Athletic trainers play key role in success of student athletes

In the do or die atmosphere of post-season sports, staying healthy and at peak performance can mean the difference between a championship trophy and early elimination.

Fortunately for Gustavus athletes, the athletic training department works behind the scenes all season long to prepare athletes for the events that matter most.

As the women’s hockey team gets ready for their trip to the Frozen Four tournament in New York, Assistant Athletic Trainer Mitch Bockenstedt steps into high gear to help put the best team possible out on the ice.

“At this point in the season, for an injured player, it’s play the game or potentially lose and be done,” Bockenstedt said.

His work with the team now and year round is an integral component of the team’s success.

“I think the athletic trainers are under-appreciated. Our program wouldn’t be where it is without them,” Senior Hockey Captain Mollie Carroll said.

In his fourth year at Gustavus, Bockenstedt has plenty of experience dealing with a wide variety of injuries. Bockenstdent works with the men’s soccer, women’s hockey and baseball teams to provide the best care possible for student athletes.

In the constantly evolving world of sports medicine, this means staying on top of the latest treatments and techniques. Junior Hockey Player Jess Harren has suffered chronic rib and shoulder problems throughout her career that had previously been treated with ice and pain management.

When she transferred to Gustavus from the University of North Dakota after her first-year, Bockenstedt learned a new manipulation method to take a more active treatment approach that has led to visible results and improvements.

“I’m super fortunate to have Mitch,”Harren said. “He really knows his stuff.”

Athletic trainers do more than just treat injuries as they arise. Injury prevention and strength training are a primary focus of the athletic training department on campus. Bockenstedt has developed a strength and conditioning program for the women’s hockey team that consists of activities from weight training to yoga. He’s also created a shoulder routine for baseball players to implement in pre-season training that has substantially reduced the number of injuries in recent years.

“The trainers really do their research and know what’s going on. From prevention to treatment programs they’re really on the ball,” Carroll said.

Bockensted and the other staff members are able to pass on their knowledge to the next generation of trainers through their involvement with the athletic training education Program at Gustavus. Athletic training majors work alongside certified staff members to gain hands on experience. The size of the program allows them to work in the office in Lund as well as attend games and practices to get a comprehensive education.

“It’s nice to be at practice every day and see how athletes perform when they’re at their best. That way when they get injured we know what it takes to get them back at a top level of performance,” Junior Athletic Training Major Kelli Buerman said.

For Bockensted, the call to athletic training came when he himself was a college athlete. He tore his ACL during his sophomore basketball season at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and spent months working with their athletic training program to rehabilitate. That experience sparked a desire to help other athletes make it through what he went through.

“Working someone through a serious injury or surgery and then watching them get back out there and succeed is really rewarding,” Bockenstedt said.

This passion for making a difference is what drives the success of the athletic training program.

“The trainers take a lot of pride in what they do. They’re very approachable and inviting,” Harren said.

March is National Athletic Training Month. Among other events the athletic training majors will be hosting Saturday Night in Lund on Sat., March 17.