DME – I wanted to be in the high school setting so I knew DME was short term
A&M Consolidated – 2 years, then I left to be the head AT, open a new school, and work alongside my husband.
Rudder in Bryan ISD 11 years – AT and public health mirror each other in the area of prevention. I felt called to go into public health and work with low socioeconomic status. We housed a few homeless students during our time there. During the master's, I got connected with HR and the school safety department. Felt like I hit a ceiling and thought it may be because we were married and did not want to put a spouse in charge of the other.
The move to Brenham would really challenge me to grow.
Assistant AD of Sports Med in Bryan ISD
Brenham – 4 years
Waller ISD
Coach Allen, where are you now?
Giddings Texas – DC / Head AT
Houston Stratford HC/CC – 16 years
Head AD in Benham because we wanted to retire
Bastrop allowed me to be just the AD not a coach anymore.
What is the legacy y’all left?
Coach Allen – Do what is best for kids, even if it is tough for adults.
Jamie – I would hope people would see how deeply I care about making the whole system.
I hope that through my work, people would see that we win when there is a team approach.
You discussed the talks at SWATA and NATA, what do you want to clarify?
The AT department needed a lot of tender loving care.
When I got into I realized how much prep work I needed to do.
Use the PASS or SSSA to guide you and make sure you evaluate your program
I was in the middle of getting my hands dirty and realized I did not have sinks. Coach Allen came in and made it happen within a few days.
Coach Allen, speak to the AT, how do they start the process of building what y’all built?
A lot of times there is a natural divide between the 2
Athletic Trainers are fearful the coach won’t listen and follow instructions
Coaches are fearful every player will be set out.
Be willing to pitch in and do the extra things.
Build trust
Call to action:
ATs – try not to take on responsibilities that are not yours and then let it become your job or expected of you.
If I did someone else's job, I would remind them to take care of it.
Jamie is one of the most efficient people I know. She handles people and situations really well.
She went out and earned the changes and I was able to go in and ask for it.
The Good Life, relationships are built, trust is established and culture is changing. Jamie and Eliot discuss what the AT / AD relationship looked like once they got past the rough spots.
Coach Allen, what has been your favorite part about working with Jamie?
She is such a problem solver. She anticipates problems that are going to occur.
Jamie, Your favorite part about working with Coach Allen?
Very patient and graceful when things do not go his way.
He did not shut down when I came on too strong.
“Is it best for the kids?” is a driving force for him
What was your biggest sports medicine victory together?
When I first got into it I wanted to do a lot but I had to clean and organize everything first.
I knew I was going to forget something big like AEDs.
Bart Peterson had a checklist he shared with Jamie that was part of the PASS system.
This really helped us prevent compliance slip-ups.
We changed the culture of healthcare in Brenham. The ripple effect.
The overall respect our community and school had for ATs
We built up to having 4 ATs.
Parents and students were asking for it.
What are some of your smaller wins?
I needed a window door if I had to have a closed-door conversation.
Hydration systems – moved away from trash cans
Radios
Lockers for student ATs
We shut down the gym AT and moved everything to the field house AT Facility.
Having the plan written out on the whiteboard allowed us to collaborate more.
Any regrets?
Coach Allen – Not really, have not worked with anyone I trusted as much as Jamie.
I came in too strong.
When I left Brenham it was an unexpected change. It was not something I was looking for and therefore was a little unprepared.
There were some organizational things I had not prioritized because of the bigger issues.
Talk about the Master’s Degree
I got my degree in public health because I was ready to leave the profession.
Through the master’s I learned how happy I was in the profession
In Brenham, I did not have time for all the school health stuff while we were making adjustments.
The pandemic was really a blessing for an AT with a degree in public health. Being married to Josh Woodall helped us really sit down and work side by side and help set up procedures to get stuff back to the school and back to athletes.
The leadership team was meeting and Coach Allen knew Jamie would be a great asset. He pressured the admin to let her in.
Delivery is key
Respect is built and given, not taken
We did Character Talks with our athletes to help grow the respect for the AT staff. Jamie spoke at some of them.
Meghan Allcorn has had about 9 job changes in roughly 11 years.
Meghan, where did you start as an AT? How long were you there?
11 years as an AT
PRN coverage for collegiate D2 in the Michigan area, working every sport available.
My first full-time job was as an Industrial Athletic Trainer out in the Washington area.
Secondary School setting back in Michigan
PRN coverage
Detroit Metro Airport
Secondary School and community outreach working out of a health and fitness facility.
Finished PTA degree and started working in the inpatient setting
Another industrial setting and been there for 4 years.
What pushed you to change settings?
Survival as a single female, creating a full-time job where there was not one before.
Currently the program manager for Workfit in the automotive industry. I now have 2 little girls and wanted a day shift job that would still have a need every day.
I was done missing my kid's events.
Which was the hardest change for you?
Leaving the first industrial setting job – it was a first shift job and gave me so much freedom of schedule.
Discuss the Airport setting
You get on the airplane and put one bag overhead.
The workers tag them, move them, and help the underbelly workers get them there.
They are stuck under your dining room table moving 50-pound bags for an 8-hour shift.
How did you transfer experiences from one setting to the next?
Personality is the top transfer tool.
Build trust and then you can accomplish a lot of things.
The skills transfer similarly. You need to be in that position or setting to observe and improve body mechanics.
Assembly line – you have about 60 seconds to get your part, attach it, and be free. The parts are usually behind you and need to be gathered for each assembly.
Is this your final stop?
I do not know.
I love AT and what it has brought to my life, but I can not say it is definitely my final destination.
Encourage someone in the process now
Do not be afraid to try and fail.
Every time you try something new you gain experience.
Any Regrets?
No regrets but a few missed opportunities. All of these lead to shaping who I am.
Favorite resource for someone looking to change settings?
