LSU Sports Nutrition Accomplishing Great Things

No matter what time of year it is, there is one person in the LSU Athletic Training family who never has an offseason. Jamie Mascari, LSU coordinator of sports nutrition, is constantly on the go working with our athletes and improving their overall health and well-being. With all the hard work she has put in, it is no surprise that Jamie has been named this year’s “Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year”. Although only with LSU for a few months now, Jamie already has made huge changes in the athletes’ diets and their views on food. Jamie is available almost 24/7 to have one-on-one consultations and team presentations. She will even tag along on shopping trips to make sure the athletes are implementing what they have been taught in their grocery selections. Shelly Mullenix, MS, ATC, Staff Certified Athletic Trainer for LSU Football and Director of Wellness said, “We are so honored to have Jamie on our staff. Being named as "Recognized Young Dietician of Baton Rouge" is a tremendous honor for an individual so early in her career. However, she has been working with us for long enough to have made a very big impact on our athletic teams as well as on individuals in our programs. She communicates well, is enthusiastic and is innovative in her approach to educating our athletes. She may be an asset to Baton Rouge, but she is a bigger asset to LSU's Athletic Department.” The LSU Athletic Training family is extremely grateful for Jamie and very proud of all of her accomplishments. Great job Jamie and keep up the good work!

To view Jamie’s interview with the Reveille on the importance of diet in LSU’s athletes visit:

http://www.lsureveille.com/sports/diet-plays-important-role-in-lsu-athletes-health-well-being-1.2690438

LSU Alumni Plays Major Role in Life Saving Event

Gage Trahan graduated from LSU's Athletic Training Program in December, 2006, and moved to Pineville, La. He attended graduate school at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, and was involved in a Graduate Assistantship program through a local hospital doing outreach for several rural high schools. He began working at Pineville High School full time in August of 2008, and earned his Master’s Degree in Sports Administration in May 2009. He is currently in his second year of teaching health and sports medicine at Pineville High School and in his fourth year as Head Athletic Trainer. On December 12, at a basketball between Nachitoches Central and Pineville, 15 year old calvin Haynes collapsed with cardiac arrhythmia. His heart stopped for several minutes and he was unconscious for 30 minutes. When asked about the importance of having an athletic trainer present in secondary schools, he replied, “No matter the level of competition, a crisis like this can occur at any moment in sports. The young man who collapsed was an otherwise healthy high school freshman. This near tragedy could not have been anticipated. A registered nurse happened to be at the game to watch her daughter play in a game that was to follow the boys’ basketball game. She was instrumental in saving this young man’s life, but an athlete’s safety cannot rest on the chance that a medical professional will be in the stands. It is vital that a Certified Athletic Trainer is on campus during sports practices and games. This need cannot be overstated.” Louisiana is one state that has not yet had to resort to pay-for-play athletics programs at the high school level, where athletics user fees have been the norm for high school administrators, coaches, parents and students. When asked how LSU influenced his reaction to an emergency such as this one, he responded, “As a college student, I did not understand the importance of going through the CPR/AED training over and over before two-a-days began each summer. I am so glad now that the outstanding staff of Athletic Trainers at LSU thoroughly prepared me and the other athletic training students for any situation that we might face on the playing field or court. The last thing I expected at a freshman basketball game on a Monday afternoon in December was for this young man’s heart to cease functioning. When the unthinkable happened, though, I was ready to act quickly and effectively because of my LSU training.”

Alpha Tau Sigma Sets Date for Annual Spring High School Symposium

Alpha Tau Sigma, LSU Athletic Training Fraternity has announced its date for its 8th Annual Spring Symposium held each year for high school students interested in the Allied Health profession of Athletic Training. The symposium will be held on Saturday, March 24 from 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM and will feature the following activities:

• Anatomy Lessons with a Palpation Lab
• Vital Sign Collection
• Spine Boarding
• Splinting
• Upper and Lower Extremity Theraband Lesson and Lab
• Upper and Lower Extremity Taping Labs
• Lunch and refreshments will also be provided

If you, or anybody you know has a sincere interest in becoming an Athletic Trainer or simply would like to learn from the Certified Athletic Trainers and Athletic Training Students of LSU, visit Alpha Tau Sigma's Symposium Website here. It will be a great opportunity to get to know LSU's Athletic Training Program, as well as enjoy a full day of hands-on activities and education.

Below are some pictures of last year's Annual Spring High School Symposium featuring some of the activities that high school students may participate in:

BCS National Championship Bowl 2012

The Athletic Training Football Staff for the 2011-2012 football season did not have to travel far for their bowl experience, but that did not stop them from having a good time. New Orleans was a great setting for the BCS Championship game. After days of hard work at practice the student athletic trainers got to enjoy nights of bowling, ice skating, and just wandering around the French Quarter. Needless to say, it was an experience these students will never forget.

Student of the Month

Congratulations to Ben Morale, LSU’s Athletic Training Student of the Month for February! Ben is a first year student currently working with the LSU Volleyball team. When asked about Ben, Scott Campbell, ATC, Certified Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer for LSU Volleyball said, “ Ben has been a welcomed addition to the LSU volleyball sports medicine staff. He has done a great job with specific rehabs and interacts well with the coaches and athletes. He has a quiet demeanor, but gets the job done! He will continue to make strides as an athletic training student.” Congratulations Ben!