Athletic Training Students Intern with Professional Teams

This summer, four athletic training students participated in summer internships with various professional organizations, including the National Football League (NFL), Arena Football League (AFL), and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

In the NFL, Dani Klein interned with the Buffalo Bills, and Raymond Champagne interned with the Houston Texans. In the WNBA, Stephanie Garcia interned with the Los Angeles Sparks. In the AFL, Zac Benjamin interned with the Tulsa Talons. These students furthered their athletic training careers both educationally and clinically, with roles including pre-game and post-game set-up and break-down, hydration, treatments, observing, and facilitating rehabilitations, and observing evaluations performed by Certified Athletic Trainers and/or team physicians. Each student received a unique and valuable experience working with professional teams that will prepare him or her for future job settings and careers as Athletic Trainers.

For more information on these students and other past professional organization internships, visit our In the Pros section.

Athletic Training Students Take their Skills Abroad

Aside from professional internships, three LSU Athletic Training Students, Jessica VanSweden, Emily Mesa, and Courtney Melanson participated in a summer internship program with the Travel Sports Academy. The Australia Sports Medicine Travel Abroad Program focused on education and experience in all aspects of sports in Australia, ranging from Sports Medicine to Sports Management and Administration. These students learned the differences between Australian and American sport and culture by visiting many different facilities and venues from many different sports that are not easily accessible here at LSU. They were able to pick the brains of Australian Sports Medicine Professionals, Physiotherapists, Facility Managers, and Sports Management and Administration personnel of these various venues. On their off days, they had some Australian fun from surfing lessons in the Indian Ocean to playing with koalas and kangaroos in the Steve Irwin Zoo.
Places visited in Australia include:

• Melbourne - Rob Laver Stadium - Home of the Annual Australian Open
• Sydney - ANZ Stadium - Home of the 2000 Olympics
• Surfer's Paradise - How to Save a Drowning Surfer
• Cairns - James Cook University Sports Medicine Research Center

LSU Athletics to Host 2nd Annual Alumni Reunion October 15th & 16th

The LSU Athletic Department and "L-Club" are pleased to host the 2010 Athletic Trainers, Equipment Managers, and Video Staff Reunion on the weekend of October 15-16, 2010.

Reunion activities will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 pm on Friday, October 15th in the Champions Club at Alex Box Stadium. Friday Night Social activities include a facility tour, food, and cocktails. Attire is casual.

The L-Club room, located in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, will be open for tailgating on Saturday, October 16th. Doors open 4 hours prior to kick-off. Food and cocktails will be provided. Later, the LSU Football team will take on McNeese State. Time TBD. Previous letterwinners from former LSU Athletic Trainers, Equipment Managers, and Video Staff will be recognized in Tiger Stadium.

For more questions about this event, or information in tickets, please contact:
Ashley Winning
LSU Athletic Dept.
PO Box 25095
Baton Rouge, LA 70894

Click here to see details on last year's 1st Annual L-Club Athletic Training Reunion.

LSU Athletic Training Student of the Month

Congratulations to Nick Badeaux! Nick was recently selected by the LSU Athletic Training Staff and Certified Graduate Assistants to be October's Student of the Month. Nick is currently in his 2nd year of the LSU Athletic Training Program and is currently assigned to Track and Field under Staff Certified Athletic Trainer, Keith Thompson, MS, ATC. Haven previously been assigned to Swimming and Diving in his 1st year, Nick has greatly enhanced not only his educational and clinical experience, but his communication and passion about the profession of Athletic Training. When asked about Nick, Keith Thompson, MS, ATC stated "It has been rewarding to see Nick mature as a student since last year. Nick has been very helpful working with our student-athletes and very selfless in regards to working with his peers. I believe Nick cares deeply about others and has the capability to succeed in the future". Congratulations to Nick Badeaux as he continues to further his success in the LSU Athletic Training Program.

New Found Studies Linking Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) to Athletic-Related Head Injuries

Throughout the recent media surrounding professional and collegiate football, there have been numerous controversies concerning the potential for athletically-related head injuries to cause serious brain damage and other medical problems later in life. These reported occurrences headline sports media and spark interest in Sports Medicine professionals, including Athletic Trainers to be more educated and aware of the potential for long-term brain damage in athletes suffering concussions during collegiate and professional play.

The article, "TDP-43 Proteinopathy and Motor Neuron Disease in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy" in the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology provides evidence for a new link between repetitive athletic head injuries and the formation of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS. ALS is a chronic, progressive disease characterized by degeneration of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The article lists some environmental risk factors thought to be the cause of ALS, and athletic-related risk factors including history of trauma to the brain and spinal cord, history of participation in varsity athletics, and a slim physique, and strenuous physical activity (McKee, et al 2010). Various studies cited in the article state that there is an increased risk of ALS when the latest head injury suffered occurred at an older age, or there were a small number of years between the last head injury and diagnosis of ALS. Sports included in the study were sports of most contact including football, soccer, and boxing. Although the diagnosis of ALS occurs in the later years of life, there is still a greater risk for athletes with repetitive head injuries to be diagnosed with ALS and therefore severe damage to the brain and spinal cord, resulting in death.

To read the entire article on the relationship between athletic head injuries and ALS, click here.