WEEKLY SPOTLIGHT: A Tribute to NC Wesleyan’s Athletic
Training Staff
Rocky
Mount,
NC
- Most Bishop fans show up for games about ten minutes
ahead of time. They grab a game program, find a seat,
and watch a few minutes of warm-ups. They proceed to
applaud Bishop athletes as they knock down jumpers,
drive in runs, and score goals, unaware of the
behind-the-scenes work that went into getting those same
athletes into game condition. Whether it be nursing a
sprained ankle from the week before, treating
dehydration after an illness, or simply taping and
stretching an athlete prior to the game, the work of the
Athletic Training Staff at North Carolina Wesleyan often
goes on behind closed doors and is never fully
appreciated.
March, however, is National Athletic Training Month.
In support of the Athletic Trainers that we are blessed
to have on our staff here at Wesleyan, we focus this
spotlight
on those “behind-the-scenes” workers that are major
contributors to the success of our athletic squads.
The Bishops are fortunate to have a team of four
Certified Athletic Trainers on staff and two athletic
training rooms to service the 13 athletic teams on
campus. The Certified Athletic Trainers at Wesleyan work
hard to prevent, treat, manage, and rehabilitate
athletic injuries. They labor long hours and are often
the first to show up and last to leave; they sacrifice
nights and weekends for travel; they are frequently the
bearers of bad news and are forced to deal with
disappointment of coaches and players.
BUT…
They love their jobs. Combating those disappointments
are the joys of watching athletes overcome injuries and
find success. Making those long hours worthwhile are
the championships and big wins that they get to
celebrate with coaches and players.
SO…
We now salute Carol Carson, Nate Clark, Lauren Williams,
and Travis McCormack. Take time below to learn
something new about their profession and each of them
individually.
Definition of an Athletic Trainer
An
athletic trainer is a person who meets the
qualifications set by a state regulatory board and/or
the Board of Certification, Inc. He/She practices
athletic training under the direction of a physician.
His/Her duties include: providing physical medicine and
rehabilitation services; preventing, assessing, and
treating injuries (acute and chronic); coordinating care
with physicians and other allied health providers.
Mission Statement
The
mission of the Athletic Training Department at North
Carolina Wesleyan College is to provide for the physical
well being of the student athlete by providing quality
medical care through the prevention, treatment,
management, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries.
Head
Athletic Trainer / SWA
CAROL CARSON
Carol
Carson is in her 20th year as the Head Athletic Trainer
at North Carolina Wesleyan. Carson graduated from East
Carolina University in 1983 with a B.S. in School and
Community Health with an emphasis in sports medicine.
She went on to earn her Masters in Health and Physical
Education the following year. While earning her
masters, Carson also became a Certified Athletic Trainer
by passing her boards with the National Athletic
Trainers Association.
In
addition to her duties as head athletic trainer, Carson
also serves at NCWC's Senior Woman Administrator. She
is a 2006 Athletics Hall of Fame inductee.
ASSISTANT
ATHLETIC TRAINER NATE CLARK
Nate
Clark is in his fourth year as a member of the Bishop
Athletic Training staff. He
graduated from Lock Haven University in 2001 with a
bachelor's degree in Health Science.
Clark
went on to attend Ohio University where he worked as
graduate assistant and completed his Master's degree.
He spent one year working at Lafayette College before
joining the Wesleyan staff.
ASSISTANT
ATHLETIC TRAINER LAUREN WILLIAMS
Lauren Williams is in her third year on the North
Carolina Wesleyan Athletic Training staff. Williams
completed her undergraduate degree at Elon University
and went on to receive her Master's degree in Athletic
Training at the University of Virginia.
Prior
to coming to Rocky Mount, Lauren was a graduate
assistant at Virginia Military Institute.
ASSISTANT
ATHLETIC TRAINER TRAVIS McCORMACK
Travis McCormack is in his first year with the Bishops.
He is a graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan with an
undergraduate degree in Athletic Training. He went on
to attend Washington College, where he worked as a
graduate assistant and completed his Master’s degree in
Psychology.
McCormack spent the next year at the United States Naval
Academy where he worked as an intern athletic trainer
before joining the staff here at Wesleyan.
To
learn more about the Athletic Training department here
at NC Wesleyan, including hours of operation and
treatment options, please visit
http://annex.ncwc.edu/athletics/sports_medicine/index.htm.
A facility tour is also available via this site.
