AT Dads 1 – Relationships

AT Dads are similar to dads in every other profession: great, average, or awful. Dads are one of the biggest influences in the life of a child for both good and bad.

Meet our AT Dads

Ed, what is the one question you want answered by the end of the episode?

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced balancing being a father and an athletic trainer? 

  • Prioritize and set non-negotiables 

Were you able to increase the amount of quality time throughout their childhood and adolescence? And if yes, how?

  • Friday Pizza Nights
  • Driving to school with altered schedules

Joel?

How understanding does your significant other need to be in order to find the balance?

Larry’s wife was non-athletic so she does not fully understand the lifestyle.

Larry used to hold a team meeting to discuss the week and expectations and schedule.

Has the balance ever brought you to consider changing settings/roles in the profession?

Jeremy:

As an AT Dad, How do I foster a lifetime relationship with my children?

Larry, let’s start back in the beginning.

When did you meet your wife and marry?

Wrestled in high school and in community college

Left and went to Pitt

Wanted to be an architect, then an accountant.  Realized he could not stay inside all day every day

Larry’s uncle introduced him to athletic training

Was a student teaching and doing field experience at Baldwin high school.

One of the team members introduced him to his wife.

Went to Sugarbowl with Pittsburgh and spent a lot of money on alcohol and she possibly saved his liver and his life.

First Job in Arlington VA as a certified AT

Got married over Thanksgiving in his first year as a teacher.

His wife attended a lot of the games and they became friends with one of the coaches and his spouse.

Moving 6 hours away from his parents brought him closer to his wife.

Waited 5 years to have kids and spent a lot of time investing in each other.

Larry’s wife got a job at Larry’s school so they got to work together.

The first kid

Sarah born in April 1990

The most rewarding job I have ever had was being a dad.

They moved back to Pennsylvania and worked at a clinic.  He used this time to spend with family.

Larry would take his daughter to pre-school daily and work on the counting skills while in the car.

The Second Kid

Molly was born in 1993

Another AT joined Larry on staff that allowed him some more time off

Third time is the charm…

Delaney was born in 1997 and they had 3 full-time ATs on staff at that time

Larry was involved in the state association and coaching soccer..life was busy, but life was good.

All 3 played Volleyball, cross country, soccer.

The administration was supportive and family-oriented when his daughter was born.

His wife stayed home with the kids.

Larry was able to take 2 weeks off and then proceeded to juggle and balance.

Pizza Friday – they would come up for dinner each Friday night and eat together.

His kids still carry on that tradition with their own.

Eat dinner together whenever possible

During summer Larry would plan camping trips and travel the country.  One trip was 7.5 weeks with a family camper.

“We are going to be in this area, what do you want to do?”

Watch the AT Dads 1 Facebook video

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Donate and get some swag (like Patreon but for the school)

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Marc Pro – Use “THESMB” to recover better.

Frio Hydration – Superior Hydration products.

Donate and get some swag (like Patreon but for the school)

HOIST – No matter your reason for dehydration DRINK HOIST

MedBridge Education – Use “TheSMB” to save some, be entered in a drawing for a second year free, and support the podcast.

Marc Pro – Use “THESMB” to recover better.

AT Dads; Hands Free
Water,
We freaking love these hands free units from FrioHydration

Building Relationships: Local ER – 497

Do you know your Local ER Doctor?

Here in Houston we have a HUGE medical center and tons of small ER clinics and facilities.  There is likely no way I could meet and know each ER Doctor in my area.

ER Doctor, ERDoctor, Emergency medicine, Gail Margerum, Doctor Gail, Dr. Gail Dr. Gail Margerum is a fan of the Sports Medicine Broadcast and and reached out to share some knowledge after an episode where someone discussed a blown retina.

Dr. Gail did not know much about Athletic Trainers until she started listening to the show.  Now she is ready and waiting to build relationships with ATs.

But I should know more of them and should really get to know the office manager and create and ED liaison in the event that we need to send kids there.

I have not been very good about that historically.

What can you do?

Email me some of the things you have done or are doing to build the relationship with your local medical providers.

I want to set up a schedule to where every …say Monday I am out of the school visiting local Medical facilities.  There is so much good in collaborating as medical professional.

Adam Halpern of Innovate AT recently shared this article about working together:

https://www.score.org/resource/solopreneur-series-networking-your-business?fbclid=IwAR0XUtBnR_zuIyihbjC3nwYi2DNo_Seo07_p7aPD4HkK9thTxIscsQC9m7k

 

What other resources do you need?

Dr. Gail Margerum shared a great list of resources to help an ER Doctor and Athletic Trainer be on the same page.

Free ap: MD Calc that has following useful trauma rules/guidelines: Canadian C spine rules for who might need xray

                             Canadian CT head rule for who needs CAT scan

                             Nexus C-spine rule: for who might need neck xray

                              Ottawa Ankle Rule: who needs ankle xray

                              Ottawa Knee rule: who needs knee xray

                              Pediatric Asthma score: who will need to go to ER for treatment

                             PECARN Pediatric Head injury rule: what children need head CAT scan

                            GLasgow coma score

FP Notebook App: guideline for almost any medical conditions: wasp stings, allergic reactions, bruises, heat illness, etc.

OrthoFlow app: touch the part of body injured/fractured and it tells you how to treat it

 

Need More advice?

Justin Streiff send a few recommendations based on his current situation and success

1- One page paper of newest concussion laws/rules and ER does not clear concussion.

  • Just refers to sports/department that handles concussions.
  • Also on this is the need for a note with specific guidelines lines for the patient.

2 – Have a call in number for anytime you are sending a kid to ER.

  • They add our concerns and contact information to the notes for the Dr. to see.
  • Also add to return supplies to parents or hold and I will pick up.

3 – Supplies damaged/ not returned: My department billed the ER a few times and this got the message out. This is what the local ambulance service does as well.

4 – Sports medicine split a consultant with the ED. This has helped bridge the gap greatly.

5 – All athletic trainers on staff do a 3-day observation  annually in the ER.

6 – We do equipment removal and spine boarding with as many residents as possible before football season as many of these residents will assist in covering local football games with the ATCs.

7- Education of PARENTS:

  • what the ER is and that subsequent specialty visits may be needed.
  • Also empower the parents with information and specific questions to ask the Dr.

 

Contact us

Tell me how you are improving or need help improving your communication and relationships with the local ERDoctor

Dr. Gail Margerum

Bubba Wilson

Watch the video on Facebook:

Communicating With Coaches 101 – 419

Bob Gillis

Thanks to Bob Marley for continuing to allow us to record and interview the speakers.
Shawn Ready, Bubba Wilson, Ryan Collins, Josh Yellen, Jazmin Dozal and everyone else who helped make the recordings possible.
 
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Rookie Mistakes – 113

Rookie Mistakes with John Harmon, Bubba Wilson, Mark Knoblauch and Nicole Cascia – 113

John Harmon and I have spent a good bit of time together riding to meetings for GHATS.  One time we began discussing things we wish they had taught us in college to help us succeed as an athletic trainer in the secondary setting.  Budgeting, building relationships with vendors, insurance claim forms, student athletic trainer programs…they may have taught us something about them, but we could not recall lessons or courses on these topics.  So we decided to share some stories and things we have learned.  Nicole Cascia is going to be a rock star after hearing from so many experienced ATs about how to not fail.

Thanks to Morgan Wilson Music and JJ Worthen for allowing us to use parts of their songs.

Show notes for Episode 113

Masters of Athletic Training at U of H

@UofHMAT