Prior to this assignment, I knew very little of soccer. I have a feeling that by the end of my time with this sport, which is the seasons' end, I'll be so into it, I will not want it to end. Maybe even buy a jersey. I must admit, soccer is by far the best sport to have as a season assignment. I originally wanted Men's Basketball for my sport; it was first choice, but I am glad I was assigned soccer instead. Truly!
There are many aspects to this assignment that make it, I personally believe, the best assignment. Most important aspect, as Trey Younger, my Head Athletic Trainer, states, "you will be thrown into the flames," which is a figurative way of saying I will get a chance to make decisions on my own, and apply the knowledge I have learned in the classroom, to real-life situations. Other students agree with this particular approach to instruction. Sean Fields and AJ Val Valkenburgh, both whom had heavily-invovled internships over the Summer with the New England Patriots and Texas Rangers Minors respectively, said, "it is something you need," referring to being handed the metaphorical "keys to the ship," and steering it on your own.
And it started from Day 1. Trey literally said, "this is your team, and I will allow you to decide for yourself what to do, and when to do it," of course not without his supervision. But even then, it is not as if he is breathing down my neck at every moment. He made it clear that, "as long as we have an open communicaton," then what you do is fine. Meaning, if there is anything I have a question about, whether it is new treatment methods, or rehab, or questions regarding evaluations; as long as I let him know what it is that I am thinking, then it is fine.
Another thing that makes this the best assignment is the players. When 2-a-days began, I noticed I did not recognize many of the girls from last season. It turns out that over half of the team are 1st year players. We began the year with 32 players. That number decreased to 28 by the end of the first month. Only one of those four involved a player who actually quit the team. It is still unknown as to why exactly she quit, although many speculate it had something to do with her boyfriend (pshh!), but it could have been any number of reasons. In fact, listening to Dr. Jevas' lectures on Psychosocial Aspects of the athlete makes me think if her nagging injury to her quad, coupled with poor performance, and any thing else she had going on personally, could have all played a role in her decision to leave the team, and if we (Athletic Trainers) could have had an influence in that. That is something I think about, but I tend to not let myself dwell on it for too long. It is a questions I may never have an answer to. Ironically, she is one of my residents (I am a Community Assistant in the resident halls), so maybe I can ask her next time we cross.
From a fans perspective, this assignment has been exciting because I have gotten the opportunity to travel, eat with the team, share laughs and stories, and really be a part of the family. From an educational perspective, it has also been fulfilling. To date, we have experienced
- Two grade 1+, 2 inverson ankle sprains
- Three grade 2 quadriceps strains
- Foot contusion
- Three spasming backs
- General knee stress
- Mild concussion
- Wrist sprain
- Possible meniscus (waiting on MRI results)
- Syndesmotic ankle sprain
- ...and other smaller maintainence conditions (tight hamstrings, illnesses, etc.)
I really enjoy the girls and love being around them. I do what I can for them, and try my best to provide them with the best care and service. I do not hide the fact I love this assignment, and it shows.
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