Bumps, bruises, aches and pains are all
common when playing a
varsity sport, especially
with practices, games,
weight training and conditioning drills, which are
all parts of a student-athlete’s collegiate life. But
thanks to the hard work
and devotion of Southern
Miss’ certified athletic
trainers and student athletic trainers, Golden
Eagle athletes receive
proper treatment and
care to keep their performance at the highest
level in order to remain
on the field of competition. Southern Miss also
has a quality group of
physicians who meet
the medical needs of the
16 athletic teams at the
University. The physicians
are mostly specialists
who are skilled in the
various types of injuries
that can occur in athletic
competition.
The program revolves
around three major
aspects – prevention of
athletic injuries, treatment and rehabilitation of those injuries and
recognition of injuries that require referral to
appropriate medical personnel.
The program is accredited nationally by
the Commission on Accreditation of Allied
Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
standards. In the program’s last review, the
Southern Miss Athletic Training Program
surpassed CAAHEP standards, allowing the
program to continue with its certification.
The direct involvement of the student
athletic trainers helps make the program
a success. The students are enrolled in an
accredited five-semester curriculum in the
athletic training program at the University
and are the core foundation of the athletic
training department.
The athletic training program has seen a
huge influx of students in recent years, and
the program’s numbers increase each year.
Over the last 15 years, the athletic training
programs’ student staff has grown, from 25
students in 1989 to more than 40 in 2006.
The athletic center also has resulted in
more space for the athletic training program.
The staff is now able to utilize a much larger
athletic training room with state-of-the-art
equipment able to handle the care for more
than 300 athletes.
The athletic training room is an open
area where Todd McCall and his staff can
view all the aspects of sports medicine.
There are 11 examination tables in the
4,000-square-foot room, 10 of which are
housed in the main training room. The other
table exists in a private examination room
that team physicians utilize.
The facility also houses a state-of-the-art
hydrotherapeutic swimming pool, which
provides athletes with water resistance to
speed up the rehabilitation, while decreasing stress on the injured body parts.
Along with the hydrotherapeutic pool,
the facility also benefits student-athletes with
an in-house X-ray unit, which helps reduce
the time the athlete is off the field. Instead of
waiting a few days to get an X-ray appoint-
ment, the athletes can have their injuries
evaluated in a much shorter amount of time.
