MEET SARA MCGRIFF

by

Fred Janiszewski

Athletes are forever getting injured as they compete on the athletic fields or on gymnasium floors across America, and the student-athletes at the University of Toledo are no different than the thousands of other young men and women who carry their school colors into battle against rival colleges and universities.

Injuries are inevitable in competition but the University of Toledo is fortunate to have a first-class support staff always available to help “athletes-on-the-mend” get back into battle, healthy and in a timely fashion.

One of the people charged with overseeing the health of our Rockets is Associate Head Athletic Trainer Sara McGriff who is now in her seventh year with the university. Sara grew up in Indiana and attended Ball State University, earning a bachelor of science degree in athletic training in 2002. She also holds a masters degree in exercise and sport science from the University of Georgia. While at Georgia she worked with the swimming and diving program and also assisted at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials. McGriff is also a certified a  Basic Emergency Medical Technician.

Sara recently took some time to sit down with the Rocket Report for a little Q and A.

RR: Sara, I'm guessing that your interest in athletic training/sports medicine was spawned in secondary school while you were actively engaged in athletics or had a role as a student trainer. Would I be correct? 

• That is correct.  I played several sports growing up.  I had my first knee surgery when I was a freshman in high school.  The whole injury process led me to find the profession of athletic training.  My sophomore year I began working with the certified athletic trainer at my high school.  She mentored me, and I spent the rest of my high school years working with the football and wrestling teams as a student trainer. 

RR: The University of Toledo is extremely fortunate to have, what I believe is a state of the art facility to assist athletes in the rehabilitation of bone and muscle injuries, or just treating the usual bumps and bruises that occur in competition. With some new bells and whistles that were not available to you before the Savage Arena make-over, generally speaking, have you seen a quicker turnaround time for getting the injured athletes back to competition? 

• We are extremely fortunate to have such wonderful facilities at The University of Toledo.  With the renovation, we now have a state of the art athletic training room.  Our new space and equipment allow us to use cutting edge practices that enhance student-athlete welfare.  The commitment to the student-athletes from the University of Toledo Medical Center and the athletic administration also help facilitate a quick and safe return to competition. 

RR: And speaking of those new bells and whistles, what, in your opinion, is the most critical piece of equipment available to you now that you didn't have before the renovation?

• The Hydroworx therapy pool is our most versatile new piece of equipment.  The therapy pool has an underwater treadmill and jets.  This allows us to use the pool for injured athletes as well as cross training and performance enhancement.  It benefits all student athletes. 

RR: You are charged with overseeing at least seven varsity sports and now-a-days it seems as if every sport is in some phase of competition or training throughout the school year, and even during the summer months. How big of a staff does it take to meet the physical needs of the injured athletes in a timely manner?

• Our sports medicine staff consists of five full time certified athletic trainers and six graduate assistant certified athletic trainers.  We have 17 varsity sports that require coverage. Each member of our staff has assigned sport responsibilities.  This allows us to provide equal coverage to all sports. 

 RR: I was going to ask what a typical day might be like for you when school is in session, but with so many teams to watch over, you might not have a typical day, so I'll ask you to describe in a general way what your day might be like.   

• When you work in sports medicine there is no “typical” day.  However, you do get into a routine.  My primary sport responsibilities are women’s basketball and men’s and women’s golf team.  I oversee two graduate assistants who cover a total of 4 sports. I also have some administrative responsibilities.  My days differ depending on if we are in pre-season, in-season or post season.  Practice times, games and travel dictate my schedule.  I have to be in early enough to make sure all athletes receive any treatment needed prior to practice or game, and stay late enough to ensure everyone is taken care of after we compete.  Injured athletes come in for rehabilitation, to see physicians, or go for diagnostic testing.  There are also injury notes and documentation that need to be done.  You have to wake up everyday with an idea of your schedule, but be totally prepared for anything.  You can't predict injuries and you can't control practice schedules and travel.  We have a very cohesive sports medicine staff which makes things easier.  We can all depend on one another for help if the day gets really crazy. 

RR: The women’s basketball team has recently had a number of players felled by ACL injuries (Jessie Campo, Andola Dortch, Lisa Johnson) and studies suggest that female basketball players are five times more likely to sustain this injury than their male counterparts. How does sports medicine at the University of Toledo proactively work to help prevent these injuries from occurring? 

• Unfortunately, not all injuries can be prevented.  That is the inherent risk of playing sports; however, we do the best job possible of putting student-athletes in an environment to succeed.   Student-athletes go through an initial screening process that consists of pre-participation exams, functional testing and bio-mechanical assessments.  We work very closely with Coach Murray (Steve Murray) in the weight room as well.  We intervene to correct individual deficits when necessary.  This summer the team is also doing a six-week jumping/landing training program. 

RR: Aside from the bumps and bruises, what are the most common injuries sustained by athletes participating in the sports that you oversee? 

• Muscle strains and overuse injuries are probably the most common thing we treat athletes for in the athletic training room. 

RR: If you hadn't chosen sports medicine, what other field would you have probably chosen as a career?

• Life Flight Nurse or Sports Psychologist 

Thanks, Sara. Let’s hope that you don't have to put your expertise to work too many times this coming year.