Athletic Training Program

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ATHLETIC TRAINING PROGRAM

Sonnie DaCosta

Athletic Trainer (AT)

WhAt insPired you to Become An Athletic trAiner?

When I "found" athletic training I had been working as a project manager in IT for several years. I was laid off due to a company merger and decided to go back to school and finish my AA degree. I attended Moorpark College and decided to take the Prevention of Athletic Injuries course that was being taught by their head athletic trainer at the time, Vance Manakas. Part of the class included lab work/observation hours with Vance and Cherisse Meichtry who was the other AT at Moorpark College. I volunteered as a student athletic trainer that spring and again in the fall for football season. After that, I was hooked!

Were you An Athlete in high school And/or college?

I was an athlete up until my freshman year of high school. I played volleyball, basketball and softball during my freshman year, however, due to continual pain and complications from a previous knee injury, I decided not to continue for the remainder of my time in high school. We didn't have an athletic trainer at the time and there was no one to do rehab with me and get me back on the field. The fact that I was not able to play softball made a huge difference for me as a student. I did not put as much effort into my school work and I was unhappy a lot of the time because I really JUST wanted to be on the field. I think that's one of the main reasons why I feel so passionate about being an AT now. I know the physical and psychological effects that injuries can have on student athletes and I don't want anyone to have to lose their drive or passion for something they love.

WhAt is A tyPicAl dAy like for you?

Well, that depends on the season. Fall is usually fairly mellow here on campus because PHS does not have a football team, winter is pretty much busy and very long days due to basketball and soccer, and spring is more relaxed regarding coverage and injuries, however, the paperwork and planning for next year begins early spring for physicals, incoming students, etc. I also try to perform a post school year evaluation to figure out what I can do to streamline injury processes and procedures, clearance paperwork and how to plan accordingly so that I can continue to remain on top of my duties and provide excellent care for our student athletes.

With more Attention Being Brought to Athletic-relAted inJuries such As concussions, hoW imPortAnt is ProPer trAining?

That is a great question! It is absolutely critical for any organization who provides students with the opportunity to participate in athletics to provide skilled, knowledgeable, and competent medical personnel to care for those student athletes. ATs are one of the few Allied Health Care Professionals that are specifically trained in how to recognize, diagnose and treat concussions. In fact, it is a significant part of our training and, unfortunately, due to the nature and frequency of head injuries in sports, one that we continually have to remain vigilant and abreast of new research and treatment methods.

In order to create an environment of athlete compliance and support, it is also critical for ATs to have a collaborative and communicative sports medicine team that includes, but is not limited to, general practitioners, orthopaedists, and neurologists (who specialize in traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs).

My main goal going into the 2016-2017 school year was to begin building that collaborative sports medicine team, and I am happy to say that process is well underway. This past winter, we began our partnership with Dr. Michael Marvi and his team at the Howard and Hyce Hill Neuroscience Center at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center which is conveniently located right next door to PHS.

Dr. Marvi and his team have offered to do baseline ImPACT concussion testing for all of our student athletes. A baseline test is an important part of the prevention and treatment of head injuries because it gives us as medical providers a "snapshot" of what an athlete is like on a "normal" day. If a head injury should occur, we can use that baseline test as another tool in our toolbox of many to help diagnose and determine the best course of treatment for that athlete.

We have also begun a partnership with the physicians and other providers at Orthopaedic Surgery Specialists in Burbank. They were kind enough to volunteer their services for our Pioneer Athletics Physical Event this past spring, and they were able to help us get about 100 student athletes cleared and ready for the 2017-2018 athletics season!

These two partnerships are part of the foundation of our new PHS Sports Medicine team and we now have the ability to refer our injured athletes to medical providers who will work in collaboration with me and ultimately provide timely and comprehensive care for our student athletes.

hoW do you see this field evolving over time?

This is probably the toughest question so far due to the fact that the minimum requirements to become a Certified Athletic Trainer will soon be changing. The current minimum entry point into the profession of athletic training is the baccalaureate level, however, it was recently decided by the AT Strategic Alliance that the minimum professional degree level will be a master's, a change to be implemented within the next several years. At this time, more than 70 percent of athletic trainers already hold at least a master’s degree. Upon completion of a CAATE-accredited athletic training education program, students become eligible for national certification by successfully completing the Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC) examination. I can see both the positive and negative effects that this may have on the profession of athletic training, however, I don't think we will know the true impact this will have on the profession for several years after the new requirements are put into effect.

is there Anything else you’d like to mention?

The care that an AT provides not only includes first responder or immediate care but also collection of medical history and thorough athletic clearance documentation as well as prevention and treatment/rehabilitation of athletic injuries. We are also an athlete's greatest asset when it comes to learning how to advocate for and take care of themselves. Some athletes have a hard time communicating with their coaches if they are injured and many are concerned if they report an injury that they will be removed from play and not be able to participate for an indefinite amount of time. In reality, ATs spend a great deal of our time educating athletes, coaches and parents so that they understand how important it is to report an issue as soon as possible and that as an athletic trainer our main goal is to get our athletes to return to play as quickly and safely as possible. Our philosophy is that the sooner we are able to recognize, evaluate and treat an injury the greater the chance an athlete has to recover and return to activity. In closing, because of our education, training, and our passion for the health and safety of our athletes, and the joy we derive from knowing we have an important role in assuring they are able to return to participate in the sport(s) they love, an athletic trainer can be a student athlete's best advocate and resource when it comes to preventing, treating and recovering from injury and getting back to play as soon as possible.

Sean McClenahen

Strength & Wellness Coach

Were you An Athlete in high school or college?

I played all sports growing up and then chose to stick with baseball and football in high school. I also played rugby for a short time in college. I’m still very active and I strength and speed train when I’m not surfing or snowboarding or riding a skateboard or playing softball or basketball. I train to maintain strength, to improve flexibility and, really, to prevent injury.

hoW imPortAnt is strength trAining for Athletes? Are there some sPorts thAt require more trAining thAn others?

It’s important for athletes to learn about speed and strength training and general wellness because athletics require dedication and commitment but do not always yield immediate positive returns during competition. In other words, it can be difficult to stick with something if one fails a lot or if one does not see immediate results from all of the hard work and this can be huge deterrent in athletics (especially for young athletes). I’ve found and hope to inspire our athletes to find that immediate positive return can happen in the weight room. And when this happens in the weight room, the likelihood of the same thing happening on the playing field or on the court increases. So, it’s important for athletes to learn about strength and speed training because these activities are the backbone of success. Beyond this, athletes will find that injury prevention is a driving force and a byproduct of these forms of training. And, for when an athlete’s days as a competitor are over, the knowledge gained will prove to be helpful for the rest of the athlete’s life – one won’t always have a coach, but he or she may always want to be active and healthy.

Generally speaking, we teach athletes both general and sport specific movements. So, to say that some sports “require” more training than others is a bit of a misnomer. Training should always have a purpose and our purpose is for athletes to become stronger and faster and to be less prone to injury. That said, all of our athletes, regardless of sport, will train.