Not just a game page 12
Impacting Performance special section
connect ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIP Randy Leite DEAN Sally Marinellie SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEAN, ACADEMIC AFFAIRS John McCarthy INTERIM ASSOCIATE DEAN, RESEARCH AND GRADUATE STUDIES Tia Barrett CHIEF FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER Kathy Spicer ASSISTANT DEAN FOR ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT Elizabeth Jones ASSISTANT DEAN FOR OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT Becky Zuspan ASSISTANT DEAN FOR STUDENT SERVICES Ginny Valentin SENIOR DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL OHIO PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS Regina Schwartz SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING Rebecca Robison-Miller SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS
SCHOOLS & DEPARTMENTS LEADERSHIP Dhiraj Vattem CHIEF SPONSORED RESEARCH OFFICER AND SCHOOL OF APPLIED HEALTH SCIENCES AND WELLNESS, DIRECTOR Tobe Gillogly DEPARTMENT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY HEALTH STUDIES, CHAIR Deborah Henderson SCHOOL OF NURSING, DIRECTOR Gary Chleboun SCHOOL OF REHABILITATION AND COMMUNICATION SCIENCES, DIRECTOR Tania Basta DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH, CHAIR
CONTRIBUTORS Graphic Designer: Lauren Bowers Writers: Joe Higgins, Regina Schwartz, Elizabeth Jones, Randy Leite Photographer: Lauren Bowers
CONNECT WITH US Connect is published for alumni, friends, faculty and staff of the College of Health Sciences and Professions at Ohio University. College of Health Sciences and Professions, W361 Grover Center, Athens, Ohio 45701, Phone: 740.593.1433. Ohio University is an Affirmative Action Institution. Visit us online at ohio.edu/chsp. Send letters to the editor at chsp@ohio.edu. ©Copyright 2018
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Not Just a Game
Rehab for Vets
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Breaking Barriers page 19
On the cover: Quentin Poling, exercise physiology graduate, was Ohio University’s football team caption and firstteam All-MAC selection. Read more on page 12 Fall 2018 | connect
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MESSAGE FROM OUR DEAN
t is hard to believe this is the tenth year that I have welcomed readers to our Connect magazine, or what was then known as The Atrium. A lot has happened in that time. Our college has been reorganized and renamed, our enrollment has grown from 2,600 to 9,300 students, we’ve moved into online education in a big way, opened our Central Ohio campus in Dublin, started new academic programs, and more than doubled our faculty and staff. There has been one constant, though. Through all of the growth and change, we’ve continued to maintain the highest quality in our programs and activities. Our graduation rates are among the highest at the University, pass rates on professional license exams far exceed those of our peer institutions, and our graduates continue to make a difference in lives every day. Connect gives us an opportunity to highlight some of the excellent work being done by our students, faculty and alumni. In this issue, we’ve highlighted achievements of those who focus on aspects of human performance. You will have an opportunity to read about some incredible alumni and faculty who have made names for themselves in collegiate and professional sports, faculty who research and treat injuries among athletes, and services provided to those interested in performing to their best ability throughout our region. I am amazed every day at the incredible work done to maximize performance, avoid injury and improve rehabilitation and treatment programs. I am sure you will be, too, after you read the stories contained in these pages. Of course, all of our success is only possible because of the support of our alumni and friends. I regularly tell our students that their experience is built on the shoulders of those who have come before them. So much of what we are is a function of what so many have done for us. I thank all of you who have so generously given of your time, treasure and talent over the years. I also invite you to consider how you might support our programs and our students in the future. Whether it is taking the time to speak with students, making a financial donation, serving on an advisory council or providing other forms of support, you can help us make a difference every day. I also invite you to stop by and see us if you are in the area. We are so proud of our renovated facilities in Grover Center and everything that is happening here. We will gladly show off the space a bit if you want to stop by for a visit.
Dean Randy Leite
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IMPACTING PERFORMANCE
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hey say nothing worth doing in life is easy. For Meredith Howe, managing the time commitment needed to be a successful collegiate athlete and a nursing major isn’t easy but the energetic junior knows that, and wouldn’t change a thing. The Grand Rapids, Michigan, native discovered volleyball in the fifth grade and made the choice to leave soccer in the eighth grade to focus exclusively on the sport. From practices and camps to playing on the school and club volleyball teams, Howe became involved in the game yearround. The defensive specialist aspired to play in college and that brought her to Athens, Ohio.
“Time management is a huge part of it. We have a structure on the team that is very academically focused with check-ins with our assistant coaches and staff every week,” said Howe. “Our first hour of travel (for away games) is dedicated to just study hall and we have six hours of study hall every week. At first, it’s hard but there are ways to develop good study habits so that it becomes second nature.”
“My recruiting process wasn’t too long. When I came on (OHIO’s) campus, I knew it was absolutely the perfect fit. The team and the coaches made it feel like home,” she said. “The other schools I visited didn’t have the same feel. This was where I wanted to be.”
In addition to being the academic captain for the team, Howe is also charged with providing a number of intangible contributions to the squad. She reads the body language of her teammates throughout the game and provides a spark of energy while also lighting a fire under the players when needed.
Howe came to OHIO undecided on a major but had often thought about pursuing a career in nursing.
As a nursing major, the knowledge Howe has received from her classes has benefited her athletically.
“I knew I wanted to do something where I was moving and didn’t want a desk job,” she said. “On the first day of classes, I thought ‘Why am I not just doing it?’ I got in (the pre-nursing program) on the first day of classes.”
“When I’m three months into the season and my body’s fatigued, I’ve learned a lot about how to take care of myself both with nutrition and physical needs like icing,” said Howe. “In this demanding major, there will be study sessions of 6-8 hours and that’s helped me develop the discipline of prolonged focus. That’s transferred over to volleyball in three-hour long practices or games where you have to stay active and stay focused.”
Already finding a perfect fit with the volleyball team, Howe found satisfaction with the nursing classes as well. “I love the courses. I love studying for my classes, which makes me sound like such a nerd, but I absolutely love it,” Howe said. “I’ve always been interested in the science field and the health field. I really enjoy it.” Either playing a collegiate sport or studying nursing would demand a lot of time. How does she do both?
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Upon graduation, Howe may pursue travel nursing to see more of the country. She’s also considering graduate school to study anesthesiology or become a nurse practitioner. “Volleyball’s been a huge part of my life. It’ll be bittersweet and I’ll miss it but I’m excited for what’s coming after volleyball,” she said. 3
Hall of Fame
The pinnacle of athletic achievement at Ohio University is the Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame while the peak of athletic training in Ohio is the Ohio Athletic Training Association (OATA) Hall of Fame. Both are located about 100 yards away from each other on the Athens campus.
KERMIT BLOSSER OHIO ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME est. 1965
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270 members
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8 CHSP alumni
location: OHIO Convocation Center Ohio University College of Health Sciences and Professions Alumni
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Barbara L. Miller, Hearing and Speech Science '73
Joshua D. Ritchie, Exercise Physiology '98, '99
Robert E. Brenly, Athletic Training '77
Jacqueline J. Visscher, Nutrition '01
Kathy W. Thompson, Hearing and Speech Science '83
Laura K. Cobb, Community Health '04, Nursing '12, '17
Tracy L. Furman, Physical Therapy '91
Melissa S. Griffin, Hearing, Speech, Language Science '08
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IMPACTING PERFORMANCE
OHIO ATHLETIC TRAINERS’ ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME est. 1990
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73 members
original location: OHIO Convocation Center
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13 CHSP alumni and faculty |
current location: OHIO Grover Center
Ohio University College of Health Sciences and Professions Alumni and Faculty Al Hart, Head Athletic Trainer '58-'71
Paul Miller, Athletic Training '79
Ken Wolfert, Athletic Training '65
Terri Angelo, Faculty '79-'82
Larry Starr, Athletic Training '68
Gregory Behrens, Athletic Training '82
Charles “Skip” Vosler, Faculty '71-'97
Jeff Will, Athletic Training '83
Gary Lake, Faculty '71-'74
Michael Medich, Athletic Training '89
Ken Rusche, Athletic Training '73
Brian Hortz, Athletic Training '95
Owen Keller, Athletic Training '76
IMPACTING PERFORMANCE
Larry Starr (top right) and Fritz Hagerman (bottom right).
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Pillars of CHSP changed the landscape of health sciences in MLB
thletes today are bigger, leaner, faster and stronger than ever before. In Major League Baseball (MLB), that may not have been the case if it weren’t for three icons of Ohio University’s College of Health Sciences and Professions. Fredrick “Fritz” Hagerman, Marge Hagerman and Larry Starr are each renowned in different ways for their careers and contributions to health sciences. What is not as well-known is the incredible impact they had on the game of baseball as they introduced groundbreaking concepts that every team continues to employ today. Starr is a member of state athletic training halls of fame in Florida and Ohio as well as the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame. He is also a recipient of Ohio University’s Alumni Medal of Merit Award. Fritz Hagerman founded the exercise physiology program at OHIO and was a consultant for the U.S. national rowing team for more than 40 years, through eight Olympic Games and dozens of world rowing championships. Prior to his death in 2013, he was granted USRowing’s Jack Kelly Award which recognizes those who serve as an inspiration to American rowers through superior achievements in rowing, service to amateur athletics and success in a chosen profession. Marge Hagerman, spouse of Fritz Hagerman, is an innovator in the fields of nutrition and dietetics. She is a former director of the dietetic program at OHIO and provided the vision and leadership that helped create the success enjoyed by the program today. In addition to their individual achievements, Starr and the Hagermans worked together to create a legacy of athletic achievement at peak levels through health sciences.
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A shooting “Starr” Starr took classes under Fritz Hagerman in graduate school and worked with him as an athletic trainer when Hagerman began physiological testing on Bobcat football players in 1968. Hagerman, according to Starr, was ahead of his time with the level of testing he was conducting. Prior to the start of the 1972 MLB season, Starr was hired by the Cincinnati Reds as the head athletic trainer. The Reds won the World Series that season and finished second in the division in both 1973 and 1974. From the beginning, Starr wanted to implement strength training and Hagerman’s physiological testing but the idea was not well-received from the team’s administration. At the time, scouts, managers and owners were only concerned with how well a player could run, throw and hit. Players were not organized in their workouts, they just “did their own thing,” Starr said. Starr approached management about purchasing $15,000 worth of strength training equipment. Nearly everyone in the room shot down the idea, believing weights to be the worst thing for a baseball player. “I told them I wasn’t trying to create bodybuilders. I was trying to improve weaknesses and create balance in muscle strength and improve flexibility and endurance,” said Starr. General Manager Bob Howsam sided with Starr but noted the opposition in the room and warned Starr “not to screw it up.”
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With the strength training program in place, the Reds went on to win the World Series in 1975 and again in 1976. The team boasted five Hall of Fame players. That next offseason, Starr got a call from Howard “Hopalong” Cassady, a Heisman Trophy winner and the strength trainer of the New York Yankees — the team the Reds had just finished off in a sweep. Cassady was directed by Yankees owner George Steinbrenner to find out what the Reds were doing in the weight room. Starr invited Cassady to visit the facilities and learn about the program; Cassady then took that knowledge back to New York. The next two seasons, 1977 and 1978, brought the Yankees World Series rings. “For four years in a row, the only people in baseball lifting weights were winning World Series rings,” said Starr. “People started to see the need and (the program) took off from there.” Starr explained that the strength training program wasn’t about getting everyone on the team lifting as much weight as possible. He said baseball players needed aerobic and explosive power. Being able to generate bat speed, sprinting from base to base and jumping and diving to make a catch are more important than sheer strength.
Strength in numbers As the strength training program progressed, Starr often talked to Fritz Hagerman, a huge baseball fan himself, and got advice. Hagerman noted the success of the program but questioned whether it was individualized enough to gain maximum efficiency. The next step was to implement the physiological testing Hagerman was known for. In 1981, a group of six Reds players were brought to Ohio University for a pilot study. Players were tested for their maximum rate of oxygen consumption (VO2), body fat percentage and overall strength and flexibility of the shoulder, trunk and legs. Isokinetic testing for muscular endurance and a modified Wingate (used by rowers for anaerobic work of the upper torso) were also included in the tests. Starr said players would pedal on a stationary bike for one minute against a resistance based on their weight, which allowed tracking of explosive power and endurance. The results from all the testing allowed for individualized training recommendations. In 1982, Hagerman introduced the testing at the Reds’ spring training. There were still players who weren’t keen on the testing and training, however. “I didn’t tell a player that if they did all this, they’d be a better player. I couldn’t guarantee that,” said Starr. “Fritz and I used to tell them that if they liked to play baseball and make money and wanted to do this longer, conditioning at the level we thought they needed would let them maintain the level of performance they wanted throughout the season and from season to season.” Pretty soon, calls from other organizations came in wanting to know more about physiological testing.
Adding to the team After a couple of spring training seasons, Fritz Hagerman approached Starr about adding a new element to the programs. “Fritz said, ‘You know, I come as a team.’ I was thinking he wanted to bring in more exercise physiologists. He said, ‘My team is me and Marge,’” Starr remembered. “Marge Marge Hagerman was a wonderful woman and I was all for it. Tobacco was still being used a lot in the game back then and we didn’t talk about nutrition in baseball. It was a logical transition to bring Marge in and she was tremendous.” Marge Hagerman did not criticize players’ food choices nor did she force anyone to meet with her. Starr said her demeanor was endearing and welcoming for the players. “I thought I’d have to coax players to meet with her,” he said. “Instead, we had to make reservations because she was so booked.” “Some of them weren’t 100 percent on board but they were willing to meet and I didn’t have a problem with that,” said Marge Hagerman. “They’d never done this before. I just listened mostly, talked when it was important and laid out a path for why they were there. When they understood what was involved, they were pretty much all on board.” Without revealing the name of the player, Starr said a pitcher for the Reds credits Marge Hagerman with saving his life. Starr said the player would consistently lose between 16-20 pounds during the season. Working with Hagerman, they found that almost 60 percent of his diet was alcohol. “Marge sat down with him and showed him what he needed to do to change his body. He did, and when I talk to him to this day, he still says he can’t thank Marge enough,” said Starr. Another pitcher Marge Hagerman worked with was able to increase his health and endurance by lowering his body fat percentage from 19 percent to 12. That following season, he pitched a perfect game. Fritz and Marge Hagerman were not paid by the Reds, rather they acted as consultants and were enthralled by the work. “We were just doing it because we liked it and it needed to be done,” said Marge Hagerman. “Some of the food the team was serving players … they just didn’t know what was right for an athlete’s body. Some of the players didn’t know proper nutrition either. They just had a talent so here they were. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was just different then.” During that time, Marge Hagerman wrote a booklet titled “Behind Home Plate” that contained information for players on how to shop for groceries, prepare meals and eat healthy. She was asked to speak at several professional baseball teams’ spring trainings and became the go-to source for nutrition in baseball. In 1990, the Reds won another World Series.
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From the Reds’ machine to magic with the Marlins Prior to the 1993 season, the Florida Marlins were created as an MLB expansion team. Starr became the team’s charter head athletic trainer and the Hagermans followed. Dave Dombrowski, now the president of operations for the Boston Red Sox, was the general manager for the Marlins at the time. “Larry was already regarded as one of the top athletic trainers in the game of baseball at that point. His record spoke for itself,” said Dombrowski. “He brought us cutting-edge philosophies and thought processes and was right on top of everything. We take for granted now what he, Marge and Fritz were doing then.” Dombrowski said the success of Starr and the Hagermans in Florida came from their ability to communicate and understand players. “They wanted to make it work but they knew if they pushed too much, there’d be resistance. They handled it in a very fine fashion,” he said. Just four years into their existence as a team, the Marlins won the World Series in 1997. Starr pushed for the Hagermans to receive rings in honor of the achievement. When the season opened in 1998, the team was presented with the rings. Starr surprised the Hagermans at a restaurant in Athens by showing up unannounced and delivering a ring for each of them. It was the first one for Marge Hagerman.
“We all thought Fritz would get one. He had from Cincinnati but I didn’t think about whether I would,” said Marge Hagerman. “I was overwhelmed. It was very special.” Larry Starr and Fritz Hagerman with “It’s hard to Florida Marlins’ World Series trophy. measure those contributions but there was no question that they helped us win that season,” said Dombrowski. “They were a very important part of what we were able to accomplish.”
“I don’t think there’s any question that Fritz and Marge were ahead of their time,” said Starr. “They were pioneers in professional baseball. Just look at sports science and nutrition now. There isn’t a professional baseball team or Division I football program in the country that doesn’t have at least one sports nutritionist on their staff.” “(The Hagermans) talked about how lucky they were to be involved in baseball. Baseball was lucky to have them,” Starr added. Starr, Marge and Fritz Hagerman created a standard for health science in sports that has impacted all of Major League Baseball and beyond. “There’s no question about it,” said Dombrowski. “I don’t think many people know that it started with them but I think right now you’d be safe to say that all organizations have some type of program that is based on what they started.”
Student collaboration powers first aid tent for Bobcat games Ohio University football games have medical personnel to care for the players and emergency medical service professionals to tend to any major injuries. But what about the run-of-the-mill scraped knee due to a child running around, a bad bee sting, simple cuts or falls that may require some ice? The College of Health Sciences and Professions and the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine answered that question four years ago by starting a first aid tent staffed by students from the Heritage College and CHSP’s School of Nursing (SON). Two nursing students and two medical students staff the tent during each home football game along with a physician or faculty member from the Heritage College and faculty from SON, according to Eliza Harper, assistant professor for SON and the coordinating faculty member for the initiative. The tent is located near the EMS setup station, allowing mutual support for both entities.
“We’re there to serve the community as they cheer on our Bobcats,” Harper said. While the first aid tent primarily engages in basic first aid, such as providing ice for bruises, applying bandages to cuts, flushing eyes or tending to someone due to the heat, the students have also helped address more serious issues. A woman who had recently undergone a surgery needed her leg wound redressed and they also assisted EMS staff with a more critical, possibly life-threatening incident in the stands. Harper touts the first aid tent as a way for nursing and medical students to not only learn to work together but to also gain important experience working outside of an office or hospital and in a community environment. “I think a big part of nursing and medicine should be serving the community and actually being involved,” said Harper. “This gets our students out there. They may have gone to a football game as a student but this is actually being there in a different capacity and the students very much enjoy it.”
IMPACTING PERFORMANCE
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Going with ElliptiGO
unning is excellent exercise but, like most athletic endeavors, it comes with its own set of risks and injury possibilities. When injured, a runner can find it difficult to maintain peak performance levels. In an effort to determine whether its outdoor elliptical bike could help, ElliptiGO entrusted qualified staff at Ohio University to conduct a number of studies. Exercise physiologist Ian Klein (B.S. ‘12, M.S. ‘15), an alumnus of the College of Health Sciences and Professions and current lecturer at OHIO, is in the process of leading his third study on ElliptiGO bikes.
this bike was something else. The closer you can get to running when you’re injured, the better. This bike was the perfect thing for that.” In his first study, the performances of experienced runners were compared for four weeks of running against four weeks of riding the ElliptiGO bike using the same volume, intensity and other variables. Klein said they found the fitness level before and after was no different between the running and ElliptiGO tests. Building off of that, the second study researched the effect of using the ElliptiGO for half of a runner’s training regimen and traditional running training for the other half.
“It looks like you’re running on air.”
“It looks like you’re running on air. It’s similar to an elliptical but they’ve designed it with a few things that make it more running-like. It has longer stride lengths, your feet raise when you pedal through and you’re standing so you’re using more core stability,” Klein said. “(ElliptiGO) wanted to know if you could ride this bike as a runner who is injured and still perform later on when you need to.”
According to its website, ElliptiGO’s co-founders Bryan Pate and Brent Teal created the world’s first elliptical bicycle in 2006 to cater to those looking for an outdoor cardiovascular workout with minimal impact on joints. To date, more than 20,000 bikes have been sold. In 2013, ElliptiGO approached OHIO about doing research studies on the bikes, citing the University’s strong exercise physiology research reputation. At the time, Klein was a master’s student looking for a thesis. “This was right down my alley,” he said. “I’m a former runner and I was coaching cross country. I’d been injured three times and tried the pool and done the biking but Fall 2018 | connect
“We found the same, if not better results as the first study,” Klein said. “Runners were feeling less soreness but they were still able to maintain their 5K times so the results have been good.” The current study seeks to compare the maximum rate of oxygen consumption (VO2) on the treadmill against the VO2 maximum on the ElliptiGO to see if a runner can obtain the same values on both. The study should yield results this fall. Klein is no stranger to using the ElliptiGO himself. “I thought it’d be like you were galloping but it was a very controlled motion and I felt safe doing it. I’ve done a couple of races and a triathlon with it,” he said. “I also did a 12-hour ElliptiGO ride the company set up. There were 10 of us in that race. I wasn’t sore after but I was very tired. Running a marathon, you can barely walk after. That next day (after the ElliptiGO race) I could walk, I just didn’t want to,” Klein said with a laugh. 9
OHIO
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IMPACTING PERFORMANCE
PT grads find love and career fulfillment
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s 2-year-old Grayson toddles around looking at the animals at the Columbus Zoo, a large smile flashes across his face when his sees the elephants — one of his favorite animals. While he may not know it yet, just a few exhibits down lies another animal significant to him and his family — the bobcat. Grayson’s parents are Matthew and Samantha Amway, both physical therapists employed by Ohio State University and both graduates of Ohio University. In their time as Bobcats, not only did the two learn the skills they would need to build successful and rewarding careers, they also found love in each other. While Matthew was the first to obtain his doctorate degree (DPT ’11), Samantha (DPT ’12) was the first to be employed at Ohio State University. They have now worked together at separate clinics for more than five years. Matthew, an avid sports fan, participated in athletics throughout his youth and had a penchant for the science and anatomy side of athletics. He was drawn to physical therapy (PT) due to the amount of relationship-building he gets to experience with patients. Often, physical therapists will spend 45 minutes or more working with a patient, which allows a strong bond to form. Matthew also likes the “detective” aspect of the work and being able to help people regain a healthy and active lifestyle. Samantha grew up a dancer and started her academic career at OHIO as a dance major with plans to double major in exercise physiology. A shoulder injury in high school, however, required surgery in college and Samantha’s plans changed. She decided to focus on exercise physiology and change dance to a minor. When it came to why they chose OHIO, both Matthew and Samantha speak highly of the University. “OHIO was a great option for me. The more I learned about the school, the more I liked what I found,” Matthew said. “I thought OHIO did an awesome job in the PT school. The faculty and staff were very giving of their time and I never felt I couldn’t come to them with a problem or question. OHIO’s campus has a mystique about it.” “I had a lot of family who went to OHIO so it always felt like home to me,” added Samantha. “I made some of my best friends there.” Fall 2018 | connect
The two met while Matthew was in his second year of the doctorate program and Samantha in her first. A group skiing trip allowed them to get to know each other and a short time later the couple began dating regularly. “I’m not a huge runner but I remember that year I would go on runs with Sam just to try to impress her,” Mathew said. “I remember running up and down Jeff Hill…” Around the time they graduated, they rescued a cat together and named him Rufus. In 2014, the couple married. Some of Matthew’s clientele include Central Ohio high school players and college or professional athletes. A highlight in his young career includes helping a Division I football recruit in high school recover from a significant shoulder injury. Matthew pointed out that athletes at that level are watched closely and that it was important to his patient to not only recover quickly, but also to recover fully so that he would not damage his chance at a scholarship. Matthew happily reported that the player was able to participate fully in his senior season and earned a full-ride scholarship. Samantha has stuck close to the dance scene. She works with the performing arts medicine team to assist gymnasts, figure skaters, musicians, dancers and other types of performing artist. Samantha also works with BalletMet, an opportunity that resulted in bittersweet feelings. Although she is no longer able to dance at the level she would have liked, she takes great pride in being able to help other dancers achieve their goals. “It’s emotional. A large part of my life growing up was dance but I look at my son and my husband and I love my life and the life we’ve built,” she said. “I can still get in my dancing if I want to but even more I’m able to relate to these dancers. When I was dancing, wellness wasn’t on the forefront. It’s fulfilling to help them.” The Amways like to stay active in their spare time. Matthew is a foodie so the two like to try out new restaurants, bars and craft beers. In addition to hiking and biking trails, the Amways visit parks and splash pads and attend festivals. Grayson, of course, is a large part of all that they do. Perhaps one day he’ll say the bobcat is his favorite animal after all.
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IMPACTING PERFORMANCE
Bobcat Great earns spot with NFL team
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uentin Poling has been beating the odds for a long time, from growing up in the “two-road” town of Gomer, Ohio, to earning his way onto the football field at OHIO. Poling now continues to claw his way through the gridiron world, doing so as a member of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. Poling graduated from Elida High School along with about 180 other students, more people than the population of his hometown. He came to OHIO without a lot of attention but transformed into one of the OHIO Bobcats’ greatest players. In five years with the team, Poling was named First Team All Mid-American Conference linebacker twice. He holds the career solo tackle record with 219 and is in the top 10 in total tackles with 373. He’s tied for sixth with 19 tackles in a single game. He’s second overall in career tackles for loss at 43.5, tied for first with most interceptions in a game (3) and most interceptions returned for a touchdown in a game and for a career (2) and he’s third on the all-time sacks list with 18.
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IMPACTING PERFORMANCE All of the hard work paid off in April when the Miami Dolphins called his name in the seventh round of the NFL draft. “It’s still a little surreal. I’ve just been doing the same thing I’ve been doing my whole life. Now I’m getting paid for it,” he said. “It’s football. It’s a game but it’s also a job now. I just come at it mentally every day with the fact that I get to keep playing the game that I love. It makes it more enjoyable. I’m not there just to try to collect a check.” In high school, Poling visited a number of college campuses, some in metropolitan areas, but that didn’t appeal to him. “I enjoy things like hiking and fishing. Really, the Athens area is a lot more beautiful than the flats of Northwest Ohio where I’m from,” said Poling. “It was a nice changeup but still had the landscape and the environment that I really enjoy.” Academically, Poling was drawn to OHIO’s exercise physiology program. As a student athlete, summer training was a necessity so Poling also continued taking courses. Strategically, he loaded up during his first two years so he could spend more time and effort on football later in his collegiate career. In December, he graduated after already walking through the ceremony the previous spring with his classmates. Poling said he may still pursue studies as a physician assistant.
All the preparation led to one night in April when Poling’s phone rang. Actually, it rang a lot. “I started getting phone calls in the beginning of the fifth round from teams on free-agent recruiting pitches. Basically, if I wasn’t drafted, they’d talk about signing me as a free agent,” he said. “The phone’s ringing every five minutes which is stressful because you answer every one and you’re not sure if it’s ‘the call’ or another recruiting call. Every time was like a mini-rollercoaster.” Prior to the draft, Poling had visited Kansas City, Minnesota, New Orleans and Miami and starred those locations on his list of possibilities. Finally, Miami called and it wasn’t a recruiting pitch. Poling was outside while his father, Kenny, stepmother, Joanne, and fiancée, Shelby, all waited at the television. “I ran into the house moments before it came on TV and I pointed and gave a thumbs up, then bolted back outside to finish the phone call,” he said. Kenny Poling told his son how proud of him he was and his Bobcat friends and family shared in that pride. Quentin Poling was the only Bobcat to be drafted for the NFL in 2018. In the preseason, Poling had eight tackles and assisted on four others, tied for sixth highest on the team. In September, Poling was signed to the Dolphins’ practice squad.
Studying exercise physiology gave Poling knowledge regarding why training and recovery worked in certain ways. He said that made him more confident in what he was doing off the field to prepare for work on the field.
Photos courtesy of Miami Dolphins and Ohio University Athletics Fall 2018 | connect
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IMPACTING PERFORMANCE
MORE THAN Concussion recovery in adolescents requires more
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hen a high school athlete suffers a concussion, getting back in the game is not always the main priority. A study led by Ohio University’s Laura Harris, PhD, associate clinical athletic training professor in the College of Health Sciences and Professions, indicates that returning to learning and rejoining peers in school is even more important to the athlete and also to recovery. Focus groups of high school athletes who had suffered a concussion, but were already deemed asymptomatic and fully returned to learning and play, were selected. In each case, the athletes reported they had not been able to return academically to the level they attained prior to the concussion and that homework took twice as long with frequent breaks needed. Whatever subject matter was the most difficult to comprehend prior to concussion became magnified post-concussion. While cognitive rest is widely accepted as a protocol for recovery from concussion, the study found that exclusively using that technique did not always lead to the best outcomes for adolescents. “The two largest coping mechanisms used by adolescents are peers and physical activity so those shouldn’t be taken away,” Harris said. “Hormonally and neurologically, the brain does not function the same way in adolescence as it does in adulthood. My greatest concern with the social isolation imposed by cognitive rest is that we may create other problems in concussion recovery with adolescents.” The students revealed they were not always following the recovery protocol — they were doing things like playing video games and listening to music using headphones. They were trying to do their normal activities again to the point where the symptoms would become unbearable and they would have to stop. Harris said the students were asked what might make them more compliant. “They wanted to negotiate,” she said. According to Harris, compromise with the students was enthusiastically received.
The study’s recommendation places the priority on returning to academic life with rest emphasized. After two days, controlled academic activities can begin. Harris said protocols should be individualized to the athlete with the focus on returning to the academic portion of their lives before the athletic portion. An important finding in the study was that an influential guidance counselor was imperative to the reintegration of the athlete. She said that teachers will often give exams and make-up work all on the first day the player comes back to school. “They can’t concentrate the same way and their grades slip which adds more stress to the recovery,” said Harris. “If a kid is out of school for a week (due to concussion), the teachers need to throw the busy work away. If exams have been missed, the teachers need to be coordinated through a counselor or whoever writes individualized education program plans.” When asked what part of the study’s findings most surprised her, Harris said, “We thought we would find the greatest pressure on the return to play aspect but these kids — two of whom were decent athletic recruits for sure — were truly concerned about the amount of time they were missing in the classroom.” Harris noted that those in high socioeconomic groups had recovery issues due to access to medical-care professionals, chiropractors, acupuncturists, etc. who were all working on relieving the symptoms but not in conjunction with one another. “Having too much access to care is equally as problematic as having no access,” she said. “Concussion recovery can be difficult because the outside world cannot see a physical ailment and everyone’s assumption is that you’re faking it. Many shared that view in the interviews,” Harris said. “We’re learning so much so quickly but there’s still a lot about concussion and recovery we don’t know. Concussions are like snowflakes. No two are ever the same.”
“We said if they were to stay home for a week and rest, could they hold off until the second day to do 30 minutes of homework and follow with two hours of rest and they responded positively,” said Harris. “They truly suffered more stress the longer they were kept from school work.” 14
Fall 2018 | connect
Returning to Play
IMPACTING PERFORMANCE
OUTA’s vestibular clinic helps athletes get back on their feet after concussion
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fter suffering a concussion a little more than a year ago, a slow recovery and persistent symptoms made Katie Nelson doubt whether she would ever make it back onto the volleyball court or even feel like herself again. With help from the vestibular clinic of CHSP’s Ohio University Therapy Associates (OUTA) and support from other medical professionals, her teammates and coaches, Nelson was able to make a full recovery. During a preseason match in 2017, Nelson, a member of the Ohio University volleyball team, was hit in the forehead by a volleyball. “I thought I was fine, but I wasn’t,” Nelson said. “I went through the concussion protocol with the athletic trainer and we discovered this was a bigger deal.” Cognitive rest was recommended as part of the concussion recovery protocol but didn’t work. She tried massage therapy on her neck to ease the whiplash symptoms but to no avail. She could not stand and close her eyes without feeling dizzy and off balance and her eyes had trouble tracking objects. Just trying to watch a volleyball served over the net led to chronic headaches. Typically, concussions can be resolved within 7-10 days. Nelson suffered symptoms for more than two months and missed 24 games of the volleyball season. “Things you take for granted in everyday life … that’s what scared me,” she said. “I couldn’t read on my phone. I still had classes to attend and had to go on the computer and have it read the passages to me because I couldn’t read without getting a headache. I wondered if I was ever going to be able to play the sport I love again or would I be able to do second-nature things again.” A few days after suffering the concussion, Nelson started receiving treatment with vestibular specialists at OUTA.
“The clinic takes care of everything from concomitant neck and shoulder pain associated with a concussion, to dizziness, imbalance, oculomotor dysfunction and motion sensitivity,” said Ashley Crow, assistant clinical professor of physical therapy in CHSP. “Because of the varied manifestations of concussion, each athlete will have an individualized treatment plan to address their particular needs.” “I can’t say enough good things about the people there,” Nelson said of the clinic. “It was a vulnerable time for me. I wasn’t myself, personality-wise. The people at the clinic were all very kind and concerned with how I was feeling each day. They adapted their treatment plans to how I was feeling.” Nelson was treated by the clinic with techniques that included shaking her head while staring at a fixed pen or note with a letter on it. She also worked on her balance by standing on a foam pad and closing her eyes, standing on one foot while completing eye exercises and additional techniques designed to alleviate her symptoms. After two weeks, Nelson was referred to specialists in Columbus who used lights and a moving table over 12 days to essentially re-concuss her in much the same way a doctor might re-break a bone to set it correctly. Continued treatment eventually helped eliminate Nelson’s symptoms. “I remember the first time I could watch a practice without symptoms and the first day I could read without getting a headache. I just cried,” she said. “I forgot what it was like to do that without hurting.” Crow explained that every treatment plan at the vestibular clinic is “highly individualized.” She said the protocols are tailored to the current needs of the patient with variables such as severity of symptoms considered. “It’s possible that in a week’s time, a patient’s symptoms can change dramatically,” she said. “We are constantly reevaluating the treatment to meet the needs of the patient.” Crow said educating patients is first and foremost. “About 90 percent of concussion symptoms are usually resolved within 7-10 days,” said Crow. “Early rest is key as is good sleep hygiene. Concussion can disrupt the ability to fall asleep or stay asleep and that’s disruptive to healing. Some people might even sleep too much. When you normalize the sleep pattern, you see big changes in recovery.” The clinic’s caseload varies per season, peaking in the fall with football, wrestling and women’s soccer. Not every concussion case has a need for vestibular treatment but Crow said symptoms such as dizziness, motion sensitivity, car sickness, double vision, vertigo, eye fatigue or balance issues would be reasons to make an appointment.
Fall 2018 | connect
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IMPACTING PERFORMANCE
For Research. For Country. Study aims to help military members regain full strength
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esearch conducted on the knees of injured athletes has piqued the interest of the government and now — thanks to a $750,000 research grant — Ohio University and the United States Department of Defense will work together to help military personnel better recover from similar injuries.
Brain scans will be conducted as the team tries to identify how and when the brain changes after injury and over the course of recovery to guide the development of new therapy methods. Tests will include the use of virtual reality and various physical combat simulations of movement, balance and intensity. The tests will be military specific but could have other real-world applications as well, according to Grooms. Additionally, some of the tests and subsequent therapy methods can be performed using a smartphone and a VR viewer which creates a low-cost and accessible method of therapy.
Dustin Grooms, an assistant professor of athletic training in Ohio University’s College of Health Sciences and Professions, serves as the lead investigator in the project. He has long studied the changes in the brain after bodily injury and was giving a talk at a sports medicine conference when he was approached by a scientist with Grooms explained that after surgery and therapy, patients the U.S. Army Research Lab who reported an interest in still have a greater chance of reinjury. He said that while Grooms’ work. Grooms has found that, following an ACL a repaired ACL may look strong in a clinical setting, once (anterior cruciate ligament) injury, patients the patient goes back to the complex In the case of military sport or military setting, the brain can suffer impaired performance even after modern surgical reconstruction and physical personnel, this could become overloaded, as typical therapy therapy. focuses on controlling the knee in mean the difference isolation. This leads to an overload Beginning in September 2019, and over the in life and death. This of the nervous system, a decrease in next three years, Grooms and a team of study could really impact optimal performance and an increase medical professionals will conduct testing in potential injury or reinjury. He of 30 ACL reconstructive surgery patients the future of medicine. said similar brain patterns have been between the ages of 18 and 35 and 30 people discovered after ankle sprains and shoulder injuries. of similar characteristics who have not had an ACL injury to serve as a control group. Each participant will be studied for a period of six months as the team works to identify potential barriers to successful therapy outcomes and to develop optimal physical therapy treatment strategies. “For me, the hope is to be able to change the way we do injury rehabilitation altogether,” said Grooms. i. “The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, 820 Chandler Street, Fort Detrick MD 21702-5014 is the awarding and administering acquisition office” and; ii. “This work was supported by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs endorsed through the Department of Defense through the FY17 Peer Reviewed Orthopedic Research Program, Applied Research Award under Award No. W81XWH1810707. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Department of Defense.
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“Typical rehabilitation today is great at restoring the basics of muscle strength and range of motion, but we are failing to restore all the factors involved in movement coordination and that is what this study is meant to find out,” said Grooms. “In the case of military personnel, this could mean the difference in life and death. This study could really impact the future of medicine.” iii. “In conducting research using animals, the investigator(s) adheres to the laws of the United States and regulations of the Department of Agriculture.” iv. “In the conduct of research utilizing recombinant DNA, the investigator adhered to NIH Guidelines for research involving recombinant DNA molecules.” v. “In the conduct of research involving hazardous organisms or toxins, the investigator adhered to the CDC-NIH Guide for Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories.”
Fall 2018 | connect
IMPACTING PERFORMANCE
PUSHING LIMITS Championship runner aided by personal training at WellWorks
In cross-country and track, Durst put in a concentrated effort to not only go the extra mile but to do it faster. With Stephens, she worked on foundational movements such as lunges, squats and ankle and hip flexibility. “She picked it up quickly and that made me get creative and make the exercises more challenging,” said Stephens. “It forced me to think outside the box.” As Stephens took the lessons he learned in class to the training sessions, Durst got faster.
Ally Durst works with WellWorks personal trainer, Dean Ohde.
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ollowing a hamstring injury, Eastern High School standout runner Ally Durst was determined to get back on track, literally and figuratively. Along with hard work and support from her coaches and teammates, CHSP’s WellWorks played a role in Durst not only recovering, but improving and becoming a champion. Durst is a senior for the Eastern Eagles in Reedsville, Ohio, and is in the middle of her final cross-country season. During her freshman year she suffered a hamstring injury. As she recovered, Ohio University Therapy Associates’ (OUTA) physical therapy clinic referred Durst to Robert Wayner’s CHSP Gait Lab where some weak areas in her body and running form were identified. From there, she sought out WellWorks and personal trainer Jacob Stephens, an exercise physiology major at OHIO. “She was clearly a driven individual who wanted to do personal training for sports enhancement and get faster,” said Stephens. “I don’t think people her age typically think about finding extra training to improve their running. They’re already practicing after school and competing in events but she wanted to do more.”
“It was really fun,” said Durst. “I wanted to get stronger in my hips and keep my hamstring feeling good and (WellWorks) got me into the habit of stretching before running.” As a sophomore, Durst’s cross-country team missed going to the state finals by one point. In track, her 4x800m and 4x400m teams made it to regionals. She also earned a spot in the regional competition in the mile run. As a junior, Durst continued working with Stephens and not only placed 87th in the state but was also the Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division’s champion in cross-country. “It’s pretty cool what she’s been able to accomplish,” Stephens said. “I believe it was what she was doing at practice but also what we did in the weight room that was a difference-maker.“ After his graduation in December, Stephens accepted a position in Eugene, Oregon, where he has applied his experiences working with Durst to his new runners. Durst, now in her final season at Eastern, is training at WellWorks alongside personal trainer Dean Ohde, a physical therapy student, and hopes to again qualify for the state cross-country championship race. “I feel a lot stronger. It affects me mentally that I’m stronger now,” Durst added. “Jake and Dean have kept me focused and made working out fun.”
Featuring OHIO Faculty Members Janet Simon, Athletic Training David Ridpath, Sports Administration
AVAILABLE ON DEMAND
PURSUING PASSIONS BREAKING BARRIERS W
omen are continuing to forge new identities in the world of male-dominated sports. Meet three incredible female graduates of the college, each of whom have made significant impacts in the field of athletics. They monitor the health and well-being of elite athletes, lead quality and capable teams of professionals and overcome daily obstacles. They do all of this and more and they do it at the highest levels.
Aimee Cline At one point as an athletic training (AT) student at OHIO, Aimee Cline felt overwhelmed and wondered whether she had what it took for the career. Others felt differently, however, providing her with confidence and resolve that helped her become the first female head athletic trainer for the Arena Football League and now the head athletic trainer for Muskingum University. Cline was drawn to OHIO’s athletic training master’s degree program due to the opportunity to serve as a graduate assistant. She said being able to work as a fulltime certified athletic trainer in conjunction with her studies helped her accelerate her degree and opened up career opportunities. As a graduate assistant, Cline was assigned to be the athletic trainer for Wellston High School, which gave her abundant hands-on experience, but also tested her determination. “I had three big injuries happen back-to-back at Wellston — I had to spineboard three athletes my first football season,” Cline said. “With trying to balance that with academics, I didn’t feel like I could be the AT they needed.” In stepped the graduate athletic training program director, Chad Starkey. “Dr. Starkey was a big supporter. He showed me I was enough,” said Cline. “He made me stick it out. His support was phenomenal.”
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“It was supposed to be about a 20-minute conversation (with NovaCare Rehabilitation), just learning about the company because they said they didn’t have any openings. That turned into a talk lasting an hour and a half and they said there was actually an opening with the Cleveland Gladiators and they thought I’d be an ‘amazing fit.’ That following week, I interviewed with the team physician and was offered the position,” said Cline. There was one obstacle however. “I had to get permission from professors because the season started April 1 and I didn’t graduate until April 30,” Cline said. “I completed research from afar, coming down for exams and taking notes via PowerPoint … That last month, without OHIO giving me that support, I would have never been able to make the Gladiators work.” But being young and being female in a professional football setting came with its own set of challenges. “The opportunities for females versus males in our field is limited when it comes to all-male sports. It could be simple things like administration not wanting to pay for an extra hotel room but I was offered the opportunity to show that I’m a female and I can do just as much as a male can in an all-male professional sport,” said Cline. “It was humbling.”
“Once you get through that overwhelming feeling, you realize you can do it. You build that confidence in yourself,” she said.
Cline said there were a few “hiccups” between she and the team at first. The men were not used to women being in the facilities — or specifically using the restroom facilities — and she also had to earn the players’ trust, although she attributes that more due to her age (22 years old at the time) than her gender.
Cline said her opportunity with the Arena Football League’s Cleveland Gladiators came as a result of persistence and being in the right place at the right time.
“I do think it was probably more of just being young. I would hope that they wouldn’t question my knowledge just because I’m female,” she said. Fall 2018 | connect
IMPACTING PERFORMANCE
Jennifer Brodeur It’s one thing to break down barriers but quite another to do so as successfully as Jennifer Brodeur. Brodeur, a 1991 graduate of Ohio University College of Health Sciences and Professions’ athletic training program, has been employed at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) for more than a dozen years, and for the past decade, has worked as the head athletic trainer for the UMass football squad. In 2013, she was named associate head athletic trainer for the university, making her one of only a few women in the country to be in charge of both a Division I football team and a collegiate athletic training program. Last year, she was named director of sports medicine for the university. In the past 12 years, Brodeur has earned the College and University Athletic Trainers Committee’s New Horizon Award for her leadership in the field of athletic training, has been named the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s (NATA) College and University Athletic Training Committee’s Assistant Athletic Trainer of the Year and earned the 2009 Athletic Trainer Service Award. She has also served on several NATA committees including the Intercollegiate Committee for Sports Medicine. Originally from Ithaca, New York, Brodeur moved to Ohio in high school and started her search for a university offering athletic training. Ohio University was a “no-brainer.” “The minute I stepped on campus, I made my decision,” she said. “It reminded me of home and it was the easiest decision of my life. My whole family knew it too. Sometimes, you just know where home is when you find it.” Brodeur cited the challenging academic curriculum at OHIO, instructors such as Fritz Hagerman, Charles “Skip” Vosler, Chad Starkey and a tight-knit group of students as factors in her career success. “Dr. Hagerman was my hero. He helped me get through college and get my career going. Some of the techniques Dr. Starkey used, I still remember and I use to teach now,” said Brodeur. “It wasn’t an easy program, which I liked and needed. It prepared me really well and I feel lucky to have had that.” Fall 2018 | connect
Looking back fondly, Brodeur keeps a picture of Ohio University in her mind’s eye, smiles when she thinks of the “big brothers” she treated on the wrestling team and treasures meeting her best friend from OHIO with whom she still speaks on a weekly basis. “It’s such a great college environment,” she said of OHIO. “The small, college-town feel, the people, all the things to do that aren’t centered on partying … you just can’t get a prettier campus.” After college, Brodeur went to work in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) but it wasn’t the fit she was looking for. She initially interviewed with UMass to work with men’s basketball but was hired for the field hockey and lacrosse teams. Six months later, she was asked to assist with football and the following year she was promoted to head athletic trainer for the team. “It just worked out perfectly,” she said. “I’m a firm believer that you end up where you belong.” Being a woman working in a male sport hasn’t been without its sexist moments but Brodeur doesn’t dwell on those times. “I’ve had a few (issues) here and there where players have said something or tried something but I just look at them like ‘seriously’ and it stops pretty quickly,” she said. Just last year, Brodeur described an encounter with a veteran referee official. “He came in and asked for the head athletic trainer and I said I was. He said, ‘no, the head football trainer.’ I said ‘Yeah, right here!’ He said, ‘You? You’re the head trainer?’ I said ‘Yeah bud, it’s 2017 and women are allowed to vote, too.’ His buddies just looked at him and started laughing.” Brodeur said that in years past a player would occasionally make inappropriate comments but that has changed. “Most are aware now that as long as someone has the skill and knowledge, it doesn’t matter if the person treating you is male or female,” she said.
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IMPACTING PERFORMANCE
Shanice Johnson The first time Shanice Johnson treated a professional athlete she had to fight back a starstruck feeling; one of the best running backs in the NFL had wound up on her table. However, her training, and the realization that professional athletes are human too, let Johnson expertly do her job. Now, she helps professional athletes on an everyday basis and it’s business as usual. Introduced to the field of health sciences in high school, Johnson followed the path of her mentor, Kristen Wellman, to Ohio University where she discovered a path that eventually led to her current role as head athletic trainer for the Long Island Nets. Johnson is one of three women who are head athletic trainers for the National Basketball Association’s developmental league, also known as the NBA G League. While she aspires to one day work at the highest level in the NBA, Johnson said, “I love where I am right now,” and is appreciative of the opportunities she’s received. Johnson attended GlenOak High School in Canton, Ohio, and was part of a program that introduced students to various medical fields. The program was coordinated by Kristen Wellman, an athletic trainer and graduate of OHIO. “Shanice was always a ray of sunshine in her high school years. I am not surprised at all by her success,” said Wellman (AT ‘94). “Even as a young student, when Shanice saw an opportunity she didn’t hesitate to act on whatever it was. She was one of my student athletic trainer aides for the GlenOak football team and her dedication to athletic training was evident to me back then.” 20
Wellman said she was thrilled when Johnson chose to attend OHIO and added that whenever she sees her, “I am greeted with that same bright light that would make me smile over 10 years ago.” “I looked up to her,” Johnson (AT ‘11) said of Wellman. “I asked her where she went to school and that really impacted where I chose to go. I got to follow in the footsteps of someone I admired.” In the field of athletic training, Johnson finds joy in helping an athlete return to the field. “Rehabilitation is my favorite part of the job,” she said. “Seeing someone be disabled for a temporary amount of time and being able to help them through that process is a pretty cool experience I still enjoy. I enjoy helping and making people better.” Johnson has always enjoyed sports, with her first love being football. Her coursework at OHIO introduced her to basketball and started her on the path to the NBA. “I have a special place for OHIO in my heart. I rock OHIO everywhere, I still have the license plate banner on my car and I represent OHIO every day,” Johnson said. “It’s Neverland. It’s a place where it’s academically driven but it also has a nice balance to enjoy college life.” Upon graduation, Johnson worked at North Carolina Central University which allowed her to hone her expertise before she connected with the Women’s National Basketball Association’s (WNBA) New York Liberty team and became an assistant athletic trainer for the organization. Fall 2018 | connect
CHSP study questions care of LGBTQ athletes Athletic trainers treat a diverse set of patients and a study underway in the College of Health Sciences and Professions wants to find out if the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) patient community is satisfied with medical treatment performed by athletic trainers. “A lot of people say a knee (injury) is just a knee but when you think about patient-centered care, we really want to make sure we are treating the patient as a whole and understanding that patients have unique lived experiences and that may affect how they recover from an injury either physically or emotionally,” said Kristine Ensign, CHSP lecturer and lead investigator for the study. “My research is looking at all of that. Are we there? Are we helping them the way we should be helping patients of the LGBTQ background or are we not?” Ensign pointed out that educational standards require students be taught some form of cultural competency so they are capable of caring for patients of all backgrounds including religion, gender, social economic status, sexual orientation and gender identity.
While working with professional athletes was intimidating for Johnson at first, she said she quickly learned that they are “everyday people.” “Having a conversation with them, you realize that they are people too. They have needs and the same common-sense interactions anyone else has. When you see that athlete as a human, everything else falls into place,” Johnson said. The pressure of working with celebrity athletes fostered great growth and taught Johnson how to be a good observer and listener. After a couple of seasons with the WNBA, Johnson was offered the opportunity to join the Brooklyn Nets as the head athletic trainer of its developmental team while also having the opportunity to work with Brooklyn during the offseason. “It has been a tremendous experience,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to master my own skill and to get hands-on with NBA players.” While men still dominate the field of athletic training in the NBA, women continue to work their way into the ranks. Johnson said she’s never experienced a professional athlete feeling uncomfortable around her due to her sex. She said it’s all business when it comes to getting a player back to healthy competition. When work slows in the offseason, Johnson likes to travel and spend time with family and friends. When she’s not reading a book or performing different workout challenges, Johnson can also be found playing Australian football. Fall 2018 | connect
“This is something that will continue to increase as more LGBTQ athletes and patients become confident in sharing that aspect of their life,” said Ensign. Currently, the study is in the process of data collection. By the end of the fall semester, Ensign hopes to have analyzed the data and have a report ready. “We’re interviewing LGBTQ patients and student athletes who can talk about what their experience really is (with athletic trainers.) That’s the big question,” Ensign said. “What is the experience of those patients and how can we do better by them? Once we can answer the question of whether LGBTQ patients are satisfied by the care they’re receiving from athletic trainers, then we can better make future plans for how we educate and what we educate athletic trainers on specifically.” According to Ensign, the responses thus far are in the “middle to positive range.” “Some participants express they’ve had some awkward experiences or uncomfortable experiences. Some express overwhelmingly positive experiences,” she said. Ensign said the comfort level LGBTQ athletes have with being open to family, friends and fans is “light years from where we were just 10 years ago.” “As athletic trainers, we treat the whole person. We want to make sure we’re not perpetuating any environments that cause the LGBTQ community to not be who they are,” she said. “Hopefully as more and more researchers investigate, we can answer the question better and be able to better educate current and future athletic trainers.” 21
‘It all started at OHIO’ In spite of a rocky collegiate football beginning, Todd Toriscelli is now an accomplished and respected professional in the NFL and he says it all started at OHIO. Toriscelli wanted to play college football but was told by coaches he was perhaps more suited for another level of play. Devastated, he left college and went home to work in a steel mill. One day, a friend who was enrolled in CHSP’s athletic training (AT) program convinced Toriscelli to look over some of his study material and it quickly grabbed his attention. “It was really interesting to me and I decided I wanted to enroll at OHIO,” Toriscelli said. But, it wasn’t that easy. Toriscelli’s grades didn’t make the grade, but Charles “Skip” Vosler, who served as athletic training education program director at the time, conditionally granted Toriscelli’s request. “(Vosler) told me he had never let anyone into the program with my grades and said that if I got one C, I was gone,” said Toriscelli. Toriscelli never earned a C. In fact, he fell in love with the program and the school. He said it “was the best four years of my life because of the people.”
“You have to know your stuff, but there’s nothing more important than relationships. As an AT, you have to have good relationships with your athletes, coaches and fellow ATs. If there’s no trust, you can’t do your job,” said Toriscelli. “I was taught that everything you do is all brought together by the relationships you have with people.” Toriscelli has served as the National Athletic Trainers Association’s liaison to the NCAA Football Rules Committee and been a member of the NFL Health and Safety Panel. He worked at the collegiate level as a head AT and then for 17 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since 2014, he has been director of sports medicine for the Tennessee Titans and is looking forward to working under new head coach Mike Vrabel. If you would have told a discouraged young man working in a steel mill after having his football dreams dashed that this would be his life all these years later, Toriscelli never would have believed you. “I would’ve been in complete disbelief to know I’d have the opportunity to do the things I’ve done and meet the people I’ve met. I’ve been very, very blessed,” Toriscelli said. “Sometimes in the NFL, you develop a sense of entitlement but I refuse to allow myself to do that. If you keep gratitude in your heart, you’ll be successful in everything you do.”
Toriscelli said at OHIO he learned the importance of building relationships.
Alumnus credits OHIO for ‘professional success and personal enjoyment’ “I attribute all my professional success and personal enjoyment back to OHIO.” That’s about the most ringing endorsement you can get and Timothy Neal, a health education and athletic training-physical education graduate (Cum Laude ‘79), means every word of it. Neal teaches at Concordia University Ann Arbor where he is also the director of the athletic training program. Additionally, he runs his own consulting firm and is a medical spotter for NFL games and for the University of Michigan. In 1975, he enrolled at OHIO and knew within a week that he had made the right decision. “Right from the beginning, I knew OHIO was where I was meant to be,” said Neal. “I remember it being a challenging yet rewarding curriculum that fully prepared me to enter the (athletic training) profession.” Neal said he was taught “If you can’t talk it and you can’t do it, you don’t know it” and he uses that same philosophy today in his own classes. “OHIO is one of the top schools in the country in working hands-on with athletes,” said Neal. “Students get an upclose and personal understanding of the types of injuries they’re going to see in the field.” 22
Neal credits Fredrick “Fritz” Hagerman for instilling a love of teaching in him. “He was instrumental in my development as a scholar in athletic training. I learned so much under his tutelage, including a love for teaching. I teach now the same way I was taught. I highlight information and tell stories of why it’s important.” One of the most important questions Neal utilizes for his athletic training students is, “Why are you here?” His answer: “You are here to take care of other people’s loved ones. You’re entering a professional world where you will take care of others’ sons and daughters.” Ohio University holds a special place in Neal’s mind and heart. He was the first in his family to attend and graduate college and he met his wife, Anne, while in school. The two were married at OHIO’s Galbreath Chapel. “My experience at OHIO defined me as a person,” he said. Neal’s passion for learning was passed to his daughter, Emily, and his son, Brooks, who also attended OHIO. Brooks Neal once held the role of director of sports marketing with OHIO. Timothy Neal continues to give back to the school he is so grateful for. He is a member of the Ohio University Alumni Association Board of Directors and in many of his dozens of publications, he makes sure to mention Ohio University. Fall 2018 | connect
ALUMNI • DONORS
Is it just me or does everyone think fall and football go together like peanut butter and jelly, or in my case, peanut butter and chocolate? I can’t pinpoint when football became a staple of our fall weekends; I just know that it has. For years, we have spent weekends attending OHIO football games including tailgating with friends, cheering on the Bobcats, and, of course, watching the Marching 110 storm the field. Most recently, you will find me sitting under the “Friday Night Lights” watching my daughter, who is a high school cheerleader, sharing school spirit from the sidelines. To me there is no better way to spend an evening in the fall than watching her. One thing my work here at the College of Health Sciences and Professions (CHSP) has taught me is to be mindful of all the support athletes receive from people other than their coaches. Our students, alumni and friends often provide that support in their roles as athletic trainers, exercise physiologists, physical therapists, nutritionists and various other roles. The work they do to protect and advance performance is enviable. I have had the pleasure and privilege to personally get to know many of those highlighted in this edition of Connect. The work that Marge and Fritz Hagerman pioneered in Major League Baseball still leaves me in awe. While it is not uncommon today for nutrition and human performance testing to be an aspect of elite athletes’ training programs, this was not true when the Hagermans began their work with the Cincinnati Reds. Their accomplishments were just the start of the innovative impact of CHSP students, faculty and alumni. By the time this edition hits your mailbox, we will be more than halfway through fall semester. As always, if you are on campus for any reason, be sure to stop by Grover Center to see us. We’d love to give you a tour of our facilities and showcase the excellent work being done by our faculty and students.
Elizabeth Jones Assistant Dean for Outreach and Engagement
Fall 2018 | connect
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Congrats Best of the Best
Nearly 100 of the top students in the College of Health Sciences and Professions were recognized for their achievements during the 39th Annual Scholarship Awards Reception held inside Ohio University’s Grover Center on Friday, Sept. 7. “We have over 9,000 students enrolled in more than 30 academic majors across five schools and departments. Of those 9,000 — one of the largest health colleges in America — you’re the top 1 percent,” said CHSP Dean Randy Leite to a crowd of students, family and friends. “That’s a real achievement and I think you should all be congratulated for your hard work.” Those in attendance sat in the Grover Center Atrium under banners that “describe who we are as a college,” said Leite. “Our college is a place where everything connects; Where high-tech meets healing touch; Where personal passion meets public good,” he said. “We’re a place where our students have the chance to learn, develop and grow into the best professionals they can be.” Leite acknowledged the faculty and staff of CHSP that help make the college known for the quality of its academic programs and the success of its graduates, adding that CHSP has multiple programs that are rated in the top 10 percent of similar programs in the nation. The following are recipients of college-wide awards. A full list of scholarship winners can be found on our webpage at www.ohio.edu/chsp/alumni-giving/giving.
Anonymous Scholarship Katie Panik — Elyria, Ohio Alexis Ronevich — Willowick, Ohio
Area Six Health Services Scholarship Paige Collins — Barnesville, Ohio Kalynn Seymour — Racine, Ohio Erin Swatzel — Reedsville, Ohio Jaid Bly — Bloomingdale, Ohio Nichole Dejesu — Coshocton, Ohio Sydney Ross — Athens, Ohio
Moffitt Endowed Scholarship Aurora Santiago-Flores — The Plains, Ohio
Hilda Richards Scholarship Caylah Awis — Toledo, Ohio
Vivian Roberts Home Economic Scholarship Zoe Collaros — Worthington, Ohio
College of Health Sciences and Professions General Scholarship Laura Bourne — Newcomerstown, Ohio Maye Florian — Hampstead, Md. Olivia Trickett — Euclid, Ohio
College of Health Sciences and Professions Scholarship Support Fund Katelyn Haney — Thurman, Ohio Stephanie Minning — Cincinnati, Ohio Baileigh Lewis — Parkersburg, W.Va. Savannah Smith — Pomeroy, Ohio
Mary-Lyell Rogers Memorial Scholarship Amber Cree — Baltimore, Ohio Shannon Gray — West Chester, Pa.
Gainor Family Scholarship for the College of Health Sciences and Professions Stephanie Minning — Cincinnati, Ohio
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Fall 2018 | connect
The College of Health Sciences and Professions offers many certificates for our current students and alumni including a sports nutrition certificate! The sports nutrition certificate provides the education, skills and training needed to provide sound sports nutrition to clients. The certificate allows graduates to be more competitive in the workforce and requires a minimum of 22 hours to complete.
Certificates For more information, visit www.ohio.edu/chsp/certificates
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College of Health Sciences and Professions Grover Center, W379 1 Ohio University Drive Athens, OH 45701
YEAR ANNIVERSARY 1979-2019
Transforming health for forty years For health science. For professionals. Four decades. For you.