Day one with the Mavericks went really well. Coming from a high-profile athletic training program, I expected some abrasiveness towards the intern. Surprisingly, every single staff member I was introduced to was very welcoming.
The head athletic trainer, Casey, was very friendly and he seemed to encourage any questions I had and answered all of them happily. The equipment managers were also quick to give me some gear so I could fit in a little better with the staff.
It was hard not to be a little starstruck at first since when I first entered this major, I had dreams of being on the inside of a professional training room. The facilities were nice, but functional. There wasn't anything too superfluous or flamboyant about the set up. There was a weights area, training room, locker room, showers, and a secret door that led to the offices.
I learned that the sports medicine staff tried to avoid using many modalities and emphasized the use of manual therapy. The way Casey spoke about it made me want to delve further into learning about it. I will probably purchase a textbook or two for my own self-development when I get home.
I was given some paperwork to hand out to the players, and this was helpful because I got to learn some of their names and they became familiar with my role along Casey. When practice started, the players seemed to respect me and were comfortable with coming to me for help. One player struggled perhaps due to lack of conditioned fitness and I took the initiative to tend to him regarding electrolytes, hydration, and breathing. He threw up a bit so there wasn't much else I could do.
At the end of the practice, I went up and made some ice bags and waited around for players to grab some bags or hop in the cold whirlpools. One roster player came in with back pain so Casey did some manual adjustments focused on his sacrum region and explained to me the pressure techniques.
Overall, I did a lot of standing and observing, but I also got to do some hands on things and learned a bit. A good first day if I may say.
The head athletic trainer, Casey, was very friendly and he seemed to encourage any questions I had and answered all of them happily. The equipment managers were also quick to give me some gear so I could fit in a little better with the staff.
It was hard not to be a little starstruck at first since when I first entered this major, I had dreams of being on the inside of a professional training room. The facilities were nice, but functional. There wasn't anything too superfluous or flamboyant about the set up. There was a weights area, training room, locker room, showers, and a secret door that led to the offices.
I learned that the sports medicine staff tried to avoid using many modalities and emphasized the use of manual therapy. The way Casey spoke about it made me want to delve further into learning about it. I will probably purchase a textbook or two for my own self-development when I get home.
I was given some paperwork to hand out to the players, and this was helpful because I got to learn some of their names and they became familiar with my role along Casey. When practice started, the players seemed to respect me and were comfortable with coming to me for help. One player struggled perhaps due to lack of conditioned fitness and I took the initiative to tend to him regarding electrolytes, hydration, and breathing. He threw up a bit so there wasn't much else I could do.
At the end of the practice, I went up and made some ice bags and waited around for players to grab some bags or hop in the cold whirlpools. One roster player came in with back pain so Casey did some manual adjustments focused on his sacrum region and explained to me the pressure techniques.
Overall, I did a lot of standing and observing, but I also got to do some hands on things and learned a bit. A good first day if I may say.