Congratulations to Our Newest ATCs

Congratulations to the following:
These seniors have recently taken and passed the Athletic Training Board of Certification Exam! Pending graduation in May, they will soon be able to call themselves Certified Athletic Trainers. Congratulations!!

LSU Athletic Training Students Obtain Graduate Assistantships

The LSU Athletic Training Staff would like to congratulate the students in the class of 2010 which have received Graduate Assistant positions for the upcoming school year. We were very fortunate to place many Athletic Training Students in strong collegiate programs across the United States, including:

Brandon Albin
Clemson University
Clemson, SC
_________________________________________________

Amanda Barbee
University of Houston
Houston, TX

_________________________________________________

Gina Gonzales
Samford University
Birmingham, AL
_________________________________________________

Erin Greenwich
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA
_________________________________________________

Sarah O’Keefe
Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond, LA

_________________________________________________

Megan Sauviac
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA

_________________________________________________

Noritoshi Shirakawa
University of Illinois
Champaign, IL

_________________________________________________

Erin Sutton
Rice University
Houston, TX

_________________________________________________

Michael Welch
Troy University
Troy, AL


As these students work hard to earn a Master’s Degree or possibly beyond, we wish each student the very best as they continue on their paths in the Athletic Training Profession.

Athletic Trainer's Fund Picking Up Steam

Former student-athletes and friends of the Louisiana State University Athletic Training Program like to give a little back. In thanks for the time and effort spent on the rehabilitation of their injuries, taping their ankles, as well as giving them a place they can call home, former LSU student-athletes have donated money to the Athletic Training Fund administered by the Tiger Athletic Foundation. These funds help support Athletic Training Students and Graduate Assistants in need of financial assistance or special consideration. In exchange for a $2500 donation, a framed photo is placed in the Martin J. Broussard Center for Athletic Training and the Football Operations Athletic Training Room, as well as on our LSU Athletic Training official website. Through the Athletic Training Fund, former student-athletes have found a way to extend their gratitude to LSU Athletics and to help support those whose endless hours and hard work often go unnoticed. To see a list of those who have contributed to this worthwhile fund, click here.

If you are interested in making a donation to this fund, please contact Shelly Mullenix at (225) 578-2050.

LSU to Host LATA

The Louisiana State University Athletic Training Department is very excited to announce that the 2010 Louisiana Athletic Trainers' Association (LATA) Summer Symposium will be hosted by LSU this year. It will be held at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel and Casino on June 3-5. Please visit the LATA website for links to hotel information and the registration form. To guarantee a room, you must reserve it by May 20 and registration forms must be postmarked by May 24.

The current educational symposium will include speakers such as:

• Ricky Lane, PT - Active Release for the Athlete
• Andy Barker, MS, ATC - Inventory and Insurance Tracking thru a Database
• Dr. Rick Ahmad - Hand and Wrist Injuries - When to Operate
• Tavis Piattoly, MS, LDN, RD - Nutrition and Its Effects on an Injury During Recovery Phase
• Shawn Eddy, MEd, ATC and Dr. Carey Winder - Case Study: Dislocated Patella in a Division 1 Basketball Player
• Dr. Carey Winder - Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Treatments
• Dr. Brian Harrell and Dr. Ricky Pratt - Analysis of Bloodwork - What Does It Mean?
• Dr. David Thomas - Sleep Disorders and How They Effect Sport Performance
• Dr. Paul Kramm - Prolo Therapy
• John Porche, MEd, LAT, ATC - Are YOU Certified to Practice as an Athletic Trainer in Louisiana?
• Charles Baglio - Hall of Fame Banquet, Keynote Speaker

LSU Athletic Training Student of the Month

Congratulations to Noritoshi Shirakawa! Nori was recently voted on by the LSU Athletic Training Staff and Certified Graduate Assistants to be the Athletic Training Student of the Month. Nori is in his final semester at LSU in the Athletic Training Education Program. Throughout his tenure at LSU Nori has worked hard and proven to be a great part of the LSU Athletic Training Department. He has worked with the 2007 National Champion Football Program, the Men's and Women's Track and Field Program, and is currently assigned to Women's Softball. Under Associate Athletic Trainer, Ana Gross, MS, ATC, Nori has been able to gain much experience that will prepare him for his future Graduate Assistantship at the University of Illinois starting next year. When asked about Nori, Gross says: "It has been a pleasure to work with Noritoshi this past year. I am confident that he will make an excellent Athletic Trainer. We wish him well as he begins his next journey as a Graduate Assistant at the University of Illinois." Additionally, Noritoshi has been informed that he received the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Research and Educational Foundation Scholarship at the Master's Level. This is a $2,300 scholarship given to a deserving Athletic Training Student to obtain financial assistance for the cost of their education in their future Master's Degree Program. See the LSUNews article that made the front page of the LSU.edu website for a complete story. Most recently, Nori is one of the Senior Athletic Training Students that has just found out he has passed his Board of Certification exam and pending graduation he is soon to be a Certified Athletic Trainer.

LSU High School Symposium Wrap-Up

Recently the Louisiana State University Athletic Training Student Organization, Alpha Tau Sigma, hosted the 6th Annual High School Athletic Training Student Symposium. We are very pleased to report that the day was a great success. The day began with a talk from the LSU Athletic Training Curriculum Director, Ray Castle, PhD, ATC. Dr. Castle spoke to the high school students about Athletic Training at LSU and described what a typical day may consist of here on the Baton Rouge campus. The talk was followed by educational stations that allowed the participants to get a great deal of hands on experience. The LSU Athletic Training Students lead groups that included: injury prevention and rehabilitative demonstrations, hands on experiments, and real life scenarios from the following educational domains:

• Taping for the upper and lower extremities,
• Elastic band use for the upper and lower extremities,
• Splinting,
• Spine boarding,
• Modalities,
• Proprioception and balance,
• and the importance of and how to take vital signs.

While in the Martin J. Broussard Center for Athletic Training, the participants were able to get a very unique look at the facilities that LSU student-athletes, faculty, and staff work out of daily.

To see all the pictures from the symposium, please visit our website.