College of Chiropractic

DC Student Takes Career Dreams to the Ice Rink

As National Hockey League (NHL) legend Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” For trimester 10 student Ashley Fox, one shot—or, in her case, one Instagram message— was all it took for her to realize her dream of working with professional hockey players.

Ashley found a new way to network: social media. While scrolling through Instagram during her seventh trimester, she came across the profile of retired Boston Bruins player Jeff LoVecchio. Originally from St. Louis, Jeff now trains elite hockey players from the 18U AAA to the NHL level.

“He has over 11,000 followers on Instagram, so I didn’t think he would even see my message, but I thought, ‘Why not?’ and direct messaged him to see if there were any opportunities to work with him,” Ashley said. “He got back to me right away and invited me to come check out their gym and watch his training sessions.”

Before she knew it, Ashley was assisting Jeff’s athletes during training sessions. Now, having worked under Jeff’s leadership for the past year, Ashley is looking for the next opportunity in her path toward providing chiropractic care to professional hockey players.

“I want to work with hockey players because it’s an area of sports medicine that isn’t fully understood since they are biomechanically different than any other athlete,” Ashley said. “I want to create a space where I can observe their skating and see how I can help them improve while they’re on the ice.”

Originally from North Detroit, Ashley’s goal is to work as a team chiropractor for her hometown team, the Detroit Red Wings. On a recent trip to Detroit to observe the USA National Hockey Team’s training session, she ran into Missy Holas, DC, the Red Wings’ team chiropractor. The two connected, and Ashley is now under Dr. Holas’ mentorship.

“My biggest advice to other Logan students is to not be afraid to reach out, even if someone seems like they are high profile and out of reach,” Ashley said. “I’ve found that most people are willing to help others and want to spread their knowledge.”

Ashley is thankful for the opportunities she’s had at Logan to not only network and provide care to elite hockey players but also to specialize in her field by simultaneously pursuing her Master of Science in Sports Science & Rehabilitation (MS-SSR) degree. She’s gearing up for graduation this April and a lead clinician position for LifeClinic in Commerce Township, Michigan, where she will be running her own sports chiropractic clinic.

“If you focus your attention on one area throughout the entire program, you will discover so many treatment options for the sport you want to go into,” she said.

Ashley is excited to continue working toward becoming an NHL chiropractor while also paving the way for future Logan students interested in treating hockey players. This year, Logan partnered with St. Louis AAA Blues hockey, and Ashley worked with Logan faculty clinician Devon Akroyd, DC, MS, DACBSP®, Cert. MDT to cover hockey games at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Missouri.

“I’ve had amazing help from Logan; each of my clinicians has encouraged me and my career vision,” Ashley said.

Trimester 10 student Ashley Fox

Students Gain Sports Chiropractic Experience Through Affiliation with AAA Blues

After family chiropractic, DCs choose to specialize in sports chiropractic more often than any other area, according to a recent Chiropractic Economics survey.

“Athletes are turning to sports chiropractors for help minimizing injuries and maximizing performance more than ever before,” said Devon Ackroyd, DC, MS, DACBSP®, Cert. MDT, Logan faculty clinician. “We also have a lot of sportsminded students who are interested in being a part of this growing field, so it’s important to give them opportunities to gain experience through partnerships and professional affiliations with a variety of athletic organizations.”

Dr. Ackroyd recently worked with trimester 10 DC student Ashley Fox, who is also pursuing her Master of Sports Science & Rehabilitation (MS-SSR) degree, to establish a professional affiliation with St. Louis AAA Blues hockey, one of the premier Tier I AAA youth hockey organizations in the United States. With an interest in becoming a team chiropractor in the National Hockey League (NHL), Ashley had been assisting the organization’s players under the age of 18 (18U) during training sessions while Dr. Ackroyd was providing rinkside care at some of their games.

“Our connections, particularly Ashley’s, played a big role in furthering Logan’s relationship with St. Louis AAA Blues hockey,” Dr. Ackroyd said. “Now, the 18U athletes come to the Montgomery Health Center on a routine basis to be seen by our student interns, and we hope to expand the affiliation by serving the entire organization, which includes teams for both boys and girls at all age groups.”

Dr. Ackroyd has enjoyed working with Ashley to help her realize her dream of providing chiropractic care to professional hockey players.

“Ashley has everything it takes to be an outstanding sports chiropractor,” Dr. Ackroyd said. “In addition to her manual therapy ability, she has the essential social skills needed to connect and build trust with patients. My hope is that our partnerships and professional affiliations continue helping more students develop these essential qualities.”

In addition to being affiliated with AAA Blues hockey, Logan is also the official chiropractic partner for the University of Missouri-Columbia, the University of Memphis athletics and the Olympic-level USA Para Powerlifting. These relationships, as well as those with sports teams at Fontbonne University, Harris-Stowe State University, Missouri Rush Soccer Club, Platinum Athletics and others in St. Louis, provide opportunities for Logan students to gain real-world experience.

“These professional affiliations with athletic teams expose Logan’s DC students to the full range of services chiropractors can offer beyond just adjusting the spine,” Dr. Ackroyd said. “It includes helping athletes, like the AAA Blues, perform at the top of their game both on and off the ice.”

Dr. Devon Ackroyd