Published: March 05, 2008 10:19 pm         

ISU students win regional award

Recognition comes for work with community health fair

TERRE HAUTE — Demonstrating correct posture when sitting at a desk, how to walk properly with crutches and giving tips for infectious wound care were just a few of the ways Andrea Clifford and her fellow athletic training classmates at Indiana State University were able to help others at the 2007 Terre Haute Community Health Fair.

In recognition of their efforts, the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers’ Association, or GLATA, is honoring the spring 2007 Administration of Athletic Health Care Delivery Systems class, taught by Catherine Stemmans, associate professor of athletic training, with a 2007 Public Relations Award.

Clifford of Hillsdale, who graduated in May 2007 and is now an athletic trainer at Monrovia High School and an independent research coordinator, will receive the award on behalf of her class at the GLATA 40th anniversary awards dinner Friday in Toledo, Ohio.

For the service-learning component of their class, Clifford and the students designed three stations that would help the public in practical ways, while also informing them about the profession of athletic training.

At the stations, the students displayed informational posters; assessed posture; checked for leg-length discrepancies; and educated the community on prevention of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

While the students were able to help community members from all walks of life, one person stood out in particular to Clifford.

“There was a 13-year-old girl who had just been diagnosed with scoliosis. This extremely active girl and her mother were worried about what this meant for the girl’s physical capabilities in the future,” Clifford said.

“Although her physician told her she was able to play sports, she and her mother were able to ask us more detailed questions about special warmups, what her chances for injury were and how she could prevent injuries.”

After assessing her, Clifford was able to assuage her fears about competing in sports.

“We explained that it is not uncommon for athletes to have scoliosis, and that they are able to be very competitive in sports,” she said.

Kerry Waple, chairman of GLATA’s public relations committee praised the students for their community service-learning effort.

“This was a well thought-out project that involved timely information on topics of particular relevance to the safety of athletes and the community at large,” Waple said.

“Indiana State University’s athletic training program is a leader on this front.”

GLATA is District 4 of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, and includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

The other students involved in the project were Adrienne Pearson, Amanda Carroll, Hideyuki Okuwa, Jennifer Guillen, Joshua Vice, Kasumasa Takechi, Kelly Gilbreath, Morgan Goode, Renee Beck, Vicki Huber and Matt Rice.