University of Nebraska at Omaha

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Maverick Athletic Training Students Newsletter
M A T S N E W S F A L L N E W S L E T T E R

MATS

LB-260 Update
By Stacy Dahlkoetter A STUDENT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO ACHIEVEMENT, COMMUNITY, AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

New ATC NSATA Conference NATA Conference Summer Internships

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MATS in the 6 Community Alumni Cor- 7 ner ATEP Students in Action

LB-260 is a bill that began in February 2010 when Rusty McKune and members of the NSATA began correspondence with the Nebraska Brain Injury Association. The NSATA formed its initial committee in July 2010, and on October 13, 2010 a meeting involving the NSATA, the Nebraska Brain Injury Association, a representative from Senator Lathrops office, and Dr. Daniel Tomes was held to begin drafting the legislation. Between October and January, the original group, plus representatives for the NFL and Dr. Lori Terryberry-Spohr worked to formulate a bill for the State of Nebraska. The intent of the bill was to protect athletes 19 years of age or younger who participate in organized sports from the dangers of playing with a concussion, and educating coaches, parents and athletes of these dangers. On Januay 11, 2011, Senator Steve Lathrop introduced LB-260 to the Nebraska Legislature. The new bill that was passed on April 8, 2011 with a unanimous 43-0 vote will become operative on July 1, 2012. This bill, which applies to interscholastic as well as community based sports organizations and programs in which the athletes are required to pay a fee to participate, states that an athlete will be removed from competition when a coach or a licensed health care professional suspects a concussion. If the athlete is suspected of having sustained a concussion, the parents or guardians of the athlete must be notified of the date of injury, the signs and symptoms that the athlete presented and how the athlete should be treated. The athlete will be allowed to return to play only after he/she has been evaluated by a licensed health care professional and has received a clearance to play by a licensed health care professional. In addition, the written and signed clearance along with a written permission to return to participation from the athletes parents needs to be submitted to the school. The bill defines a licensed health care professional as a physician or licensed practitioner under the direct supervision of a physician, a certified athletic trainer, a neuropsychologist, or some other qualified individual who (a) is registered, licensed, certified, or otherwise statutorily recognized by the State of Nebraska to provide health care services and (b) is trained in the evaluation and management of traumatic brain injuries among a pediatric population. In order to accommodate for the new regulations set by the bill, schools and sports organizations need to make training available that is approved by the Chief Medical Officer to all coaches on how to recognize a concussion or brain injury and how to properly seek medical treatment for such injuries. Educational material must also be provided to parents or guardians and athletes prior to school sports or sport organizations. There is training information available online at http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/hpe/injury/. All training available for parents, coaches and student athletes is free through all of the programs approved by the Chief Medical Officer. The goal in developing LB-260 was to protect young athletes, to educate coaches, parents, and student athletes about a concussion, and to help them understand the gravity of a concussion and the dangers of returning to activity before the injury is resolved. Everyone involved with the development of LB-260 understands that not all traumatic brain injuries will be prevented. However, through education and the distribution of accurate information the potentially life altering consequences of unrecognized, undiagnosed, and mismanaged concussions will be minimized.

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New ATC on Staff - Natalie Bumpas

By Cassie Metzner

This past summer there were changes within the UNO Athletic Training family. Lisa Schniepp left the department to move back to her home state of Minnesota working at TRIA Orthopaedic Center in Bloomington. With Lisa gone and the move to Division I there have been many changes made within the Athletic Training Department. One major change is the addition of Natalie Bumpas. Natalie is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana. After high school, she attended Indiana University where she received a Bachelors degree in Health Administration. She worked six years in health care which included working in a health care practice facility, a consulting company, and long term care. Eventually she decided to get a Bachelors degree in Athletic Training from Indiana University. At Indiana University, Natalie gained experience as a student with womens basketball, ballet theatre, field hockey, track/field, baseball, football, womens soccer, and a high school. Natalie also did a year internship at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina in the student health center. Once she finished her internship, she became a Graduate Assistant in the Athletic Training department at Iowa and studied Sports Management in order to understand the administrative side of athletic training. At Iowa she was positioned with the baseball team. Recently she worked at a Mets rehabilitation center for one season in St. Lucie, Florida. Now she is here at UNO working with the volleyball and softball teams. Throughout Natalies career she has seen many injuries, but one of her most memorable moments was when a baseball player was hit in the face by a fast pitch at a baseball game. The young man suffered a deviated septum, microfractures, and a concussion.

NSATA Conference News

By Cassie Metzner

The next NSATA summer meeting will be in Seward, Nebraska at Concordia University.

On July 8 the 2011 Nebraska State Athletic Trainers Association (NSATA) meeting was called to order. This summers meeting was held by Nebraska Wesleyan in Lincoln, Nebraska. The meeting included an updated report from each committees leader and guest speakers. Guest speakers for the two day convention were Dr. Scott Keller and Dr. Brad Hochtein from Synergy Chiropractic Spine and Joint Center, Jennifer Gloystein from the Postural Restoration Institute, Dr. Daniel Tomes from the Neurological and Spinal Surgery, and Dr. Robert Vande Guchte from Lincoln Orthopedic Center. The various topics these speakers spoke on were Active Release Techniques and functional assessment exercises, thorax alignment, concussions, and spinal injuries. On Friday night there was a fundraiser golf outing put on by the Nebraska Wesleyan students. After the golf outing the NSATA social event took place in which Certified Athletic Trainers and athletic training students could interact and become acquainted with one another. The next NSATA summer meeting will be held in Seward, Nebraska at Concordia University.

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NATA Conference News

By Melanie McGrath

The 62nd Annual National Athletic Trainers Association Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposia was held June 19-22, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. A record number of athletic trainers, healthcare professionals, exhibitors, and students attended the festivities at the Convention Center. UNO was well represented, as Rusty McKune, Melanie McGrath, and many alumni made the trip south. The Johnson & Johnson Keynote speaker was Archie Manning, who gave an inspiring presentation on leadership during difficult times. Interesting educational sessions were held on topics ranging from management of head injuries, screening athletes in order to prevent sudden cardiac death, and using evidence-based medicine to utilize appropriate therapeutic modalities. Dr. McGrath presented some original research Tuesday, examining how movement patterns and knee injury risk may be altered due to muscular fatigue. During the NATA General Session on Tuesday June 21, UNO ACI and long-time Millard South High School athletic trainer Craig Holz was honored with the Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer award. In addition, UNO Alum and former Graduate Assistant Robert Carmichael was honored with the College/ University Athletic Trainers Committee Head Athletic Trainer of the Year Award for his work at Culver-Stockton College in Missouri. Of course, no Annual Meeting in New Orleans would be complete without a trip to Bourbon Street, so the UNO Alumni party was held Monday at the Bourbon Cowboy Too. Former Program Director Micki Cuppett joined us, plus ACIs, instructors, and students from years past! We look forward to next years Annual Meeting in St. Louis, and hope that we will reunite many more alumni, friends and current members of the UNO Athletic Training family in June!

NATA Conference News - Students View

By Takeshi Kitamura

In June 2011, I attended the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) 62 nd Annual Meeting & Clinical Symposium in New Orleans. As everybody knows, the annual meeting is always the key for networking. Although it was my first conference, I met so many people (ATSs/ATCs) from all around the country and even from Japan. It was such a great opportunity to meet and network with peers and professionals from a wide variety of work settings (high school to pro teams) and talk with those individuals about experiences and struggles in this profession. It was definitely an excellent avenue of reaching out and networking.In the meantime, it was actually not only networking with a lot of great people, but also leaning tons of good stuff and educational materials. In three days, I attended 5-7 educational presentations; Wii rehabilitation, muscle energy techniques (learning lab), myofascial release techniques (learning lab), core and kinetic chain, scapular dyskinesis management, strain counter strain technique (learning lab), etc. There were more than 40 presentations every day, morning through evening and always more than two or three sessions that I wish I could be at the same time. Some parts of those sessions were almost over my head but the most part was at a level that I already learned in class and field experience and it took my depth of knowledge to a deeper level of understanding. I also enjoyed walking around the Trade Show to see the latest products (e.g. automatic spineboard) and services on the market and got a bag full of trade show giveaway items such as first aid kits, cold/hot gel packs, kinesio tapes, brochures etc. Overall, my first NATA annual meeting turned out to be one of my best experiences in my athletic training life. I learned a lot and met so many great people. I walked out of the convention feeling refreshed. We all may get drained at some point in our career, but dont want to get burned out. Going to the convention might refuel your system and get you going again.

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...And Internships Too!

Internships are just one aspect of the athletic training program. Undergraduate students and graduate students alike have the opportunity to do their internships after they have completed both the upper extremity and lower extremity courses. The internships can be completed with teams on UNOs campus during the year, or off campus during the summer with other sports teams and clinics. The following internships were completed over the summer by a few of the second year graduate students. AJ Ropers completed his internship with the Omaha Storm Chasers, Courtney Peart completed her internship at MultiCare Orthopedic and Sports Medicine in Tacoma, Washington, and Katie Heckenbach completed her internship at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Intern: AJ Ropers Experience: Omaha Storm Chasers Intern: Courtney Peart Experience: MultiCare Orthopdic and Sports Medicine Intern: Katie Heckenbach Experience: University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Omaha Storm Chasers

By AJ Ropers

For my summer internship I worked here in Omaha with the Omaha Storm Chasers. They are the AAA affiliate to the Kansas City Royals. My most memorable moment is a tough question. I really enjoyed working with the Omaha Storm Chasers and had many memorable moments. This isnt an athletic training moment, but I laugh every time I think about it. First, you have to understand that the players are really just big kids most of the time. During a game, (in the bull pen) a player was bet by other players including the other team that he wouldnt eat a frog. So for a certain amount of money the player ate the frog. After the game, he comes to me and tells me this and then wants to know if he should be worried about anything happening and why his stomach is upset. Needless to say I just shook my head and said hope the money was worth it, you should feel better tomorrow. Try some Pepto-Bismol. At this point in my internship I determined that athletes dont always get smarter, they just get older. As far as injuries, my internship was kind of boring. I didnt see much for interesting injuries. The team was pretty healthy throughout the season which was a good thing. If I had to choose, the most interesting injury was probably a moderate tear in the UCL of the thumb. I felt my internship went very well. I was able to work with a different group and caliber of athletes than I had before. Also working with a new athletic trainer opened the door for more learning. I learned lot from Dave and I felt he really did a good job of taking me to the side and explaining things I didnt know or feel comfortable doing. I really was able in increase my manual therapy knowledge and upper extremity exercise knowledge. I will be able to use these skills throughout my career. My internship really did help confirm my career path that I want to take after school. Going into my internship I didnt think I wanted to do professional sports. I was leaning more towards a career in a high school or a small college. After seeing all the crazy traveling and added administrative work you have to do with a professional sport, I really didnt want to be in a professional setting. The athletic trainer would always say, I spend my time doing non-athletic training duties and my time doing things Im actually paid to do. Dont get me wrong, this would be a good profession for a person not looking to start a family right away and someone who really enjoys traveling.

I determined that athletes dont always get smarter, they just get older.

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Summer Fun cont.

MultiCare Orthopedic and Sports
By Courtney Peart This summer for my internship, I travelled back to Washington State and was with MultiCare Orthopedic and Sports Medicine and was assigned to work with 4 of our doctors (3 surgeons and 1 sports medicine doctor), an ATC that served as a physician extender as well as a PT/ATC in our Rehab facility. For me, I think my most memorable moment was the first time I went with one of our surgeons to the Rainiers game (which is our AAA baseball team) and I got to go to batting practice and the athletic training room and help him with the players and then sit in the dugout for the game. I think my first time seeing a total knee replacement is right up there as well because we dont get to see those surgeries in the college setting. In this setting, I saw more injuries than I ever thought Id see from broken bones and torn ligaments to dislocated shoulders and chronic exertional compartment syndrome. In a doctors office you see everything and for me I dont know that one injury stuck out necessarily but I was able to experience different evaluation techniques, surgical techniques, treatments, rehabilitation protocols and so much more. My internship was truly indescribable. I had the most amazing experience and was mentored by a great ATC, PT/ATC and some of the top sports medicine doctors in the area. They really took me in, treated me as an equal and gave me more knowledge than I ever thought possible. I would have to say it confirmed my future job preferences. I absolutely loved working in a sports medicine office. I loved the diversity I saw every day and the new learning opportunities I had there. I was given opportunities that I dont think I would have been given anywhere else. I truly loved every minute I spent there and wouldnt trade it for the world. I hope to be able to return to my internship site once I graduate here.

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

By Katie Heckenbach

He was able to fully return to activity for his certification performance the day after the subluxation

My internship was at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. I was working with all of the summer intensive participants in the areas of Dance, Film, Music, and Stage Combat. One of the days we had a very slow afternoon, and their werent any patients scheduled to come in for a few hours; to try to get us all away from the computers and writing all of our dictations for a little while, Laura and David (my CIs) helped me experience all of their rehab equipment and explained how they used it in the performing arts medicine setting. It evolved from trying out a variety of rocker boards and balance tools into a slight competition between David and I doing super-difficult yoga balancing poses as Laura sat on a treatment table laughing at us. During my internship we had a stage combat student dislocate his shoulder the first weekend, and then sublux his patella the day before their certification performance. He mustve been really loose jointed overall. The really interesting part is he was still able to fully return to activity for his certification performance the day after the subluxation, with full knowledge that afterward he would be taking many weeks of rest. Overall, I feel that the internship went very well. I really feel that I gained a lot out of the experience, both as an athletic trainer and as a person. The experience and knowledge I gained will be very useful both in working with performers and athletes. This internship confirmed that Performing Arts/Dance Medicine is definitely a field I wish to pursue. I am able to relate to performers from my own background, and, as a result, I was able to really enjoy every day I worked in the clinic. In the future, I know I would be able to enjoy working as much as I once enjoyed dancing.

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Omaha Marathon By Holly Remmenga

Sweat, lots of sweat! That is what I was drenched in on September 25th, 2011 when a girl collapsed in my arms while I was working the Omaha Marathon as a M.A.T.S. first aid volunteer. As a first year graduate student in the athletic training program this event was my first big event I had the privilege of working and Id definitely say it was a good place to start. Multiple stations were available for the students to work at such as the first aid tent, the medical van, and where I was stationed, the finish line. This position was great because it allowed us to witness so many different first aid situations in one setting. We saw people collapsing from exhaustion, people enduring major muscle cramps, skin abrasions from falling, and even a couple of cardiac incidences. It was more than just the medical aspect that made the event rewarding. It was seeing the spectrum of emotions as people crossed the finish line. We saw everything from joy to frustration from tears to triumph. We were even lucky enough to watch two of our own cross the finish line, Kesli Huseman and Takeshi Kitamura. From all of us in M.A.T.S. wed like to say congratulations to these two. It was truly something to witness as each participant crossed the line and was presented with a medal for their accomplishment. After all that is one of the reasons we are doing what we do, so that we can help the athletes succeed, and what a memorable thing it is to see when they do. The Omaha Marathon was a full of excitement and emotion. From the medical aspect to the affirmation of why we do what we do, the Omaha Marathon was a great place for an impressionable graduate student to take her first step.

ATEP students running the Omaha Maration!! Kelsi Huseman Takeshi Kitamura

Dr. Walsh Yard Clean Up

By Jake Ulrich On a rainy day in September, five Maverick Athletic Training Students set out on a trip across town from the campus of UNO to Dr. Michael Walshs house to do some raking for their beloved team physician. Once the students arrived they quickly came to find that they had a much larger task than raking. As he always does, Dr.Walsh greeted the students with a smile and excitement. As Dr.Walsh began to explain what he wanted the students to do, they all quickly realized that a simple trip to do some raking was no longer in the cards I would like to have all of the flowers trimmed, garage swept, weeds pulled the list went on. As the students got to work, there was a slight break in the rainy weather and their moods picked up, somehow five college students had smiles on their faces while doing yard work on a dreary Sunday afternoon. However, Mother Nature had other plans and the rain began to down pour just as quickly as it had stopped. Dr. Walsh stood inside looking on through the windows of his house with a slightly evil smile on his face. As the hours wore on, Dr. Walshs yard began to look better and better. Finally, after 3 hours of work, Dr. Walsh put down his cup of coffee and came outside to thank the students and provide them with a very generous reward for all of their hard work. Thank you to Dr. Walsh and the hard work of the five students who braved the rain on that Sunday afternoon, the M.A.T.S. bank account was given a generous boost and Dr.Walsh had the best looking front yard in his neighborhood.

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Alumni Corner with Scott Matthias

1. Brief history of "you"... Where you are from. I grew up in Omaha, NE Year you graduated from UNO I graduated in 2001 Where you are currently. Ive currently been living in Hawaii for the past 5 years. My wife and I along with our two kids will be moving back to Omaha next summer to be closer to family. 2. How did you become interested in athletic training? Like many athletic trainers I had a few injuries while I was active in sports. Due to my experiences and interactions with my athletic trainer I grew to like and respect the profession. 3. What drew you to UNO? Ive always enjoyed the Omaha area and felt that UNO was a good fit for me. I started school with the intention of eventually becoming a pharmacist but athletic training lured me away. 4. What was your favorite memory from UNO as an athletic training student? Were there any events that you covered that stick out? Any injuries that stick out? I have too many favorite memories to list. We were a tight knit group of students who worked long hours together and always managed to have fun together during our down time. As far as injuries go, Im glad the school got rid of the old-style turf. There were too many turf burns and torn ACLs on that porchcarpet material. 5. Where are you currently working? I resigned from my job last year as the head athletic trainer at a high school here on Oahu to care for our daughter. We have a new little boy now too so that makes things even more hectic. Ill get back into the workforce in a couple years. 6. Please describe a "typical" day as an Athletic Trainer and your primary responsibilities. What is your current sport assignment? Ill answer this pertaining to the HS job I left last year. I would typically have 45 minutes for after school treatments, about 45 minutes of taping up our football players, and finally I would treat our more serious rehab athletes while practices were going on. 7. What is your favorite part about your job? I have always enjoyed the relationships formed during the rehab process. Theres more time for communication and usual a mutual respect is discovered. I do love being able to work outside too. 8. What has been your greatest career accomplishment (s) to date? I have worked in the following settings: university - Rockhurst, industrial Industrial & Physical Capability Services, professional Orlando Magic, KC Explorers, and KC Knights, secondary school Kahuku and Nanakuli, amateur Disneys Wide World of Sports. Ive been fortunate to always land jobs wherever I go and I attribute that to my background at UNO. My wife is under contract for one more year with military and then we can finally settle down where we wantJ 9. Do you have any pieces of advice for our future Athletic Trainers? With your education at UNO you will be able to work practically wherever you want. Working in the more elite ranks usually requires a lot of sacrifice and time away from family so choose wisely. Be as adaptable and creative as you can be; my annual high school budget was about equal to the budget for one seasons worth of custom orthotics for a single NBA player.

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ATEP Students In Action!

With the help of Tim Fitzgerald, UNOs event photographer, we were able to catch some of UNOs Athletic Trainers (ATCs) and Athletic Training students (ATSs) in action. Take a moment to glimpse at the responsibilities of our ATCs and ATSs. With March nipping at our heels, it is important to recognize how truly important ATCs are to the sports medicine field and the integral role they play as physician extenders. Remember that March is National Athletic Training Month, so dont forget to thank an ATC for everything they do for our athletes!

Left: 3rd year UG: Josh Salinas, Sam Tienken, Sara Shively, Louise Patterson, and Jake Ulrich. Not pictured: Nicole RyleyBelow: 2nd year UG: Marcus Palimenio, Megan Stur, Kristin Cook, Anne Christiansen, Sam Steinspring. Not pictured: Katie Hill.

MATS Officers: Vice President Louise Pa tterson, Treasurer Sam Steins pring, President Jak e Ulrich, Secretary Stacy Dahlkoetter, and NS ATA Student Representat ive Katie Heckenbach
Left: 2nd year Grads: Katie Heckenbach, Heidi Murphy, Cassie Metzner, Courtney Peart, AJ Ropers, Stacy Dahlkoetter, Takeshi Kitamura, and Kelsi Huseman. Not pictured: Justin Annin

Above left: 1st year Grads: Cody Blackfod, Kendra Jorgenson, Lexie Eversley, Brandi Boston, Katie Goetzinger, Holly Remmenga, Anne Beethe, Yasunari Mita, and Katie Kittleson. Above right: Elisabeth Norman, Keaya Weber, Lindsey Egger, Lisa Maslowsky, Kari Stephens, Mark Dorman, Nick Hart, Micheal Buresh. Not pictured Yutaro Ikeo.

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FUN FACTS!
If you have ANY questions, please feel free to contact us! Thank you for reading MATS Fall Newsletter
Stacy Dahlkoetter Editor in Chief sdahlkoetter@unomaha.edu Cassie Metzner Newsletter Journalist cmetzner@unomaha.edu Katie Heckenbach Newsletter Journalist kheckenbach@unomaha.edu Kelsi Huseman Newsletter Journalist khuseman@unomaha.edu Melanie McGrath Advisor mmcgrath@unomaha.edu

The average cough comes out of your mouth at 60 miles (96.5 km) per hour. When you sneeze, all your bodily functions stop even your heart. The human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood 30 feet (9 m). The length of the finger dictates how fast the fingernail grows. Therefore, the nail on your middle finger grows the fastest, and on average, your toenails grow twice as slow as your fingernails. The only jointless bone in your body is the hyoid bone in your throat. Your stomach needs to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks or it would digest itself.

Upcoming events
High School Athletic Training Day December 3rd North Pole Event December 4th-5th

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