High School Symposium is Just Around the Corner!

Our 9^th Annual High School Athletic Training Symposium is almost here!  It is on Wednesday, March 20 beginning at 9 am.  We are very excited about symposium this year and hope you are too! For all those attending symposium this year, be looking forward to the new changes and improvements that we have added to make symposium the best it can be.  Symposium will now take place in the football operations facility and will consist of a tour of our facilities, a t-shirt and lunch, and exciting games and relays, which will incorporate important athletic training skills.  We currently have 160 students signed up from 6 different schools around the area and we look forward to educating these future students of athletic training.  For more information go to http://lsusymposium.blogspot.com/ . 
See you at there!

SEATA Symposium 2013

Every year, the Southeast Athletic Trainer’s Association conducts a symposium for athletic training students. This year, two first-year students and five second-year students accompanied Dr. Ray Castle and Meghan Reid to the symposium in Atlanta, Georgia. Eduardo Godoy and Benjamin Morale were selected to give oral case study presentations and Meaghan Hussey and Tamaria Hollis presented their case studies via posters. These students were selected from a pool of applications by a selection committee and presented their case studies to their peers during the conference. First-year students participated in lectures about concussion assessment and diagnostic testing and labs involving core stability and emergency management. Second-year students received advice about career opportunities and writing a resume and gained hands on experience with joint mobilizations and kinesiotape in labs. Students were able to once again connect with peers from Quinnipiac University and compare educational programs. Great job students!

Legacy To Be Remembered

As some of you may know, Dr. Larry G. Ferachi passed away in October 2012. Dr. Ferachi served as one of our team Orthopedic Surgeons since 1996, working primarily with our Men’s and Women’s Basketball programs.  Many of us have fond memories of Larry but appreciate most the true friendships that developed during the time he spent with us. It was both an inspiring and difficult process to watch as Larry fought with all he had to beat his prostate cancer. However, it is likely true that Larry found an inner peace in his last few years that brought him closer to his family, friends, and God. For this we are all thankful.  In his will, he left the sum of $10,000 to the LSU Foundation “to be distributed to or for the benefit of the LSU Athletic Training Room”.  Given the terms of Dr. Ferachi’s will, these funds will go towards the Tiger Athletic Foundation’s Athletic Training Special Assistance Scholarship. This scholarship is used to assist our athletic training students and graduate assistants in times of hardship and need. These donations have helped our students as they recovered from disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Rita, assisted with applications to Graduate School, and paid for plane trips home when students were grieving the loss of a family member, just to name a few. In life, we are thankful for Dr. Ferachi’s service to our Athletic Training Department and it is quite fitting that he found a way to continue his support of our program even after his passing. Forever thankful and Forever LSU!

Student of the Month

Congratulations to our Student of the Month for February, Derionne Brooks! Derionne is a second-year athletic training student who is currently working with the LSU gymnastics team. Both this year at gymnastics and last year at LSU football, Derionne has proven to be a phenomenal asset to our athletic training program. She has shown her dedication both in the classroom and in the clinical setting. When asked about Derionne, Matt Gregg, Graduate Assistant with gymnastics said, “She has worked incredibly hard this season. She has stepped up and shown maturity when difficult situations presented themselves. I am confident she will be a successful athletic trainer in the future and look forward to see all that she is able to accomplish. ” We are so proud of you and how you represent our athletic training program. Congratulations Derionne!