CU-Lock Haven athletic training student completes externship at Shippensburg University

Nestled between Pennsylvania's north and south mountain, about 45 minutes southwest of Harrisburg, lies Shippensburg University; a small NCAA Division II school with around 500 student-athletes.

For me, Shippensburg is considered home and there wasn't anywhere else I wanted to complete my full-immersion externship. I started there in January 2022, right in the middle of the winter sports season.

For the first couple of weeks, I worked primarily with basketball and wrestling athletes. Days were spent running athletes through rehabilitation, getting athletes ready for practice, checking the Emergency Action Plan and making sure the athletic training rooms were fully stocked. Wrestling has always been a favorite sport of mine and I was fortunate enough to be allowed to travel with the Shippensburg wrestling team to the 2022 NCAA D-2 regional wrestling tournament in Johnstown in late February.

My preceptor, Lock Haven University alumna Miranda Fisher MS, LAT, ATC, allowed me to be the primary athletic trainer on the mat for any blood or injury time. It was at this tournament that I got the news that I had passed my National Board of Certification exam and was one step closer to achieving my ultimate goal of becoming a certified athletic trainer.

The spring season allowed me to work primarily with the softball, women's lacrosse, tennis, field hockey and soccer teams. I feel this is when I really found my footing at Shippensburg. Working with the teams allowed me to grow as an athletic trainer, hone my professional skill set and apply the education I have gained over the last five years.

One of my favorite experiences with the women's lacrosse team was watching as they fought hard to ground out an 11-10 win against Georgian Court at the beginning of the season; partially due to the care I had provided the players.

I can now easily coordinate a daily routine including getting the multiple fields ready for practices, implementing comprehensive rehabilitation programs, evaluating new orthopedic and general medical injuries, completing documentation and organizing the athletic training room; much as I will need to do in the "real-world."

I worked with the best staff of athletic trainers to serve as my preceptors. Shippensburg sports medicine is led by Wes Mallicone, who has worked with the Philadelphia Eagles and Barcelona Dragons, among others. He brings a wealth of enthusiasm and experience to the work environment.

Working alongside Wes is his amazing team of Becky Fitz, Miranda Fisher and Tanya Miller. I got to work directly with Wes and Becky during the winter season and with spring football, while Tanya and Miranda were my guides working out of Henderson Gym this spring.

Becky helped me increase my knowledge of joint mobilizations for the ankle and IASTM using Rock Blades. Tanya is the legislative guru and instrumental in helping me get everything together for my professional licensure application. Wes showed me the administrative side of athletic training and helped me to better understand the many intricacies of health insurance. Finally, Miranda is a "jack of all trades" and was my number one mentor while at Shippensburg, due to her caring personality, calming demeanor and unwavering professionalism; truly someone to emulate in my own clinical practice.

Specifically regarding Miranda, it has been amazing getting to work beside and learn from a fellow Lock Haven graduate. Miranda graduated from Lock Haven's athletic training program in 2010 when it was still a bachelor's degree. She got a master's degree from California University of Pennsylvania in exercise science and health promotion with a concentration in sports psychology.

Miranda is a certified performance enhancement specialist and is the chairperson for the Department of Athletics Mental Health and Wellness Committee. She has been with Shippensburg University since 2011. A fun fact is that Miranda, Tanya and I all graduated from Big Spring High School in Newville, Pennsylvania.

I have grown so much during my time at Shippensburg University. I can honestly say that working with Wes, Becky, Miranda and Tanya has helped me become a better athletic trainer and I can't wait to see what the future brings as I apply the skills and life lessons they have instilled in me.