The Heart of Sports Medicine

My first experience in sports medicine was being able to do some sideline coverage for a high school team early on in my training. It really gave me the appreciation for giving back to a community people, giving back to youth sports, and being able to be there to help out to make sure that these players are going to be safe doing what they love.

During my years playing sports growing up, there was always a doctor, physical therapist or athletic trainer there to make sure that we stayed safe. That really hit home for me, and it was my goal to be that person on the sidelines to make sure that the event goes on safely and be available to take care of the athletes when an injury happens.

As I got deeper into my training, particularly late into my residency at Mayo Clinic and certainly in my fellowship at Andrews Institute, all o f my mentors spoke about that the “heart” of sports medicine being a service to the community. Giving back and being on the sidelines of those games on Fridays and Saturdays. Being there to ensure that these events go on safely and the athletes are safe while we are given the opportunity to watch them pursue their passions and also get to see them excel and enjoy what they do.

That is a part of sports medicine that I feel very passionate about. I feel like providing coverage to youth sports is crucial because those athlete benefit from a medical presence the most. Being able to do that is really one of the reasons why I got into sports medicine. They say that if you find something you love, it doesn’t feel like work – and that’s what helping cover youth sports is to me, it is just something I really enjoy doing. It allows me to feel like I’m giving back to community through something that I’ve learned and experiences that I have had.

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