Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
MT trainers, strength staff adjusting to new norms
3/26/2020 5:30:00 PM | General
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are being felt all over the world, and for Middle Tennessee's student-athletes, it's thrown a major wrench into day-to-day activities.
Not only can teams not meet for practice, but student-athletes aren't even allowed to utilize MT's weight room facilities, which will be closed until at least April 6.
"It's been a challenge, but we still have plenty to keep us busy," head strength coach Matt Hickmann said. "Communication has been super important. We want to make sure they're getting their work done but at the same time following guidelines and being safe while they're at home social distancing."
The lack of face-to-face interaction has brought new challenges to springtime workouts for Hickmann and his strength and conditioning staff.
This time of the year, the entire staff is usually neck deep in designing workouts for a handful of in-season sports, not to mention spring football and other offseason routines. They now have to find different ways to train student-athletes, and while they're utilizing video chats and other new forms of social media, availability of equipment is an issue.
Middle Tennessee's weight room isn't the only workout facility in the area that's closed. Gyms both in Murfreesboro and around the country have shut their doors for the foreseeable future, and that means student-athletes who're taking classes online remotely might not have access at home to proper equipment.
"Each week, we send out a training plan, and that's whether they have no equipment, full equipment or a minimal weight room," Hickmann said. "We're sending them a lot of videos of various exercises they can do with the available items they have at home.
"That first week we're able to come back will be an evaluation phase. We have to make sure we aren't cramming three months' worth of work into a couple of weeks."
In addition to the strength and conditioning staff, MT's athletic trainers have also had to make major changes to how they operate.
Student-athletes weren't allowed in the training room over spring break, and when they returned Monday, Director of Sports Medicine Drew Shea and his staff implemented new rules and procedures to help treat the athletes in a safe way that follows guidelines implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Each athletic trainer who has athletes here to do extended rehab, we've assigned them a segment of time so we can limit the people in our facility to 10 people or less," Shea said. "Every day when an athlete arrives, we check their temperature for symptoms of the disease … and send them directory to Health Services if they need tested.
"A lot of the athletes who have extensive rehab who are in the area, it's their option if they want to come in here. Our athletic trainers have been in contact with our teams to make sure they know what to do at home. … They might not get the care they normally get, but we're doing the best we can."
It's been all hands on deck for the athletic trainers, who utilized Middle Tennessee's spring break to make sure the training room was ready when student-athletes returned.
"The Murphy Center complex brought in what they call a bomb — a disinfectant that goes through the whole building in a couple of hours — on Thursday, and in addition to that, we did a complete deep cleaning of every inch of the building as a staff," Shea said. "We always clean our tables and equipment regularly, but we've taken that up a level."
While it's been a tough adjustment for both the strength and conditioning and athletic training staffs, both feel confident they're providing a safe environment for the Blue Raider student-athletes, which remains their top priority.
"I'll say, we've always done a great job of keeping our weight room clean and safe for our student-athletes," Hickmann said. "We just have to be more on top of it now and pick up the intensity there. We're making sure everyone is washing their hands and staying safe, because our No. 1 priority is keeping our student-athletes safe."
Not only can teams not meet for practice, but student-athletes aren't even allowed to utilize MT's weight room facilities, which will be closed until at least April 6.
"It's been a challenge, but we still have plenty to keep us busy," head strength coach Matt Hickmann said. "Communication has been super important. We want to make sure they're getting their work done but at the same time following guidelines and being safe while they're at home social distancing."
The lack of face-to-face interaction has brought new challenges to springtime workouts for Hickmann and his strength and conditioning staff.
This time of the year, the entire staff is usually neck deep in designing workouts for a handful of in-season sports, not to mention spring football and other offseason routines. They now have to find different ways to train student-athletes, and while they're utilizing video chats and other new forms of social media, availability of equipment is an issue.
Middle Tennessee's weight room isn't the only workout facility in the area that's closed. Gyms both in Murfreesboro and around the country have shut their doors for the foreseeable future, and that means student-athletes who're taking classes online remotely might not have access at home to proper equipment.
"Each week, we send out a training plan, and that's whether they have no equipment, full equipment or a minimal weight room," Hickmann said. "We're sending them a lot of videos of various exercises they can do with the available items they have at home.
"That first week we're able to come back will be an evaluation phase. We have to make sure we aren't cramming three months' worth of work into a couple of weeks."
In addition to the strength and conditioning staff, MT's athletic trainers have also had to make major changes to how they operate.
Student-athletes weren't allowed in the training room over spring break, and when they returned Monday, Director of Sports Medicine Drew Shea and his staff implemented new rules and procedures to help treat the athletes in a safe way that follows guidelines implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Each athletic trainer who has athletes here to do extended rehab, we've assigned them a segment of time so we can limit the people in our facility to 10 people or less," Shea said. "Every day when an athlete arrives, we check their temperature for symptoms of the disease … and send them directory to Health Services if they need tested.
"A lot of the athletes who have extensive rehab who are in the area, it's their option if they want to come in here. Our athletic trainers have been in contact with our teams to make sure they know what to do at home. … They might not get the care they normally get, but we're doing the best we can."
It's been all hands on deck for the athletic trainers, who utilized Middle Tennessee's spring break to make sure the training room was ready when student-athletes returned.
"The Murphy Center complex brought in what they call a bomb — a disinfectant that goes through the whole building in a couple of hours — on Thursday, and in addition to that, we did a complete deep cleaning of every inch of the building as a staff," Shea said. "We always clean our tables and equipment regularly, but we've taken that up a level."
While it's been a tough adjustment for both the strength and conditioning and athletic training staffs, both feel confident they're providing a safe environment for the Blue Raider student-athletes, which remains their top priority.
"I'll say, we've always done a great job of keeping our weight room clean and safe for our student-athletes," Hickmann said. "We just have to be more on top of it now and pick up the intensity there. We're making sure everyone is washing their hands and staying safe, because our No. 1 priority is keeping our student-athletes safe."
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