ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Mike McElhinney of William Woods University has been named an AMC Co-Athletic Trainer of the Year, the conference announced Thursday.
The Athletic Trainer of the Year recognizes an NATA certified trainer at an NAIA institution who has distinguished themselves as a model of the profession of athletic training in personal conduct and professional allied health service to athletes.
McElhinney has made mental health an important part of athletic training. One of the first members of the pilot RESPOND training program for mental health, he also collaborated with the Vice President of Student Life to designate a space for mental wellness in the training room. This space has multiple calming activities that student-athletes can utilize whenever they feel they need it. He has also implemented a mental health questionnaire section in the beginning of the year physical.
Mike also recognized that there was an issue with ACL injuries this year. He coordinated and collaborated with his staff and the group decided on the implementation of an ACL prevention program with the women's soccer team. He plans to roll this program over to the men's soccer team as well. He has gotten other coaches on the side of prevention, using evidence that he presented. This has led to other teams reaching out to the athletic training staff about creating of sport prevention programs.
When COVID-19 forced school closures and most trainers stopped their training department all together, McElhinney immediately implemented telehealth. He is currently working with seven student-athletes that needed follow up.
McElhinney is planning on implementing the use or Patient Rated Outcomes into the athletic training facility at William Woods. He believes in collaborative practice and this collaboration included the patient. Implementation of these outcome measures will give the patient an unbiased ability to have a say in their healthcare and recovery.
In the fall of 2019, McElhinney spearheaded the William Woods Mental Health Awareness/Suicide Prevention Week Fundraiser. In collaboration with the women's soccer team, the fundraiser raised nearly $300 for a local Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness Advocacy Group, STU22CREW. As part of this week, he was able to collaborate with William Woods faculty and create three events on campus for students.
"Mike has been instrumental in a variety of areas that have impacted our campus," said William Woods University Athletics Director, Jason Vittone. "He is never overwhelmed by a situation. He does a fantastic job evaluating a problem and addressing it with the best interests of the student-athlete in mind. His calm, level-headed approach makes him an asset within our department and university.
McElhinney is now nominated for the NAIA-ATA Athletic Trainer of the Year award. The NAIA-ATA Athletic Trainer of the Year will be announced publicly during the NAIA National Awards Day in September and will be presented with a certificate and recognized at the annual meeting of the NAIA-ATA.
Story provided by AMC
