MATADOR ATHLETIC TRAINING PROGRAM

Click the link below to download the AWC Pre-Participation Form:
AWC Sports Medicine Guidelines and Pre-Participation Form
 

Arizona Western College offers a unique opportunity for students interested in a career in athletic training. students who take part in the program will have the opportunity to work with seven competitive athletic programs that will give them a chance to learn on-the-field skills and how to learn essential athletic trainers' skills including:

• Prevention and treatment of injuries

• Evaluation of injuries

• Rehabilitation of injuries

• Professional responsibilities

• Organizational and administrative responsibilities

Plus, you'll have the ability to travel with teams to gain a unique perspective outside of the athletic training room.

Background of the program

The Arizona Western College athletic training program was established in 1979 when John Neulieb was hired by then-AWC Athletic Director Charlie Dine to help the student-athletes of the eight athletic programs on campus at the time become better prepared and better conditioned and, therefore, become better student-athletes. Neulieb was the first certified athletic trainer on campus. At that time, an athletic trainer's job wasn't just limited to what was in the training room. In addition to what was listed in his job title, Neulieb assisted with lining the athletic fields, doing laundry, doing the public address announcing at Matador home games, keeping score at Matador Basketball games, helping with concession sales and driving the Matador bus on road trips.

Finally, after 22 years of being the only certified trainer on the Matador Athletics payroll, Neulieb and then-AWC Athletic Director Jeff Thompson were allowed to expand the department to include a second certified athletic trainer, Melissa Schlettert. This allowed the AWC Athletic Trainers' Department to give better, more specialized and intensive care to the student-athletes. Neulieb and Schlettert-along with a faithful and dutiful group of student trainers-continued to bring the trainers' department into the 21st century.

Then, the legendary Neulieb announced his retirement in 2006, capping a 27-year career. Chris Murphy was hired from Pima Community College in Tucson to team with Schlettert. Schlettert-now Melissa Knabel after marrying her husband, Tim-announced this past May that she and her family would be moving back east. Megan Guthrie was hired to keep things moving along, and joined the Matadors' Athletic Training Staff this August.

Looking to the future... does it include you?

Since the beginning of the program 28 years ago, the standards of excellence for AWC's Athletic Trainers has remained as strong as any in the field. The athletic trainers take great pride in keeping AWC's student-athletes among the most well-conditioned and well-prepared of any in the NJCAA; as well as educating AWC students looking to make athletic training their career move about the most state-of-the-art athletic training techniques and standards. As a program, Arizona Western College offers classes and internships specifically designed to provide students in the field the proper training and preparation to move on to a 4-year school that has an accredited athletic training program.

Those wishing to become part of the AWC Athletic Training program are encouraged to contact Chris or Megan at the phone numbers and/or e-mail links listed below.

Helpful Athletic Training Links

The Arizona Western College Athletic Trainers encourage to click on any of the links below for more information about athletic training: