Athletic Training at Kent State

Kent State University offers a comprehensive approach to athletic health care. This care is achieved through a network of professionals who provide both primary and specialized services to the student-athlete.

Since 2009, Trent Stratton has served as Kent State’s director of sports medicine after spending the previous seven years as an assistant athletic trainer. He took over for John Faulstick who retired from KSU following 30 years in the position and was inducted into the Varsity "K" Hall of Fame in 2010.

Stratton is joined by assistant athletic trainers Rhiannon Oberto, Brad Pruett, Michelle Rura, Alex Walker and Colleen Wittkopp who work together to direct a high standard of athletic health care for the student-athletes. This clinical staff is augmented by an athletic training education program coordinator and three athletic training faculty members in delivering athletic health care while providing a quality education in a NATA accredited athletic training education program to athletic training students.

Lindsey Metzger (field hockey, softball), Brian Downs (football, wrestling), Tyler Patton (soccer, baseball) and Jacob Crow (cross country, track & field) all serve as graduate assistants.

Athletic training students, under direct supervision, support and enhance the quality of medical coverage. Each team is assigned an athletic trainer who is responsible for covering daily practices as well as home and away events. The full-time staff is assisted by four graduate assistant athletic trainers in providing the athletic healthcare and student education.

The athletic training staff is based in facilities located in the M.A.C. Center and Dix Stadium. Both facilities contain therapeutic modalities and rehabilitation equipment utilized to expedite the return of injured athletes to functional participation. The athletic training staff's objective is to provide an environment predicated on the needs of the student-athletes.

In addition, Dr. William Pakan, Dr. Kyle Nelman, Dr. Robert Crawford, Dr. Omar Naji, Dr. Gregory Cain, Dr. Nilesh Shah and Dr. Trevor Bullock serve as the team physicians and work in conjunction with the athletic training staff and area specialists to provide prompt and professional medical services. Dr. Pakan, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, has served in the Kent community since 1995. The Summa physician staff has years of experience in the sports medicine area.

"The goal of sports medicine is to return the student-athlete to full participation as safely and quickly as possible," Stratton said. "The physicians and staff athletic trainers believe in staying on the cutting edge of injury treatment and rehabilitation, while using the most prudent methods and latest technologies available.