With March being National Athletic Training Awareness Month, Emory Athletics would like to highlight several members of the Sports Medicine staff. The spotlight series continues with Dan Meyer, who joined the Emory Athletic Training staff earlier this month after spending a stint with UW-Whitewater since 2017.

** What inspired you to become an athletic trainer? 

 When I went to college, I was initially going to be an accountant. Business classes were pretty easy for me in high school and I thought that was what I wanted to do, but I ended up not liking the first semester classes for the business program and ended up switching to kinesiology. While in the intro class for that program I had to observe three different areas (athletic training, strength and conditioning, and exercises and fitness). Out of those three I really enjoyed athletic training. I played sports growing up but never initially thought about athletic training. Once I was able to observe in college and got into the program everything clicked and I have loved it ever since.

** What is the one thing you enjoy the most about your role? 

 It is pretty hard to narrow down the most enjoyable part of my role to one specific thing. Athletics, especially in the collegiate setting is a unique environment. First, you get to see the student-athletes you work with grow throughout the years; and you have the opportunity to help them become who they want to be. And you are able to build those relationships were they stay in contact with you once they have graduated and moved on to the next chapter in their lift. Second, you get to be around athletics everyday in some shape and form. Athletics has a fast and competitive atmosphere which keeps you on your toes and drives you to become better every single day. There is always something going on or something that needs to be done. Thirdly, new research is constantly being published in the medical field that relates to athletic training. I think it is pretty cool being able to constantly learn about new tests, injuries, treatments, rehabs, etc… and be able to apply them to your job each day.

** What would you say has been some of your most memorable moments from over the course of your career? 

 One of my most memorable moments of my career so far happened while I was working at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. One of the wrestlers that I worked with pretty frequently that year ended up becoming a back-to-back national champion for his weight class. Being on the mat/stage with all of the noise and excitement from the wrestler, coaches, and spectators was amazing and one of the coolest experiences I have had. The team as a whole placed in the top 10 with many individuals doing very well and exceeding expectations for the season.

** COVID has forced many athletic trainers to go above and beyond more than usual. Was this the case for you and if so, can you describe some of your expanded job responsibilities that you have during the pandemic?

COVID has made things difficult for everybody since it has began. Initially, when quarantine officially began last spring and students were sent home, the previous athletic department I worked at switched all evaluations and rehabs to virtual which made it more difficult to evaluate and treat someone since you could not do anything hands on; but as with everything, had to improvise and adapt. When we started practices in the fall at UW-Whitewater, the athletic training staff was the initial contact person for anyone who tested positive and then we had to work with the universities COVID hotline. Depending on the day, there were some mornings we would be on the phone for 2-3 hours without actually working with student-athletes due to COVID outbreaks. Another responsibility the athletic training staff had was to help come up with new protocols for practice, weight lifting, travel, and home competition.

** Was there anything specifically that drew you to this position at Emory? 

When I looked at the position posting and was able to get some more information about the position I was instantly hooked. Emory University is one of the top universities in the nation and one of the top Division III athletics programs as well. I grew up playing soccer for fourteen years and also ran cross country and track and field in middle school so the sporting assignments for this position were great. The university also has many learning continuing education opportunities through the hospital and other medical groups around the Atlanta area. Being able to have access to those opportunities gives that athletic training staff a unique advantage with staying on top of the most up-to-date research when taking care of the student-athletes we work with. Atlanta is also just a little warmer than Wisconsin, I prefer warmth over cold.

** What is one of the most surprising part of being an athletic trainer? 

 At this point in the profession it is not surprising, but you never know what is going to happen or what is going to walk through the door each day. Every single day is different. You can plan out your entire day only to realize that it may completely change the second you walk through the door, get one email, or get a phone call. Athletic training keeps you on your toes and you will always get to have new experiences, some good, some not so great; but you get to learn and grow from each experience you get.

** What do you know now about athletic training that you would go back and tell your younger self? 

While in school, do not worry about needing to get everything right. There is so much information for athletic trainers to know that you will never learn it all. The only thing you can do is try to better yourself each day. A lot of people talk about the 1% rule, getting 1% better each day; that is all you should focus on. Between all of the orthopedic injuries, to rehab, general medical conditions, treatments, etc… there is so much information out there that you will not know it all by the time you graduate college, and you will not know everything by the time you retire. The only thing you can do is get a little bit better and learn something new each day.