Whitney Hughes
Staff Reporter
Leaving the realm of high school sports, Amanda Frescoln entered the Sacred Heart University campus prepared to take on an entirely different animal: college club sports.
“A lot needed to be taken care of at the previous high school that I worked at, the athletes did not have the best care, I made a lot of changes there and once I did I wanted a bigger challenge,” said Frescoln.
Applying for the job of athletic trainer of club sports, Frescoln hoped to take the reins in this newly created position. Now that she has stepped up to the plate, she hopes to shape the program in an inspiring direction.
“I heard the club sports program was fantastic and a lot of schools were going to model their program after SHU,” said Frescoln. “It seemed like a good opportunity to create an imprint on the program right away since the position had not been around too long,”
Although the fall semester has just begun, Falcon has generated a plethora of ideas in hopes to move forward with the athletes.
One of Frescoln’s goals for the club sports program includes bringing in impact testing to the program, which is used for concussion management for all athletes involved in contact sports. With impact testing the care of head injuries will be much more efficient.
Owen Boyle, a junior rugby player, has the desire to play but has recently been sidelined with a head injury. Boyle, who sustained a concussion in a preseason scrimmage, has worked closely with Frescoln
“She was attentive and showed interest in both me and my injury,” said Boyle. “If Frescoln was not around I would have continued to play and probably been further injured. I appreciate her concern and ability to properly care for me.”
Boyle is still not able to return to the rugby field but credits Frescoln with his quick recovery. It is apparent with the preseason injuries that Frescoln’s goals for the club sports program are needed, as concussions are a common and extremely serious injury for not only rugby players but for every athlete.
With the incorporation of impact testing, athletes like Boyle will be able to monitor the severity of their concussion and the progress of their recovery more adequately.
In addition to the medical improvements Frescoln now envisions, she also cares immensely for the well being of her athletes.
“With the help of the athletic training staff and the faculty, I would like a space for just club sports because as of right now we are sharing the facility with varsity sports and the club sports athletes could have better care if they had better time opportunities,” said Frescoln. “The kids would also be more compliant if there were more evening hours because college kids want to socialize and do not want to be getting treatments late at night when the only available hours are. I need better hours to improve the character of the patients.”
Others have already recognized Mencio’s efforts. The head of club sports, Ray Mencio, has expressed his enthusiasm about her addition to the staff.
“Frescoln is the right fit with our department and students because she is accessible and is able to separate herself and be an authority figure to the athletes,” said Mencio.
Frescoln, who is originally from Pennsylvania, received her degree in Athletic Training from Southern Connecticut State University in 2008. She began her athletic training career at a high school in Penn, where she worked for two years.
Mencio has stated that a significant reason Frescoln set herself apart from the six other candidates was her personality. Frescoln is independent and is able to manage her time and a lot of athletes all at once.
Frescoln also understands the long days and requirements of the job due to her experience within the athletic training career.
The character of the club sports and its participants is also important to Frescoln because she believes the athletes get the same out of playing the sports as they did as a youth. The desire and camaraderie is there and it is fun for her to work with patients that just want to play sports.
The club sports seasons, which have recently commenced have kept Frescoln busy with injured athletes. However, she continues to make strides towards improving the legitimacy of the club sports athletic training program to ensure the success and well being of the athletes.
This article was contributed by Alyssa Scott, managing editor
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