University of Indianapolis’ athletic trainers join the coaches on the sidelines for games and practices
University of Indianapolis athletic trainers are on the sidelines of every practice and game for the UIndy athletes, hoping to assist in preventing injuries, but also ready to help if an injury occurs.
“The commitment is tremendous,” said assistant athletic trainer Brian Gerlach. “You have to truly enjoy doing what you do, because you’re putting in the same hours as an athlete on top of course work.”
Head football coach Bob Bartolomeo said that the NCAA allows the football team to practice up to 20 hours a week and that there are athletic trainers at all of the team’s practices.
The athletic training students are divided into different groups and given a certain sport in which they will have to attend all practices and games. Students start doing rotations of shifts in the athletic training room their freshman year and are admitted into the program their second semester of freshman year. Some of the assistance athletic trainers offer in the athletic training room includes injury prevention with taping and wrapping, icing after practices and games and rehabilitation treatments.
Assistant athletic trainer Renae Bomar has high regards for the program.
“I feel that the program offers the perfect mix of didactic education and hands-on learning through clinical experiences. Our students are very engaged and love to learn,” she said. “The phenomenal faculty and clinical instructors are great at supporting the students while challenging them at the same time. I really believe that our program speaks for itself through the fantastic and successful professionals that graduate.”
Junior athletic training student Amanda Hickle said that the program coursework and clinical really go hand- in-hand.
“We learn about it [athletic training] in class and talk about it, but don’t know how to deal with it until we experience it,” Hickle said. “That’s one really good thing about our program.”
Hickle has plans of going into physical therapy and feels that the athletic training program is doing a great job of preparing her. Athletic teams have individual meetings with the athletic trainers and athletes can set up individual appointment times as well. The athletic training room is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the Fall. Gerlach describes athletic training as an all the time job.
“The athletic training program is vital,” Gerlach said. “If we shut down, then the athletic program can’t successfully run as a whole.”
Bartolomeo agrees.
“We appreciate the athletic trainers and all they do for us. We could not survive without them,” said Bartolomeo.
Gerlach said that the athletes are very appreciative of the athletic trainers.
“They definitely understand all that we do for them, especially after their freshman year,” Gerlach said.
Gerlach describes the program as having unbelievable leadership and dedication from every student involved.
He also said that one of the biggest parts of the job is being able to earn the trust of the athletes and working as hard as they can to get them back on the field. According to Bartolomeo, the athletic trainers are well-prepared to deal with most injuries. However if the injury is significant, then the player is stabilized and sent to the doctor.
 “Athletic Trainers are important in the medical field because we are usually the first on the scene of an injury.  We serve really as an extension to the physician and/or therapist, so we have to be very knowledgeable in what we do,” junior Kyle Patrick said . “This program provides us with that knowledge and with life long connections that will help us long after we graduate.  The life of an AT [athletic trainer] student is very hectic and filled with hard work, but is always worth it in the end.”
 
 