Sports Medicine students, led by athletic trainer Ken Ahlstrom with a well-trained student staff, provide medical and moral support to athletes who have been injured on the playing field. Sports Med deals with physical fitness and treatment, or prevention, of injuries related to sports and exercise. Treatment such as stretching the proper way, or helping the athlete become more efficient in the healthiest way possible.    

Sports Medicine is not just about helping the injured though, they also help athletes and coaches, as much as possible. Precaution taping is done before every practice and game to ensure the athletes are as safe as they can be. The students are at every game, ready to help out with anything the players might need.The Sports Med staff does not get to call it quits on weekends either; they are up as early as 7am on Saturdays to help athletes rehabilitate after games and injuries to get them ready for the week to come.

The Sports Medicine students had a chance to go on a field trip to the Naval Hospital on October 29th where they got to walk through and tour the hospital, and learn hands-on with professional surgeons and nurses.

”The hands on experience was the best part, we had to clean our hands and arms for so long that my arms got sore.” Said junior Gunnar Cook about his time preparing for an operation.

This was an incredible opportunity for students in the class who are really passionate in pursuing a career in Sports Medicine and other medical fields because the students got to experience the clothes they would have to wear, the environment they would be in, the seriousness of the situations they would be placed in, and how little room for error there really is.

The professionals at the hospital covered basic procedures, showing the students proper ways to give CPR, as well as showing the students how to insert, and remove, IVs.

“Who fainted this year?” Ahlstrom asked after a student fainted for the second year in a row. The class often deals with blood or vomit and may not be appropriate for those who find it hard to be around bodily fluids. Be aware if you intend to take the class next year.