Symposium Sign Ups!

Our 10^th Annual High School Athletic Training Symposium is just around the corner! On Thursday, February 27^th, beginning at 8:30am, students will enjoy an eventful day of all of the athletic training basics, lead by current LSU athletic training students and staff! Specific topics to be discussed include concussion assessment, heat illness, and nutrition. Hands-on labs will include taping, wound care, splinting, and spine boarding. The symposium will once again be hosted in the LSU football operations building and lunch will be provided. It is sure to be a day filled with fun and also learning that no high school student interested in athletic training should miss! Students are encouraged to sign up as a group from their respective schools. More information can be found at http://www.lsusymposium.blogspot.com . 

Familiar Faces

Last semester, our athletic training family had to say goodbye to two of our wonderful athletic trainers, Keith Thompson and Jon Michelini due to new job opportunities.  However, with these changes also came the return of some familiar faces.  Derek Calvert (pictured left), a previous Gymnastics/ Football Graduate Assistant has returned to serve as our new staff Track and Field athletic trainer.  Cory Couture (pictured right), who is married to our previous staff Softball Athletic trainer Ana Couture and was an LSU athletic training student years ago, has returned to work as our new Baseball and Men’s Golf Athletic Trainer.  Cory graduated from LSU in 2004 and obtained his Master’s degree in Sports Administration at Florida State University while working with the football team.  Upon graduation, Cory worked with the FSU Baseball and Men’s Golf, which included a trip to the 2012 College World Series and NCAA Regional Championships. He has also worked a Loyola University as the Head Athletic Trainer for four years.  We are very excited to have both Derek and Cory back on our team and are looking forward to the upcoming Track and Field and Baseball seasons.  

Disease Prevention Around the World

The summer months consist of many different things for all of our students. Some take advantage of the break in school and sport to relax, while some jump into summer school, and others continue to work in the athletic training field as interns or students in different settings. Two of our senior students did something very different with their summer vacation, and the College of Human Sciences and Education is taking notice. Recently, an article was published detailing the work of Olivia Bourgeois and Jenna Nicol in Grand Goave, Haiti this summer. Both girls accepted internships with the organization, Global Effect, and worked with teams of volunteers to distribute nearly 1,000 water filters to the people of the surrounding community. These water filters provide clean drinking water for entire families and only need to be routinely cleaned to maintain function. Clean drinking water is key in preventing many potentially fatal disease, including cholera. Bourgeois and Nicol had the opportunity to learn about this disease and many others during their Communicable and Noncommunicable Disease course. As a semester project, the team designed a disease prevention plan for cholera involving the very water filters they helped to distribute months later. Bourgeois and Nicol plan to use the experience they gained this summer around the world in the future on different individual project. The full article can be read here. Great work ladies!

Student of the Month

Congratulations to Devon Bowie, our student athletic training student of the month!  Devon works with our women’s basketball team and is a third year student in our program.  He has previously worked with LSU Track and Field and LSU Football.  Devon has always been an exemplary student in our program and always goes above and beyond what is asked of him.  Devon truly does fill his role as a third year student, travelling with the women’s basketball team and always being willing to lend a helping hand.  When asked about Devon, Women's Basketball Staff Athletic Trainer, Micki Collins, states “Devon has been a huge asset to our team at women's basketball.  His tireless work ethic is an example for all.”  Congrats again Devon and we are excited to see where athletic training brings you next year!