Charlie+Kinney

High School Athletics. I got hurt in Cross Country and did Physical Therapy. I went to school thinking that I might want to be a psychologist but there are no right or wrong answers in that, it’s all theories. My freshman year of college I took a Kinesiology class and really liked it. Yeah, I did Cross Country, Basketball, Tennis, and Track. I was at Michigan State for 5 years. I didn’t know that I wanted to major in Kinesiology until the middle of my freshman year and that was a degree that you had to apply for so I had to wait until sophomore year. The sacrifices. It was a huge time commitment. I would have to start back to school in late July because that is when Football and Soccer practices started and I was required to be at those, yes, even the 4:00 am practices. Since college I have missed 3 weddings because family commitments are difficult to mix in with the crazy schedule I have a B.S. in Kinesiology with a specialization in Athletic Training. I took the exam to get certified at a testing facility after I graduated. I worked at DU for a year. It was optional but I wanted to get out for more experience so then I went to Arapahoe where I could get more “adolescent” experience and physical therapy experience. There are a lot. The most difficult part is the time commitment. I feel like I’ve had a full-time job since sophomore year. Communication. As an athletic trainer you are an alliance of everyone. You are the middle man; the focal point. Everything bounces off you. You’re only one person working for the demands of many and athletes can get frustrated. You need to learn how to prioritize and communicate. I also hate being the bearer of bad news. I’m kind of a woos when it comes to that so sometimes I’ll have their doctor tell them unless it’s very obvious. Reading is extensive. You have to be up to date on research if you’re going to be good. New technology is coming out everyday. You can use old methods if you want but now there are better ways. There isn’t as much writing as a high school trainer, but for a college you have to document everything. By referring back to old textbooks. You’re not always going to remember things but you want to familiarize yourself. Not everyone’s anatomy is the same, and you need to know every muscle, where it is, what it does, how much strain it can take. There are online journals that you can subscribe to. I also go to conferences, see guest speakers and keep up with current events. I read the health section in the paper and watch CNN everyday because I know that parents will probably have done their research and will want to about a new procedure and I don’t want to be clueless. No it’s not difficult. It makes things easier, less hands on. It is becoming easier for the patient to help themselves. Yes I have now worked for 2 pro teams. The New York Football Giants During a summer of college I got to work pre-season on an internship. It’s not very hard getting something like that as a student at Michigan State. It’s truly who you know and the Head Athletic Trainer for the Giants went to Michigan State. Actually a Grad Student that I worked with is now the youngest athletic trainer in the NFL at the age of 26. Last week I actually covered for the Rapids. That was just given to me and a few other guys through work. It was great seeing how it works at pro-level. Not many athletic trainers can say that they have been an athletic trainer for a High School, College, and pro team. Interning for the pro-teams has a lot more manual labor. They have physicians around so you’re really just there for taping. In high school you’re on your own, and the resources are limited. The Athletic Trainer is around for communication and organization. In a program finding connections is effortless. At Michigan the faculty is well-recognized and at least 1 of the 12 professors there knows somebody. It was like a 3 year job interview because you want to have a professor that can just pick up the phone and tell someone how badly they need you. Not really. You are on your feet for long hours and it helps if you have to stretch out a huge linebacker. Nothing is ever the same. Everyday is different. You’re surrounded by athletics and a lot of the job is about problem solving. At times it doesn’t even feel like a job. In college I got to travel a lot because in 2 of the better situations. I was at a big school so we traveled a ton. If I would’ve gone to Regis I would’ve only traveled within the state. I’m going to go to P.T. school. Working as a college trainer isn’t worth it. The hours are too extreme and the pay is absurd. Right now, by working out of a Physical Therapy Company, I am making more than my friend who is 7 years out of DU with a B.S. that is working 80 hours a week. I want to be a Physical Therapist because they’re more educated and I just want to know so much more. So now I have 3 more years of school but after that I can do whatever. I could open my own clinic; I could get back into athletics and be a Head or Assistant Trainer in a Pro or D1 team. I could even get a PHD and teach and do alright. The only down side of this career is that the hours and travel make if difficult to settle down. Having a wife and kids would be hard.
 * 1) ** What got you interested in Sports Medicine? **
 * 1) ** Did you play sports in the past? **
 * 1) ** How long were you in college? **
 * 1) ** What was the hardest part of school? **
 * 1) ** What degree do you have as an athletic trainer? **
 * 1) ** After you got your major what did you do with it? **
 * 1) ** What is the most difficult part of being an athletic trainer? **
 * 1) ** What are the stressful parts of your job? **
 * 1) ** To what extent is the importance of reading and writing in this career? **
 * 1) ** How do you stay educated for this job? **
 * 1) ** Is it difficult staying up to date with the latest technology? **
 * 1) ** Have you interned for any teams? **
 * 1) ** What teams? **
 * 1) ** How did you get into that? **
 * 1) ** How was that experience for you? **
 * 1) ** Was it difficult finding connections? **
 * 1) ** Is being in shape important? **
 * 1) ** What are your favorite parts of the job? **
 * 1) ** What are some hopes you have for the future? **