Page 227 - Toledo Football Media Guide - 2012

228 THE UNIVERSITY

orts Medicine

Theprimarygoalof theRocket Sports Medicine Department is to provide the best quality care to each and every student-athlete. Thestafistrainedtoprovidequick, accurateevaluationsandexpertise with the aid of excellent facilities and resources.

Injured student-athletes return to participation only when they are able to function on the feld of play. The ability to function on the court, feld or in the pool comes after thorough treatment and rehabilitation. Jennifer Miller serves as the staf physical thera-pist for Rocket Athletics, and her expertise strengthens the overall

goal of returningour student-athletes tocompetitionas safely and quickly as possible. With the help of recent improvements in both the Savage and Larimer Athletic Trainingrooms, theSportsMedicinestafutilizesavariety of equipment and resources tohand-tailor aplanof care for each unique injury and student-athlete. The equip-ment attempts to simulate the same type of stress that is encountered while participating in a sport. Athletic trainers work to create an environment which is safe and yet conducive to the return of student-athletes to competition.

The athletic training staf consists of fve full-time certifed athletic trainers and six certifed graduate as-sistant athletic trainers: Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine Brian Jones; Associate Athletic Trainer/ Head Football Athletic Trainer John Walters; Associate AthleticTrainer SaraMeserth; Assistant AthleticTrainers Gretchen Buskirk and Sarah Long; and Michelle Harris,

the Athletic Department’s insurance resources special-ist. Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainers areWilliam Saul (Football), Sam McMullen (Track and Cross Country), LaurenWelsch(Track/Crosscountry),MikeMayes (Volley-ball/Men’s Tennis), Samatha Bowker (Softball) and Mike Alfonsi (Baseball). Robyn Hafner (swimming/Women’s Tennis) serves as an intern. The Athletic Training staf is also aided by 35-40 Athletic Training students who work toearnabachelorsdegree inathletic trainingwhile receiving daily hands-on learning and experience, as well as physical therapist Jennifer Miller and insurance coordinator Michelle Harris.

Dr. Roger Kruse serves as the University of Toledo Head Team Physician. Dr. Kruse is also a drug-crew chief on the U.S. Olympic Committee and served on the medical teamat the1994WinterOlympics inLillihammer, Norway, and the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Dr. Kruse isaidedbya teamof threeSportsMedicineFellows that help to cover the wide-range of student-athletes.

The University of Toledo isalsovery fortunatetohave Dr. Paul Fenton, Dr. Jason LevineandDr.DavidSohnas its orthopedic consultants. As a result of themerger of the University of Toledo and the Medical College of Ohio in 2006, the University Medical Center has become very involved in providing health care services to all UniversityofToledostudent-athletes. Experts from all areasofmedicinearereadily available to provide Univer-sity quality health care to all of our student-athletes.