Murray State University Athletics
Athletic Training Spotlight: Casey Mendel
4/22/2020 4:03:00 PM | General
Casey Mendel joined the Murray State athletic training staff in the fall of 2019 after graduating from the University of Central Florida with her B.S in Athletic Training. Since joining the Racer family, the Naples, Florida native has assisted with football, and serves as the primary contact for MSU softball. She is currently pursuing her master's degree in Human Development and Leadership.
Mendel describes how athletic trainers (ATs) provide care for both the physical and mental obstacles that student-athletes face on this week's edition of the MSU Athletic Training Spotlight.
As people observe and learn more about the long-term effects of sports injuries, how does this place a greater emphasis on your role as an athletic trainer?
"I think we really just have to pay more attention to things like concussions and the mental health aspects of suffering an injury versus just the physical, and really placing more emphasis and attention on that."
A big theme in the athletic training community is ATs impacting healthcare through action. What does that mean to you, and how do you consistently play an active role in the well-being of student athletes?
"Athletic trainers do everything for their athletes. We go to doctor's appointments with them, help them schedule things like that, help them get contacts, and we're even there just to listen when they have relationship problems, school problems, or even roommate issues. You're there for them in all aspects of life, not just sports and injuries, so I think that plays a big role in actively being there for student-athletes."
Is there anything since starting your journey as an athletic trainer that has surprised you, or is there something that you have learned that you didn't know when you began working as an AT?
"I think it's just the amount of things that athletic trainers actually do for their athletes. I've gone with an athlete just to learn how to put contacts in. Something simple that normal people do every day by themselves, but you have to go with your athlete to make sure they know how to do it."
What has been your favorite Murray State memory so far?
"I'm going to say, when I first got here, there was a softball player that couldn't even throw a softball because of an injury she had suffered previously, and then she was actually able to start the first game. And so now, every time she makes a play on the field, I just have a 'proud mom' kind of feeling that makes me really happy to see her be successful. I would definitely say that's one of my top memories so far."
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Mendel describes how athletic trainers (ATs) provide care for both the physical and mental obstacles that student-athletes face on this week's edition of the MSU Athletic Training Spotlight.
As people observe and learn more about the long-term effects of sports injuries, how does this place a greater emphasis on your role as an athletic trainer?
"I think we really just have to pay more attention to things like concussions and the mental health aspects of suffering an injury versus just the physical, and really placing more emphasis and attention on that."
A big theme in the athletic training community is ATs impacting healthcare through action. What does that mean to you, and how do you consistently play an active role in the well-being of student athletes?
"Athletic trainers do everything for their athletes. We go to doctor's appointments with them, help them schedule things like that, help them get contacts, and we're even there just to listen when they have relationship problems, school problems, or even roommate issues. You're there for them in all aspects of life, not just sports and injuries, so I think that plays a big role in actively being there for student-athletes."
Is there anything since starting your journey as an athletic trainer that has surprised you, or is there something that you have learned that you didn't know when you began working as an AT?
"I think it's just the amount of things that athletic trainers actually do for their athletes. I've gone with an athlete just to learn how to put contacts in. Something simple that normal people do every day by themselves, but you have to go with your athlete to make sure they know how to do it."
What has been your favorite Murray State memory so far?
"I'm going to say, when I first got here, there was a softball player that couldn't even throw a softball because of an injury she had suffered previously, and then she was actually able to start the first game. And so now, every time she makes a play on the field, I just have a 'proud mom' kind of feeling that makes me really happy to see her be successful. I would definitely say that's one of my top memories so far."
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