New trainers bring experience to Wesleyan athletic teams

The fall semester means another year of school, work and sports. But it’s also a time when new students and staff members alike come to Virginia Wesleyan to gain a new perspective and get a little experience. Wesleyans trainers are all new and are bringing their knowledge to help Wesleyan’s teams.

my Hayslett, head athletic trainer, has seen a vast field of experience from working with Division I schools like Hampton University to high schools such as Bishop Sullivan and Maury.

“The good thing about working in a different setting is that it makes you a well rounded person,” said Hayslett. “You meet more people and get a better feel and experience for what’s out there.”

There are differences between Division I and Division III sports.

“Division III schools are generally smaller, deal with a smaller volume of people and aren’t as intensely demanding as a Division I school,” said Hayslett.

One aspect that got Hayslett into medicine was the blend of science and sports.

“I enjoy sports, I’ve been doing sports most of my life, and I like the college atmosphere,” she said.

Hayslett hopes to one day teach various classes in athletic training from the experience she gains at Wesleyan. For now, Hayslett feels that there are pros and cons to her occupation.

“Its fun to travel and see the sights, but the hours are crazy and they are not like normal business hours,” said Hayslett.

While Hayslett understands the importance of helping and healing athletes as trainer, she also realizes that there are other obligations.

“One of the most important things about being an athletic trainer is that we are communicators,” said Hayslett. “We try to convey all the information to the players and their coaches.”

One of the assistant trainers working under her is Brandi Burrows. She first caught interest in sports medicine from the blend of science and sports.

“I like looking at deformities and trying to fix them,” said Burrows.

She also spent time playing softball, running cross-country and swimming in college. One thing that Burrows likes about being a trainer is the sense of team.

“You’re part of the team, but not really,” said Burrows.

She also enjoys traveling with the team and working outside in general. Burrows spent two years working with the major-league Detroit Tigers. While Burrows committed to baseball, she feels as a female she does not receive the same treatment from players and coaches as a male. Besides working with the Tigers, Burrows has also spent a short amount of time at the College William & Mary. She is currently enrolled at Old Dominion University, pursuing her master’s in sports medicine.

Although Burrows lives close to Wesleyan, “the beach and a college atmosphere” is what most drew her to Wesleyan. She hopes to one day have her own business, be her own boss, and set her own hours, just like her supervisor, Hayslett. Burrows agrees that one of the cons about being a sports trainer is too much to do.

“Usually an hour before practice, things get real busy because all the sport teams come in at once,” said Burrows.

Burrows feels that while the trainers treat a variety of injuries, the most common injuries are “sprains, strains and blisters.”

The other new athletic trainer is Dave Iannicca. He grew up constantly playing ice hockey. Unlike Hayslett and Burrows, who picked sports medicine for the sheer blend of science and sports, Iannicca picked it because of an orientation at Bowling Green State University.

“It just sounded good at the time and I wanted to try it out,” said Iannicca.

Iannicca graduated from Bowling Green, located in northwest Ohio, in Aug. 2004. He is currently enrolled as a graduate student at Old Dominion University, pursuing his master’s in sports medicine. His previous experience included a summer internship with the New York Yankees.

“Working as an assistant to the doctors and staff of the New York Yankees was amazing, because those guys really know their stuff,” he said.

Iannicca’s experience also includes working this past summer in Tampa, Fla., at a rehabilitation clinic with rookie ball players. He also spent time as an undergraduate student with the Columbus Clippers, a minor- league baseball team affiliated with the Yankees.

“You learn a lot in the classroom, but a lot of it comes from hands-on situations,” said Iannicca. “You start to realize that you won’t be covering everything in the classroom, and with hands-on you get a good feel for the kind of work we do.”

Like his co-worker Hayslett, Iannicca feels working in a Division III school is different from a Division I.

“There’s a huge difference in the numbers alone,” he said. “But Division I schools are very demanding, because a lot of the players are there on scholarships as well.”

Iannicca hopes to one day return to working with Major- League Baseball in a permanent position. He feels there are also several perks about sports medicine that many people don’t realize.

“Meeting some of the players on the Yankees was like a dream come true,” he said.

Asked if he managed to get any autographs, he replied, “Should have, but I didn’t.”