Although her softball career ended with a back injury several years ago, University of Texas of the Permian Basin athletic training program sophomore Lindsey Post still wanted to be involved in athletics.
She had a partial scholarship to play softball at the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, about an hour north of Atlanta.
“I love sports. I’ve always wanted to be involved in sports, but after I got injured, I didn’t know what to do anymore. I went back home to Dallas and started working at a sports medicine clinic. I started learning the ins and outs of sports medicine. I was only planning to stay for a year and ended up working for seven years,” Post said.
It took about a year for her to feel “almost” 100 percent. Having always wanted a college degree, Post decided to return to school last year and attended the University of North Texas, but the program wasn’t nationally accredited.
Post searched for colleges and found UTPB, which is nationally accredited and less expensive than UNT.
Her grandfather lives in Midland and her father grew up there, so they decided that was the best place for Post. Then she met Richard Lloyd, associate clinical professor of kinesiology and Athletic Training Education program director at UTPB, and that helped cinch here decision.
“He (Lloyd) really convinced me to come here,” Post said.
The UNT program was a kinesiology degree and students did athletic training on the side. She started at UTPB in August 2017.
“This one is full-on athletic training, one on one. You’re learning anything and everything about athletic training and that’s what I liked. I learned more in the first week here than I did in a whole semester at UNT,” said Post, 28.
“It was the best decision I’ve made,” she added.
She said she loves her professors.
“Dr. Lloyd and (instructor/Athletic Training Education Program clinical coordinator) Betsy (Biehl), they really taught me a lot. I’ve also made some of the best friends I’ve ever made — here friends for life. We’re all a really close family. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I came here, but everybody has welcomed me with open arms. I’ve learned so much in the past semester and a half. It’s all thanks to Dr. Lloyd and the program he’s put together,” Post said.
Students in the program set athletes up on modalities like ultrasound and muscle stimulation. Post said students can help the athletes under the supervision of athletic trainers.
“If they’re having pain, it … helps relieve pain (and) relax the muscles. Sometimes we’ll put some heat and some ice on them, so a lot of that is very hands on,” Post said.
Students are assigned a certain sport each semester called clinicals. Last semester she did women’s soccer.
“We were at every practice and every game. We didn’t get to travel; only football gets to travel, but we were at every home game and every practice,” Post said.
She added that she didn’t know that much about soccer when she first arrived at UTPB, although she had played as a youngster.
“I learned a lot through working with the soccer team, which was fun. That’s what I wanted. I wanted to learn a new sport — something I wasn’t familiar with,” Post said.
Recently, she was assigned to spring football.
“I have a brother and my dad. They love football, so I grew up watching it,” she added.
Lloyd said Post contacted her early last spring and wanted to visit UTPB and talk to him about the athletic training program.
Lloyd said Post brings a maturity that some of the other students don’t have and that has translated to some of the younger students.
“She’s always agreeable to be at her clinical events and does very well in the classroom,” Lloyd said.
Some do it that way (injured former athletes)
March was National Athletic Training Month. Lloyd said there are currently 22 students the clinical phase of the athletic training program. He added that the numbers fluctuate, but the numbers get stronger each year.
“She’s going to be an excellent athletic trainer because she pays attention to detail. She uses prior knowledge and puts two and two together very well,” Lloyd said.
Lindsey Post, a student in UTPB’s athletic training program, shows how she would wrap an ankle using fellow sophomore athletic training student Samantha Valdez as a guinea pig.
Ruth Campbell/Odessa American
