could start as early as 6 a.m. to prepare
athletes for early morning practices, followed by open office hours in the athletic training room, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. During this time, athletes with injuries can make an appointment to receive treatment. Bennett’s team creates a treatment plan which could include; physical therapy and rehab exercises, strength drills, whirlpools, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, cupping, massage, laser treatments, and much more, which must be respected by the athletes. At about 2:30, Bennett’s team prepares athletes for practice or competition with pre-practice routines, which could include padding, bracing, Continued on page 2
BOSTON MA
b
u
l
l
e
t
i
n
GoldenBison
PERMIT #5732 PAID US POSTAGE NON-PROFIT ORG