LOGAN, Utah – As student-athletes adapt to their collegiate environment, which includes the rigors of in-season and out-of-season training, the role athletic trainers and sports medicine staff play in the well-being of those individuals is paramount.
 
One could even say it is life-altering. 
 
The objective for all athletic trainers is the same – to provide student-athletes with the best possible surroundings for optimal health care. In doing that, they focus on the prevention, assessment, management, treatment, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries and overall well-being. 
 
"Everyone within Utah State University understands the critical role our sports medicine team plays on a daily basis with the care of our student-athletes," said Utah State University Vice President and Director of Athletics Diana Sabau. "They are the unsung heroes of our athletics department, and you cannot quantify the impact they make on our student-athletes."
 
Utah State Athletics' Sports Medicine team is comprised of 11 full-time athletic trainers, led by Mike Williams, Associate Athletics Director for Sports Performance Health & Wellness, along with two resident athletic trainers and four team physicians. Collectively, their mission is to provide a high standard of care and maintain the safety and health of everyone who participates in intercollegiate athletics at USU. 
 
And they provide this care every day, throughout the year.


 
"Utah State holds a special place in my heart," said Williams. "I went to school here and have worked at USU for the bulk of my career. The student-athletes that we have are incredible to work with. The year-round nature of practice, strength and conditioning, and competition places a lot of stress on them as students, athletes, and people. My staff and our entire sports medicine team take pride in giving our best to help them achieve success and compete at the highest level, both on the field of competition and in life. Our team is only a good as the team around us and with the recent progress in our department and influx of administrative support and resources, we look forward to increasing the support services and resources that we offer to our student-athletes. Our goal is to always be at the top in the conference when it comes to providing care to our student-athletes."
 
The Importance of Sports Medicine
Sports medicine personnel help student-athletes avoid injuries by providing guidance and injury prevention strategies. They also diagnose and treat injuries and provide specialized treatments.
 
In addition to the traditional role's sports medicine personnel play, they also oversee nutrition and mental health of the student-athletes. In doing so, sports medicine personnel can help student-athletes improve their performance by creating individualized training programs, providing nutritional guidance, and educating them about the importance of such things as rest, recovery, and reporting potential injuries.
 
"Our sports medicine staff is amazing and awesome to work with," said gymnast Brianna Brooks. "Over the course of my career, I've been able to get rehab and treatment to make me feel better and keep my body healthy to compete at the highest level possible. Having the resources we do is a game-changer and makes a huge difference for me personally."


 
The Importance of Emergency Action Plans
Along with its day-to-day responsibilities, the sports medicine personnel in the Utah State Athletics Department also oversee its emergency action plans for all student-athletes in conjunction with USU Police, Logan City Police and Cache County Search & Rescue.
 
These plans include protocols such as who travels with the student-athlete to the hospital following an injury, who notifies the family, and who meets the family.
 
The sports medicine staff has put USU's emergency action plan to use several times over the years.
 
On December 4, 2012, a men's basketball player went into full cardiac arrest during a practice. That player received immediate care from Williams and others, who performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and shocked his heart with an automated external defibrillator (AED).
 
Williams and his staff again faced a life-saving situation on the football field on March 23, 2023, as a football player suffered a non-traumatic sudden cardiac arrest during spring practice. He was immediately treated by USU's sports medicine staff, who performed CPR and used the AED to shock his heart back into rhythm.
 
In both situations, the quick actions of USU's Sports Medicine staff more than likely saved lives.
 
On Oct. 4, 2024, Aggie punter Stephen Kotsanlee suffered a broken leg during a football game inside Maverik Stadium. Kotsanlee credits USU's sports medicine staff for his recovery.
 
"Having the resources and expertise of our sports medicine staff was extremely important for me in my recovery and return to play process, and I am so thankful," said Kotsanlee. "To have that immediate care available to me following my injury was amazing. From taking me to the hospital and throughout the recovery process, our sports medicine team was my guiding hand to make sure I reached certain milestones. I wouldn't be back on the field and competing at the level I am without the resources afforded to me." 
 
Annual Training
With all the demands and worse-case scenarios placed on sports medicine personnel, every athletic trainer needs to know CPR, how to use an AED, and how to administer first aid to be certified. Their certifications are renewed annually.
 
In addition, they need to know everything from preseason physicals to emergency care, injury treatment and diagnosis, clinical examinations, therapeutic interventions, when and how to refer, as well as administration and professional legal responsibilities. Athletic trainers must complete an accredited curriculum and pass a national certification exam to become certified athletic trainers.
 
Benefits of Working in the Sports Medicine Field
Athletic training as a career does offer certain benefits. The profession provides immediate feedback in helping student-athletes succeed. Sports also provides those associated with it the high-adrenaline environment most jobs cannot. And no day is the same.
 
One may even get to be a hero and save a life, although the reality is, if you work in the sports medicine industry, you need to be ready on a moment's notice to perform at the highest level of your profession.