So it begins
Intial Meeting
Tues. 12/6/16 – Initial Meeting with Dr.Hooper
Reaching out to Dr. Hooper was probably the best decision I made when it came to my mentorship. We set a date to meet which a discussion that I had been waiting for a long time finally occurred. This initial discussion included topics that covered his daily schedule, introduction to other athletic directors, and preparing me for future positions in athletics. I expressed my desire to bring all of my experience and skill sets to the mentorship. In exchange Dr. Hooper will assign projects and expose me to aspects of athletic administration that I have very little knowledge.
Reaching out to Dr. Hooper was probably the best decision I made when it came to my mentorship. We set a date to meet which a discussion that I had been waiting for a long time finally occurred. This initial discussion included topics that covered his daily schedule, introduction to other athletic directors, and preparing me for future positions in athletics. I expressed my desire to bring all of my experience and skill sets to the mentorship. In exchange Dr. Hooper will assign projects and expose me to aspects of athletic administration that I have very little knowledge.
wild Wild West Tournament
Thur. 12/15 - Sat. 12/17: West LA Women's Basketball Tournament
The first assignment and topic of this post is Game Operations. Being a former coach it was interesting to shadow the duties of game operations from the administration side. The three-day tournament included eight teams from the local area. It was not a highly-attended tournament but a huge fundraiser for the Women's Basketball program.
The goal set for me during the tournament was to observe the game day operations. One of the things that stood out the most were the responsibilities of the student workers. Many of them were stationed at entrance and exit locations as well as working at the scorer’s table as statistician, game announcers, and game clock official.
There were several occasions in which I helped to run the snack table and the main entrance collecting tournament entry fees.
Between the overtime game and two consecutive nights the court lights went out (due to rain storm) The responsibilities of athletic director or administrator is to communicate with the campus facility department who will turn light back on.
Facilities to Academics the women's team has low numbers when it came to team participation this season. The head coach Colleen Matsuhara recruited the talents of some of the young women from the soccer team to join the team. This sounds like an easy enough process but each sport that a player participates in, they must be cleared for that sport and approved by an athletic counselor. But when the athletic counselor is not available until a day after the tournament begins that can be a huge headache. Teamwork made this process happen with the soccer players being cleared for basketball in the second half of the second game of the tournament.
This experience allowed me to understand the how all departments help from a game operations side run smoothly. With paid and volunteer staff it would be difficult to have a one game let alone a three-day tournament run successfully.
The first assignment and topic of this post is Game Operations. Being a former coach it was interesting to shadow the duties of game operations from the administration side. The three-day tournament included eight teams from the local area. It was not a highly-attended tournament but a huge fundraiser for the Women's Basketball program.
The goal set for me during the tournament was to observe the game day operations. One of the things that stood out the most were the responsibilities of the student workers. Many of them were stationed at entrance and exit locations as well as working at the scorer’s table as statistician, game announcers, and game clock official.
There were several occasions in which I helped to run the snack table and the main entrance collecting tournament entry fees.
Between the overtime game and two consecutive nights the court lights went out (due to rain storm) The responsibilities of athletic director or administrator is to communicate with the campus facility department who will turn light back on.
Facilities to Academics the women's team has low numbers when it came to team participation this season. The head coach Colleen Matsuhara recruited the talents of some of the young women from the soccer team to join the team. This sounds like an easy enough process but each sport that a player participates in, they must be cleared for that sport and approved by an athletic counselor. But when the athletic counselor is not available until a day after the tournament begins that can be a huge headache. Teamwork made this process happen with the soccer players being cleared for basketball in the second half of the second game of the tournament.
This experience allowed me to understand the how all departments help from a game operations side run smoothly. With paid and volunteer staff it would be difficult to have a one game let alone a three-day tournament run successfully.
Back from the holidays
Wed. 2/1 - Back in the office
Many things get going once the holidays are going my continued work is getting ready for the winding down the winter sports season with the men's basketball team having real playoff possibilities. The spring is under way with a new sport making its debut. SOFTBALL!!!
My duties are continuing to work on the coaches and student-athlete handbooks to be ready for the Spring.
The hours spent in the office I am able to truly understand the day to day work load for both the Athletic Director, Counselor, and Executive Assistant.
Many things get going once the holidays are going my continued work is getting ready for the winding down the winter sports season with the men's basketball team having real playoff possibilities. The spring is under way with a new sport making its debut. SOFTBALL!!!
My duties are continuing to work on the coaches and student-athlete handbooks to be ready for the Spring.
The hours spent in the office I am able to truly understand the day to day work load for both the Athletic Director, Counselor, and Executive Assistant.
first day of classes
Wed. 2/6 - Revisions
Updating a Student-Athlete Handbook is not as easy as it seems. The input from the athletic department staff has been a huge help. In many ways it is a collaborative effort to make make sure all the pertinent information is included in the handbook. The effort has us now on revision #5.
Sitting in the front office of the athletic Department many student athletes were coming through requesting the assistance of the recently hired athletic counselor. Lily Mozafari. The first day of classes always seems to cause panic especially for student athletes making sure they are the in the right class and the correct amount of units.
Updating a Student-Athlete Handbook is not as easy as it seems. The input from the athletic department staff has been a huge help. In many ways it is a collaborative effort to make make sure all the pertinent information is included in the handbook. The effort has us now on revision #5.
Sitting in the front office of the athletic Department many student athletes were coming through requesting the assistance of the recently hired athletic counselor. Lily Mozafari. The first day of classes always seems to cause panic especially for student athletes making sure they are the in the right class and the correct amount of units.
Student athletes
Wed. 2/8- Parents, Student, and Coaches Ohh My!
The schedule that I have been able to pt together allows me to be in the office twice a week to observe and be assigned any projects that come up on that particular day.
Today parents and student athletes were in search of answers and the opportunity to get their child enrolled and in a great position to play their designated sport. It is up to both the counselor and coaches to make sure that all paper work is completed and in order before a student take a step on the court or field for practice or competition.
I continued to work on my project the Coaches handbook. the coaches handbook has taken more time. There was only a paperback copy that was last updated in 2002. It was my responsibility to create an electronic copy and get updated forms that would be needed to add to the handbook. taking a hard copy and turning it into an electronic copy is not an easy task. I will be reaching out to other departments to make sure that I am on the right path as far as having all of the correct information needed.
Softball Coach
i. 2/10- Interview Time
The addition of Women's softball means the search is on for a great coach who can kickoff an inaugural season with a bang! Dr.Hooper offered me the opportunity to come in and be part of the interview process.
The applicant pool wasn't very large but there were some quality applicants that made the cut. My curiosity asked Dr. Hooper why there was such a low number for applicants? One of the reasons for the low number is that many of the applicants did not follow the initial instructions when submitting their applications. This cause for an automatic denial of the application which led to on three applicants who then were part of an individual interview process that included the Athletic Director, Athletic Counselor, Athletic Secretary, Athletic Trainer, and the Facilities Supervisor. Panel Interviewing style was the best approach for this interview as a potential head coach would have to interact with each member on the interview panel.
Panel Interviewing allows for several things to happen; the group will be able to freely ask questions from a pre-planned list, forcing the candidate to react to a variety of questions and personalities, showing if the candidate can handle a situation in which diversity is a factor. The athletic director (Dr. Hooper) as the pre-define leader during the panel interviews can make interview decisions quickly if the candidate is obviously not the right fit, cutting the interview short saving the team's time. After the interview, team members will have differing opinions about the candidate. Engage in open debate about the pros and cons of each candidate shortly after the interview. Consensus may not be reached, but the open dialogue will help identify the best candidates. Based on this open dialogue the athletic director (Dr. Hooper) will conduct a one-on-one interviews with the top few candidates before making a final decision. (Career Builder. 2017)
The addition of Women's softball means the search is on for a great coach who can kickoff an inaugural season with a bang! Dr.Hooper offered me the opportunity to come in and be part of the interview process.
The applicant pool wasn't very large but there were some quality applicants that made the cut. My curiosity asked Dr. Hooper why there was such a low number for applicants? One of the reasons for the low number is that many of the applicants did not follow the initial instructions when submitting their applications. This cause for an automatic denial of the application which led to on three applicants who then were part of an individual interview process that included the Athletic Director, Athletic Counselor, Athletic Secretary, Athletic Trainer, and the Facilities Supervisor. Panel Interviewing style was the best approach for this interview as a potential head coach would have to interact with each member on the interview panel.
Panel Interviewing allows for several things to happen; the group will be able to freely ask questions from a pre-planned list, forcing the candidate to react to a variety of questions and personalities, showing if the candidate can handle a situation in which diversity is a factor. The athletic director (Dr. Hooper) as the pre-define leader during the panel interviews can make interview decisions quickly if the candidate is obviously not the right fit, cutting the interview short saving the team's time. After the interview, team members will have differing opinions about the candidate. Engage in open debate about the pros and cons of each candidate shortly after the interview. Consensus may not be reached, but the open dialogue will help identify the best candidates. Based on this open dialogue the athletic director (Dr. Hooper) will conduct a one-on-one interviews with the top few candidates before making a final decision. (Career Builder. 2017)
Work WOrk & Questions
Mon. 2/13 - Coaches Handbook
Today here was time for me to focus on creating/updating an electronic version of the the outdated WLAC Coaches Handbook. The first version took teamwork and the search for all positions that have been filled by new staff.
With almost a month into the mentorship I have been jotting down a number of questions that I will be asking Dr. Hooper when i comes to some of the responsibilities and duties of an Athletic Director. There are many pieces to the this large puzzle of athletics.
The men's and women's basketball seasons are coming to a close with the men's basketball team in the running for a playoff birth. Next week both teams will playing their final home game which includes sophomore night while both home and away teams will participate in Coaches for Cancer program.
I continue to offer any help with any projects, as well as observe the daily inner working of the athletic department.
Today here was time for me to focus on creating/updating an electronic version of the the outdated WLAC Coaches Handbook. The first version took teamwork and the search for all positions that have been filled by new staff.
With almost a month into the mentorship I have been jotting down a number of questions that I will be asking Dr. Hooper when i comes to some of the responsibilities and duties of an Athletic Director. There are many pieces to the this large puzzle of athletics.
The men's and women's basketball seasons are coming to a close with the men's basketball team in the running for a playoff birth. Next week both teams will playing their final home game which includes sophomore night while both home and away teams will participate in Coaches for Cancer program.
I continue to offer any help with any projects, as well as observe the daily inner working of the athletic department.
Weather is always a factor
Wed. 2/15/17 - Coaches Handbook
The remainder of the week is a busy one for the department of athletics as there is the first and only home outdoor track and field meet of the season on the schools new track. The two-day conference relay preparations begin with a meeting on the track with the coaches and facility director making sure that the field is set up properly for all field event sot run properly.
The preparations didn't stop as there were last minute meetings and purchases for the Men's and Women's Coaches for Cancer game. This game where there is much more fan participation including raffles and half court shot. A portion of the raffle ticket revenue and admission to both games will go towards the district cancer non profit organization. Teams were pink uniforms or pink accessories while coaches will where sneakers with pink shirts or ties. The Men's Baseball team will be having their season opener tomorrow the same day the relays begin. That meeting consisted of making sure that coaching staff and facilities communicate to talk about field preparations and confirming the field is ready for competition.
The remainder of the week is a busy one for the department of athletics as there is the first and only home outdoor track and field meet of the season on the schools new track. The two-day conference relay preparations begin with a meeting on the track with the coaches and facility director making sure that the field is set up properly for all field event sot run properly.
The preparations didn't stop as there were last minute meetings and purchases for the Men's and Women's Coaches for Cancer game. This game where there is much more fan participation including raffles and half court shot. A portion of the raffle ticket revenue and admission to both games will go towards the district cancer non profit organization. Teams were pink uniforms or pink accessories while coaches will where sneakers with pink shirts or ties. The Men's Baseball team will be having their season opener tomorrow the same day the relays begin. That meeting consisted of making sure that coaching staff and facilities communicate to talk about field preparations and confirming the field is ready for competition.
ITs just how the cookie crumbles
Wed. 3/1/17- Playoff Disappointment
This past week/end the Women's Basketball team ended their season. The Men's basketball team was denied the opportunity to participate in the playoffs. By way of a hand vote the conference committee voted in a team that was ranked lower than West LA Wildcats in the conference standings. This vote caused Dr. Hooper to file a grievance with conference on behalf of the team.
Preparing to send out surveys and 5 week reports to be completed by all student athletes for winter sports. Reminding all fall sports that have not turned in their WLAC development survey.
This past week/end the Women's Basketball team ended their season. The Men's basketball team was denied the opportunity to participate in the playoffs. By way of a hand vote the conference committee voted in a team that was ranked lower than West LA Wildcats in the conference standings. This vote caused Dr. Hooper to file a grievance with conference on behalf of the team.
Preparing to send out surveys and 5 week reports to be completed by all student athletes for winter sports. Reminding all fall sports that have not turned in their WLAC development survey.
how it all works
Tues. 3/7 - Spring Sports & AD Discussion
Today was a day in which I was able to talk with Dr. Hooper and discuss some of the duties, responsibilities, and skills needed to be a successful Athletic Director. There were a number of question that came up during my mentorship. There was a new track which is the highlight of athletics and its facilities. We discussed how an injury from a visiting athlete prompted an immediate response by the school and the athletic department to finally build a new track.
The track is crucial piece of the puzzle when it comes to revenue. The track and the field which hosts both soccer and football bring in outside revenue in which local sports clubs and local schools rent the facilities. What was interesting to learn was that the athletic department does not handle all of the facility rental contracts that is handled by the West events department who negotiates all rental agreements and pricing. The athletic depart receives a small portion of the those rental agreements along with depreciation dollars.
Another topic that was brought up was Title IX and how compliant the program is. Apparently the program is out of compliance. One of the ways that the program will be closer to being compliant is adding the Softball program which will add another 12-15 female athletes to the program. Softball being added to the program is significant because it would be an inaugural season, it is also a sport that serves a lot of interest to many of the student athletes already attending the school.
Another huge part of the program focus this year us finding a Sports information Director. A lot of those duties fall on the athletic director, his assistant, and the coaches. This leads to mixed message, no message, and outdated information on team pages. The addition of a Sports Information Director will streamline requests, outreach to the community, and most important team pages on athletic department website. To fill this void funds need to be allotted from the budget and the decision of a full time or part time positions needs to be decided.
Today was a day in which I was able to talk with Dr. Hooper and discuss some of the duties, responsibilities, and skills needed to be a successful Athletic Director. There were a number of question that came up during my mentorship. There was a new track which is the highlight of athletics and its facilities. We discussed how an injury from a visiting athlete prompted an immediate response by the school and the athletic department to finally build a new track.
The track is crucial piece of the puzzle when it comes to revenue. The track and the field which hosts both soccer and football bring in outside revenue in which local sports clubs and local schools rent the facilities. What was interesting to learn was that the athletic department does not handle all of the facility rental contracts that is handled by the West events department who negotiates all rental agreements and pricing. The athletic depart receives a small portion of the those rental agreements along with depreciation dollars.
Another topic that was brought up was Title IX and how compliant the program is. Apparently the program is out of compliance. One of the ways that the program will be closer to being compliant is adding the Softball program which will add another 12-15 female athletes to the program. Softball being added to the program is significant because it would be an inaugural season, it is also a sport that serves a lot of interest to many of the student athletes already attending the school.
Another huge part of the program focus this year us finding a Sports information Director. A lot of those duties fall on the athletic director, his assistant, and the coaches. This leads to mixed message, no message, and outdated information on team pages. The addition of a Sports Information Director will streamline requests, outreach to the community, and most important team pages on athletic department website. To fill this void funds need to be allotted from the budget and the decision of a full time or part time positions needs to be decided.
How are we Doing
Wed. 3/8 - WLAC Athletic Development Surveys
A new assignment was handed to me to work on the end of season survey completed by all student athletes at the end of there prospective sport season. I was handed the 2015-16 paper copies and told to create and electronic version that can convert all of the information into data that can be evaluated and presented to use as caveat for future programming, facility upgrades, hiring of coaches, and overall needs to the program. There has never been an online version of this survey and the Dr. Hooper wanted a program that can deliver all of his needs for this survey.
During this time I mentioned that there are several programs that can be used and that i will research other avenues that would be the most cost effective. The next couple of days I spent time to find these programs and platforms that would be a perfect fit. Survey Monkey, Zoho Survey, Typeform, Google Forms. Eventually I chose to go with Google Forms because of how easy it to create, share, and generate results (data). I will take some time to enter all of these surveys by hand.
A new assignment was handed to me to work on the end of season survey completed by all student athletes at the end of there prospective sport season. I was handed the 2015-16 paper copies and told to create and electronic version that can convert all of the information into data that can be evaluated and presented to use as caveat for future programming, facility upgrades, hiring of coaches, and overall needs to the program. There has never been an online version of this survey and the Dr. Hooper wanted a program that can deliver all of his needs for this survey.
During this time I mentioned that there are several programs that can be used and that i will research other avenues that would be the most cost effective. The next couple of days I spent time to find these programs and platforms that would be a perfect fit. Survey Monkey, Zoho Survey, Typeform, Google Forms. Eventually I chose to go with Google Forms because of how easy it to create, share, and generate results (data). I will take some time to enter all of these surveys by hand.
Fri. 3/10 - WLAC Athletics Webpage Update.
Using the the WLAC Athletics site there were some things that were missing and needed updates. It wasn't a site that you can get many of your questions answered. Dr. Hooper assigned me the the task in researching other athletic websites inside and outside of our conference. Some of Dr. Hooper's questions were what do we need to improve? How do we compare to other schools athletic websites?
This request prompted me to take a deeper look into WLAC Athletic Website as a current athlete. What was missing? Was it difficult to navigate? Are teams highlighted? IS team information updated? These questions needed to be answered along with recommendations from myself to help improve the WLAC Athletic Website. First stop to compare websites is CCCAA website with all the conference and division information.
Using the the WLAC Athletics site there were some things that were missing and needed updates. It wasn't a site that you can get many of your questions answered. Dr. Hooper assigned me the the task in researching other athletic websites inside and outside of our conference. Some of Dr. Hooper's questions were what do we need to improve? How do we compare to other schools athletic websites?
This request prompted me to take a deeper look into WLAC Athletic Website as a current athlete. What was missing? Was it difficult to navigate? Are teams highlighted? IS team information updated? These questions needed to be answered along with recommendations from myself to help improve the WLAC Athletic Website. First stop to compare websites is CCCAA website with all the conference and division information.
Tues. 3/13/17 -Data Analytics and Google Forms
I focused on using the women's basketball surveys as the guinea pig to see if the Google forms survey worked correctly. The survey worked well, there were some sections that needed to be updated, the survey overall was easy to read and complete. The next step is to review the data collected and how google forms analyzed the information. Did the data answer some of the many question that Dr. Hooper had? Could this information be used in a presentation? Is the information transferable to other platforms ex. Microsoft Office, and PDF?
So far the answers to these questions are a yes. Time will tell as we explore the range of Google forms, which is a free platform.
I focused on using the women's basketball surveys as the guinea pig to see if the Google forms survey worked correctly. The survey worked well, there were some sections that needed to be updated, the survey overall was easy to read and complete. The next step is to review the data collected and how google forms analyzed the information. Did the data answer some of the many question that Dr. Hooper had? Could this information be used in a presentation? Is the information transferable to other platforms ex. Microsoft Office, and PDF?
So far the answers to these questions are a yes. Time will tell as we explore the range of Google forms, which is a free platform.
Tues. 3/14/17 - Athletic Counseling is Important!
This morning there was a department meeting catching up on all old a new business. The last few weeks there were many meetings that kept the department on the constant move. This a was a time to recap and come together.
The survey projects that have been assigned I continued to work on that and some of the quirks of the program when it come s to printing straight from the google form site. Along with printing issues there were some survey updates that needed to made.
Today I was able to shadow the athletic counselor as she passed out progress reports to coaches and players that she came across on campus. The progress report is an important information tool for coaches and the counselor to have because it allows to see where the student athlete academic progress/ standings. I also sat in on some of her appointments that she has with her students. Many of the students toggle back forth with classes as they try to maintain eligibility for their sport each semester and classes that they are able to take that works around many of their off campus job schedules. Her office typically has a line outside of it, student athletes coming to her with issues that range from, "I cant stand this professor, get me out this class" to, "please reach out to this 4 year school and send them my transcript so I will be eligible to transfer and play net year."
This morning there was a department meeting catching up on all old a new business. The last few weeks there were many meetings that kept the department on the constant move. This a was a time to recap and come together.
The survey projects that have been assigned I continued to work on that and some of the quirks of the program when it come s to printing straight from the google form site. Along with printing issues there were some survey updates that needed to made.
Today I was able to shadow the athletic counselor as she passed out progress reports to coaches and players that she came across on campus. The progress report is an important information tool for coaches and the counselor to have because it allows to see where the student athlete academic progress/ standings. I also sat in on some of her appointments that she has with her students. Many of the students toggle back forth with classes as they try to maintain eligibility for their sport each semester and classes that they are able to take that works around many of their off campus job schedules. Her office typically has a line outside of it, student athletes coming to her with issues that range from, "I cant stand this professor, get me out this class" to, "please reach out to this 4 year school and send them my transcript so I will be eligible to transfer and play net year."
Mon. 3/20 - 3/21/17 - Websites Websites Websites!
I continued to work on the website comparison. It has become a bit tedious to look for websites that look better than WLAC Athletics page is a bit broad. A little broad to compare and make recommendations off of that comparison. Using the CCCAA website it was obvious that I needed to compare schools that had 18+ sports, 10+ sports, and 3+ sports. This comparison also was a bit too broad as well. The next step I looked into the CCCAA NATYCCA a points based competition among all schools in the CCCAA. Each School is ranked by the number of points they score in from their team ranking and/or championships won. By using this ranking system I was able to pull some great information about schools that are ranked in the top ten and bottom of the list. Comparing these athletic pages it allowed me to see where WLAC Athletics page was lacking. Many of the top ranked schools had websites that were creative, updated, easy to navigate, and organized.
I continued to work on the website comparison. It has become a bit tedious to look for websites that look better than WLAC Athletics page is a bit broad. A little broad to compare and make recommendations off of that comparison. Using the CCCAA website it was obvious that I needed to compare schools that had 18+ sports, 10+ sports, and 3+ sports. This comparison also was a bit too broad as well. The next step I looked into the CCCAA NATYCCA a points based competition among all schools in the CCCAA. Each School is ranked by the number of points they score in from their team ranking and/or championships won. By using this ranking system I was able to pull some great information about schools that are ranked in the top ten and bottom of the list. Comparing these athletic pages it allowed me to see where WLAC Athletics page was lacking. Many of the top ranked schools had websites that were creative, updated, easy to navigate, and organized.
Wed. 3/22 - Thur. 3/27 - Self Imposed Deadlines!
I worked for the next five days on surveys; which included electronic copies, analytical summary, and the labeling, binder creation of two years of surveys eight teams. All of the information was entered by me one at a time. collecting all of the data was a long process and soon came to realize why this was an important project for Dr. Hooper.
My other project for Website comparison and recommendations were happening simultaneously. This particular project became very clear as to its importance. Today's technology allows for schools to create revenue flow on their websites, to promote the program via social media, an opportunity to build a brand and increase potential sponsors all through a well organized and updated website. and looking at some of the schools with a successful and popular program their website was able to convey and monetize that success. The importance of of these project caused me to have a self imposed deadline and present my results and recommendations before WLAC spring break.
Tue. 3/28/17 - Submitted
I worked for the next five days on surveys; which included electronic copies, analytical summary, and the labeling, binder creation of two years of surveys eight teams. All of the information was entered by me one at a time. collecting all of the data was a long process and soon came to realize why this was an important project for Dr. Hooper.
My other project for Website comparison and recommendations were happening simultaneously. This particular project became very clear as to its importance. Today's technology allows for schools to create revenue flow on their websites, to promote the program via social media, an opportunity to build a brand and increase potential sponsors all through a well organized and updated website. and looking at some of the schools with a successful and popular program their website was able to convey and monetize that success.
I worked for the next five days on surveys; which included electronic copies, analytical summary, and the labeling, binder creation of two years of surveys eight teams. All of the information was entered by me one at a time. collecting all of the data was a long process and soon came to realize why this was an important project for Dr. Hooper.
My other project for Website comparison and recommendations were happening simultaneously. This particular project became very clear as to its importance. Today's technology allows for schools to create revenue flow on their websites, to promote the program via social media, an opportunity to build a brand and increase potential sponsors all through a well organized and updated website. and looking at some of the schools with a successful and popular program their website was able to convey and monetize that success.
Thur. 4/20/17 The Final Meeting with Dr. Hooper......or Not!!
This was an especially hard week to catch up with up with Dr. Hooper as he had been in meeting after meeting, training after training next thing you know the day is done and he is searching for at least 30 minutes to spend with me. On this day we were able to catch up and discuss my whole experience and what i should be doing to find a potential position in athletics. We talked a great deal about just because my class is ending the mentorship. doesn't necessarily have to end. There are still new projects, meetings, and other aspects of the job that needs to be learned. This experience has provided more than just a mentor he has widened my network and become a person that I can as a questions about anything. Dr. Hooper will be a future colleague who will be a great resource once I am able to secure a position in athletics.
This was an especially hard week to catch up with up with Dr. Hooper as he had been in meeting after meeting, training after training next thing you know the day is done and he is searching for at least 30 minutes to spend with me. On this day we were able to catch up and discuss my whole experience and what i should be doing to find a potential position in athletics. We talked a great deal about just because my class is ending the mentorship. doesn't necessarily have to end. There are still new projects, meetings, and other aspects of the job that needs to be learned. This experience has provided more than just a mentor he has widened my network and become a person that I can as a questions about anything. Dr. Hooper will be a future colleague who will be a great resource once I am able to secure a position in athletics.
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Fri. 4/21/17 - Team H.E.A.L Concussion Symposium
On my last day of my internship I attended the Team H.E.A.L Concussion Symposium 2017. This symposium was hosted by the LAUSD Interscholastic Athletics Department and Team Heal and Dr. Clarence Shields. This symposium was being held at West LA which had the Head Athletic Trainer Victor Pulido being a keynote speaker. LAUSD head football coaches, athletic directors, and administrators overseeing athletics were all invited and my invitation was per Dr. Hooper as he would be in attendance at the track and field qualifying meet in Bakersfield, CA. The purpose of the symposium was to educate all in attendance on concussion prevention and preparedness to ensure student-athletes safety. I had the opportunity to talk with one of the presenters Sidney Jones ATC who spoke about the rate of concussions among high school student athletes and how though football has the the highest numbers it is female athletes playing sports like basketball, volleyball, and cheer leading are occurring at a higher rate than their male counterparts. Along with this knowledge there laws that are in place to protect both the student-athletes further injury leading to death and schools from being sued for millions for neglectful treatment of a concussion injuries. This was definitely a great event to end my internship. |