Inside Athletic Training

In this episode of Inside Athletic Training, we sit down with Christian Bermudez, Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Philadelphia Phillies. With more than 13 years in professional baseball—including time in the DSL, GCL, Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A—Christian offers a powerful perspective on the grind, growth, and gratitude that come with a career in athletic training. He shares lessons from his journey, insights into the role of an MLB assistant athletic trainer, and advice for those looking to follow a similar path in the world of athletic training and sports medicine.For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Welcome to the Inside Athletic Training Podcast, where we explore the world of sports medicine & athletic training and the professionals who keep athletes at their best.Today, we're joined by Nick Jensen from the Milwaukee Brewers and Victor Scarpone from the Miami Marlins. As first-year MLB assistant athletic trainers, they'll share what it took to break through to the big leagues and how they're adapting to life on the big stage—working with elite players, handling MLB road trips and schedules, the pressures of winning, balancing family life while on the road, and much more.For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Welcome to another episode of Inside Athletic Training—the podcast that brings you the voices, stories, and insights from inside the world of sports medicine and athletic training. Today's episode is a truly special one. We're honored to be joined by Curtis Pride—former Major League Baseball outfielder, trailblazer, and an incredible ambassador not only for the game of baseball, but for people with disabilities around the world.Born deaf, Curtis defied the odds and carved out an inspiring career in the big leagues, playing over 420 games across multiple teams. He went on to serve as Major League Baseball's Ambassador for Inclusion, using his platform to promote acceptance, accessibility, and opportunity for all. He's also been a dedicated partner of PBATS through the Ability Transcends Challenges program, helping to inspire the next generation of athletes, trainers, and advocates.Today, Curtis joins PBATS' honorary member Neil Romano to talk about his powerful new book, “I Felt the Cheers: The Remarkable Silent Life of Curtis Pride.” Together, they dive into his journey, the challenges he faced, the people who helped shape him, and the impact he continues to make both on and off the field.Check out his new book by clicking here. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

This week on the Inside Athletic Training podcast, we sat down with Adam Sparks, Double-A athletic trainer for the Miami Marlins organization to chat about his new blog series on PBATS.com following his journey through the Minor League Baseball season.Each Tuesday, Adam will publish a recap of his previous week to provide insights and a behind-the-scenes look at the life of an athletic trainer for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Marlins' Double-A affiliate). Click the link to check out the first chapter of the new series: Tales of the Tape: My Journey as a Double-A Athletic Trainer.For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

This week, we're joined by Paul Buchheit and Joe Rauch of the Philadelphia Phillies to discuss research in professional baseball, the importance of athletic trainers being involved in the research process, what they've learned from a few specific studies that they've been a part of, details about the future of research in Major League Baseball sports medicine, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

On this week's episode of Inside Athletic Training, we sat down with tPadres' assistant athletic trainer Ben Fraser to talk about his career in baseball, Opening Day in Major League Baseball, the grind of Spring Training, building a successful sports medicine staff, career moves throughout baseball, advice for younger athletic trainers, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Chris Whitman, Minor League Medical Coordinator for the St. Louis Cardinals, joins the Inside Athletic Training podcast to talk about the PBATS One-Day Charity, which is currently raising money for the V Foundation for Cancer Research.About the One-Day CharityThe PBATS One-Day Charity is an annual charitable fundraiser established by the Minor League Coordinators under the umbrella of PBATS during the 2012 Winter Meetings. The charity was created with the mission of being able to give back to organizations with a greater cause and making an impact outside the game of baseball. This charitable fundraiser was initially based on the idea of all Minor League Athletic Trainers giving one day's meal money during Spring Training, to help support that year's charitable organization. Over the years donations have expanded across all members of baseball, both at the minor and major league levels, allowing for continued growth and success of the One-Day Charity.  Now going into our thirteenth year of the One-Day Charity Fundraiser, it was decided through a voting process that we will be honoring the V Foundation as the recipient in 2025.About the V Foundation for Cancer ResearchThe V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State University basketball coach and ESPN commentator. The Foundation has funded over $353 million in cancer research grants nationwide. The V Foundation awards 100 percent of direct donations to cancer research and related programs. The V Foundation's endowment covers administrative expenses. The Foundation awards peer-reviewed grants through a competitive award process strictly supervised by a Scientific Advisory Committee. For more information on the V Foundation, please visit v.org. To DonateTo learn more and/or donate, please visit the V Foundation One-Day Charity landing page: https://vfoundation.donordrive.com/campaign/PBATS-One-Day-CharityFor more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

This week on the Inside Athletic Training podcast, we welcome in Anthony Parise from the University of Minnesota baseball program. Anthony leads athletic training for the Minnesota baseball team and shares his insight into working as a collegiate athletic trainer at a Power Five conference in the Big Ten. Anthony talks in great detail about his career path, traveling across the country for new jobs in athletic training, learning about which sports he enjoys covering most, his day-to-day at the University of Minnesota, the structure of the University's athletic training and performance staff, tips for long travels weeks as an athletic trainer, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

This week on the Inside Athletic Training podcast we welcome in Jeff Wood, legendary athletic trainer from the University of Tennessee baseball program. Jeff talks about being a huge part of the 2024 College World Series championship team, his long career at the University of Tennessee, early days with the Baltimore Orioles, his thoughts on the new-age of athletic training and sports medicine, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

On this week's episode of Inside Athletic Training, we welcome in Jarrett Schweim, the Senior Athletic Trainer for the University of Florida baseball program. Jarrett shares details about his career path, stories from his decades of experience across multiple universities in the college setting, advice for younger athletic trainers, his excitement for the upcoming college baseball season, his viewpoints on new technology and data in the field of sports medicine, and much more.For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

This week on Inside Athletic Training, Chris Matarazzo from Vanderbilt University joins the show to talk about his life as the athletic trainer for Vanderbilt's powerhouse baseball program. Chris talks through his accomplished career, what it's like working for a top-tier NCAA Division I baseball program, the grind of college baseball travel, his best advice for younger athletic trainers, and much more. For more information about Chris and Vanderbilt baseball, click here. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

This week on the Inside Athletic Training podcast, Chris McDonald of the Detroit Tigers joins the show to talk about the upcoming MLB season, preparing for another Spring Training with the Tigers' sports medicine staff, advice for young athletic trainers breaking into the game in 2025, how he got his start in pro baseball, working for his hometown team, and much more.For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

This week on Inside Athletic Training, longtime Milwaukee Brewers' medical staff leader Roger Caplinger joins the show. Roger has spent his entire career with the Milwaukee Brewers leading to his recent retirement from his position as the club's Vice President of Medical Operations, Health and Safety. Roger shares insight into his successful career in Milwaukee, discusses his path to the big leagues, recaps the 2025 PBATS Baseball Team Medicine Conference, and much more.For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

This week on Inside Athletic Training, we sit down with John Ursone, Stanford University's Associate Director of Baseball Athletic Training. John shares details about athletic training at the college level, working with a big-time college baseball program, his day-to-day routine as an athletic trainer at a prestigious university, how new conference realignment has impacted the job of a college athletic trainer, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

On this week's episode of Inside Athletic Training, we welcome in Jamie Reed, Senior Director of Medical Operations and World Series Champion for the Texas Rangers, to discuss the recently released MLB report on pitcher injuries. Jamie provides insight from the athletic trainer's perspective about the key findings in the report, his feelings about youth arm health, chasing velocity, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

On this week's episode, we welcome Corey Tremble back to the show to talk about his new role with the Miami Marlins as Director of Athletic Training and Rehab. We talk to Corey about his year with the Texas Rangers, his efforts to build his new staff in Miami, his philosophies on leadership and professional growth, taking on a huge role with a new club, and much more. To learn more about Corey's professional experiences and profile in the game of baseball, click here. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

On this week's episode of Inside Athletic Training, we welcome in Dave Yeager, Chairman of the PBATS internship program and veteran of the Milwaukee Brewers athletic training staff, to talk through the details of the PBATS internship program and what students might expect during MLB and MiLB athletic training internships. A special reminder for students — the internship application process closes on December 31st. Students can apply at PBATS.com/internship. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

On this week's episode of Inside Athletic Training, we welcome in Justin Kemp of the Kansas City Royals. Justin, the Royals' Minor League Medical Coordinator, shares his insight and expertise on the application and interview process within professional baseball athletic training, including tips and tricks for the interview process, how to prepare, and best practices for landing an athletic training job in pro baseball.For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

On this episode of Inside Athletic Training, Milwaukee Brewers head strength and conditioning specialist Jason Meredith joins the show to talk about the relationship between strength and conditioning staffs and athletic trainers, how the two groups work together throughout a 162 game season, his road to the big leagues, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

On this episode of Inside Athletic Training, legendary athletic trainer Ken Crenshaw — Arizona Diamondbacks Director of Sports Medicine and Performance — joins the show to share his recent presentation from the PBATS Athletic Training Student Symposium, titled "Building the Ultimate Sports Medicine & Performance Team." For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

On this episode of Inside Athletic Training, Scott Stansbury — Baltimore Orioles' Minor League Medical Coordinator — joins the show to share his recent presentation from the PBATS Athletic Training Student Symposium, titled "Upper Extremity Evaluation – Linking the Findings to the Condition." For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

This week on Inside Athletic Training, we welcome in Kevin Orloski, an assistant athletic trainer with the Seattle Mariners. Kevin shares stories about his early college days as an athletic training student, working his way through the minor leagues, his welcome to the big leagues moments, learning from mentors along the way, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

On this week's episode of Inside Athletic Training, we continue our Tales of the Tape series hosted by Corey Tremble, Texas Rangers' Director of Minor League Medical Operations. On this episode, Corey sits down with Phillies' Head Athletic Trainer Paul Buchheit and Phillies' Assistant Athletic Trainer Joe Rauch to talk about their recently published research paper titled: Is There a Relationship Between Grip Strength and Injuries in Professional Baseball Players? You can review the full research paper here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39100217/You can view more information about Paul Buchheit and Joe Rauch here: https://pbats.com/bios/philadelphia-phillies/For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

On this week's episode of Inside Athletic Training, we welcome in Mike Sole and Jon Becker. Mike and Jon are former Yankees athletic trainers who formed an incredibly special bond outside of the game after meeting as young athletic trainers in the Yankees organization. In May 2022, after both had left the organization for other career paths, Sole grew ill and began suffering from constant fatigue and abdominal pain. By the following spring, he'd developed jaundice, swollen legs and mental fogginess. Doctors eventually determined Sole, then 30 years old, had developed blood clots in his liver, and an array of operations failed to provide a long-term solution. Sole needed a living liver transplant, which requires a living individual to donate part of their liver.Becker had already been assisting in Sole's medical care, raising $25,000 on a GoFundMe page called “Mike Sole Needs a New Liver.” But when Becker learned his blood type matched Sole's, he soon realized he could do even more. On Oct. 31, 2023, Becker and Sole successfully underwent the lifesaving joint procedure.Enjoy the show with Mike Sole and Jon Becker.For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

On this week's episode of Inside Athletic Training, we sit down with Milwaukee Brewers' Director of Player Health Nick Jensen. Nick talks about his new role with the Brewers, shares insights into the duties and responsibilities of someone in the Director of Player Health position, his role in the MLB combine and draft, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

On this week's episode of Inside Athletic Training, we sat down with Tony Leo of the Pittsburgh Pirates to discuss his role as an assistant athletic trainer with the club. Tony shares information and insights about his early days with the Minnesota Twins, a stint with the Oakland Athletics, details about the day-to-day life as an athletic trainer, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

On this episode of Inside Athletic Training, we welcome in Eli Hallak, the Director of Health Services & Sports Medicine at St. Francis High School located in La Canada, California, and the host of the Wrap It Up Sports Medicine podcast. Eli shares details about his decades of experience in sports medicine, talks about the growth of the athletic training profession, shares what it's like working with high school athletes, provides insight into the ins-and-outs of athletic training at the high school level, and much more. You can learn more about Eli and his passion for athletic training and sports medicine at the links below:https://www.aacitest.org/https://nhhsm.org/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wrap-it-up-sports-medicine-more/id1729678604For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Welcome to the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society's "Tales of the Tape: The Youth Arm Health Epidemic," series hosted by Texas Rangers' Medical Consultant Corey Tremble. In this new series, we'll dive deep into major issues with youth arm health and sports specialization across America with some of the top minds in baseball sports medicine. On episode #3, we sit down with Colorado Rockies Sr. Medical Director and Head Athletic trainer, Keith Dugger, to talk about the youth arm health epidemic, USA Baseball's Pitch Smart program, sports specialization issues, navigating sports health issues as a parent, and much more. To learn more about Pitch Smart and to view helpful resources, please visit mlb.com/pitch-smart.For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Welcome to the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society's "Tales of the Tape: The Youth Arm Health Epidemic," series hosted by Texas Rangers' Medical Consultant Corey Tremble. In this new series, we'll dive deep into major issues with youth arm health and sports specialization across America with some of the top minds in baseball sports medicine. On episode #2, we sit down with Baltimore Orioles head athletic trainer, Brian Ebel, to talk about the youth arm health epidemic, sports specialization issues, and the impact those issues have on MLB athletic trainers, the MLB combine and draft, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Welcome to the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society's "Tales of the Tape: The Youth Arm Health Epidemic," series hosted by Texas Rangers' Medical Consultant Corey Tremble. In this new series, we'll dive deep into major issues with youth arm health and sports specialization across America with some of the top minds in baseball sports medicine. On episode #1, we sit down with Texas Rangers Sr. Director of Medical Operations, Jamie Reed, to talk about the youth arm health epidemic, sports specialization issues, and what changes need to be made going forward in the best interest of young baseball players and their careers. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Welcome to the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society's fourth installment of "Tales of the Tape: The Tommy John Series," hosted by Texas Rangers Medical Consultant Corey Tremble. In the final episode of the Tommy John series, we'll dive into the details of the return-to-play process with Tampa Bay Rays Head Athletic Trainer Joe Benge.For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Welcome to the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society's third installment of "Tales of the Tape," hosted by Texas Rangers Medical Consultant Corey Tremble. This educational program will provide listeners with an inside look into the world of athletic training as it relates to injury diagnosis, surgical procedures, rehab, recovery, and return-to-play planning. Within this program, we'll share multiple series highlighting different types of injuries commonly seen in baseball.In this week's episode of the Tommy John series, the third of this four-part series, we'll dive into the details of the Tommy John surgery rehab process with Los Angeles Dodgers Director of Player Health Ron Porterfield.For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Welcome to the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society's second installment of "Tales of the Tape," hosted by Texas Rangers' Medical Consultant Corey Tremble. This educational program will provide listeners with an inside look into the world of athletic training as it relates to injury diagnosis, surgical procedures, rehab, recovery, and return-to-play planning. Within this program, we'll share multiple series highlighting different types of injuries commonly seen in baseball.In this week's episode, the second of this four-part series, we'll dive into the details of the actual Tommy John surgical procedure, how it started, advancements in today's medical landscape, and much more with Tommy John expert and New York Yankees Head Team Physician Dr. Chris Ahmad.For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Welcome to the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society's first installment of "Tales of the Tape," hosted by Texas Rangers' Medical Consultant Corey Tremble. This educational program will provide listeners with an inside look into the world of athletic training as it relates to injury diagnosis, surgical procedures, rehab, recovery, and return-to-play planning. Within this program, we'll share multiple series highlighting different types of injuries commonly seen in baseball. In this week's episode, the first of this four-part series, we'll dive into the all-important Tommy John surgery, including the history of the surgery, an overview of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries, and much more with Tommy John expert and New York Yankees Head Team Physician Dr. Chris Ahmad.For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

This week on Inside Athletic Training we sat down with Ed Ternan, President of Song for Charlie, to discuss PBATS' new partnership with Song for Charlie in which we'll join forces to help educate athletes and athletic trainers about the dangers associated with Fentanyl abuse and the importance of proper mental health care in sports and in life. On National Fentanyl Awareness Day, Ed explains — in great detail — the Fentanyl crisis happening right now in America, the importance of educating young athletes and athletic trainers about fake pills, his journey within the Fentanyl crisis, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Nate Brooks, Oakland Athletics' minor league medical coordinator, joins the Inside Athletic Training podcast to talk about his career in athletic training, working at the lower levels of minor league baseball, winning the minor league athletic trainer of the year award in 2023, advice for younger athletic trainers, day-to-day duties of a medical coordinator, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Sean McQueeney, Reds' head athletic trainer joins the Inside Athletic Training podcast to talk about his baseball career, working as the Reds' head athletic trainer, breaking into the game of baseball, the importance of being dual-credentialed as an athletic trainer and physical therapist, his favorite cities on the road, best training rooms, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Chris McDonald, Tigers' assistant athletic trainer, joins the Inside Athletic Training podcast to talk about his 20+ years in the Tigers' organization, working in the Tigers' clubhouse as a kid growing up in Detroit, breaking into the big leagues during the 2020 COVID-19 year, handling new staff changes in Detroit this year, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Corey Tremble, Texas Rangers' medical consultant, joins the show this week to talk about his first year with the Rangers after spending more than 15 years with the Detroit Tigers. Corey talks about joining a new club in 2024, his role as consultant vs. his time as medical coordinator for the Tigers, his passions outside of baseball, the progression of athletic training as a profession, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

On this special Opening Day episode of Inside Athletic Training, Dr. Steve Cohen, Phillies head team physician, joins the show to talk about the upcoming MLB season, the grind of spring training, his road to becoming the Phillies' head team physician,  relationships with the Phillies' athletic training staff, how they work together throughout the season, duties and responsibilities of a team doctor, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Kelly Rhoades, Detroit Tigers' assistant athletic trainer,  joins the Inside Athletic Training podcast to talk about her career path in baseball, landing her new job as the Tigers' assistant athletic trainer, spring training prep, excitement for her first MLB season, how the profession has positively progressed for women in athletic training, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Scott Sheridan, current Director of Sports Medicine & Performance for MLB's Umpire Administration and former Phillies' head athletic trainer,  joins the Inside Athletic Training podcast to talk about his time in Philadelphia during the club's World Series run, most memorable moments from his time with the Phillies, transitioning to his current role at Major League Baseball, advice for young athletic trainers, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Keith Dugger, longtime Rockies' head athletic trainer and senior medical director,  joins the Inside Athletic Training podcast to talk about his more than 20-year career with the Colorado Rockies, what it was like becoming the team's second head athletic trainer in club history, working for an expansion team, navigating life in the minor leagues, his best advice for young athletic trainers, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Rob Scheidegger joins the Inside Athletic Training podcast to talk about his new role as the Mariners' VP of Health and Performance. Rob shares stories about his athletic training career, including stops as the Washington Huskies football team head athletic trainer for 15 years and how his transition to Major League Baseball came to fruition. Rob also shares advice for athletic trainer students, details about his day-to-day role with the Mariners, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Eric Hrycko joins the Inside Athletic Training podcast to talk about his time with the Atlanta Braves, the importance of working multiple sports in the college setting, staying patient as a young athletic trainer, key lessons learned in the minor leagues, his welcome to pro baseball moments, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Brad Pearson, Red Sox VP of Sports Medicine and Performance joins the Inside Athletic Training podcast. Brad talks about his early days in the minor leagues and key lessons learned during those times, being a part of legendary Boston Red Sox World Series Championship teams, welcome to the big leagues moments, stories from behind-the-scenes during Red Sox playoff runs, his hopes for the future of athletic training and sports medicine, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Jeremy Heller, minor league medical coordinator for the Cleveland Guardians, joins the Inside Athletic Training podcast. Jeremy talks about his new promotion to the minor league medical coordinator position in Cleveland, what it took to get to this stage in his career, his best advice for young professionals in the field, the importance of spending time in the Minor Leagues, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Mike Powell, minor league medical coordinator for the Arizona Diamondbacks, joins the Inside Athletic Training podcast. Mike talks about his new role as medical coordinator and what he's most excited about for this upcoming season, working with some iconic athletic trainers in the Diamondbacks organization, navigating life in the minor leagues, breaking into the game of baseball, his welcome to professional baseball moment, and much more.For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Vic Scarpone, minor league medical coordinator for the Los Angeles Dodgers, joins the Inside Athletic Training podcast. Vic talks about the importance of his college experience, growing as a professional through making mistakes, the value he sees in hands-on experience as a student, navigating the uncomfortable feelings during the early days of his career,  gaining confidence in communication with leaders in the organization, and much more. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Jacob Legan, head athletic trainer for the Akron RubberDucks, the Cleveland Guardians' AA affiliate, joins the Inside Athletic Training podcast. Jacob talks about his time in the minor leagues, the value he sees in hands-on experience as a young athletic trainer, navigating the early days in professional baseball,  gaining confidence in communication with front office staff and higher-ups, his decision to pursue a Doctorate in athletic training, and much more.  For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.

Ryne Eubanks, Detroit Tigers head athletic trainer, joins the Inside Athletic Training podcast to kick off 2024. Ryne talks about his quick rise to the all-important position as head athletic trainer with the Tigers, the value he got from working as a medical coordinator with the D'Backs, his best advice for young professionals working in athletic training, his welcome to the big league moment and much more.For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit pbats.com.