Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) student Courtney Grove was recently selected to receive the Dean Kleinschmidt Doctoral Scholarship Award, part of the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS) Foundation and National Athletic Training Association (NATA) Research and Education Foundation Scholarship Series.
Grove was one of 12 individuals nationally to be awarded one of the PFATS Scholarships for 2023. The Dean Kleinschmidt Doctoral Scholarship Award, which is named after the head athletic trainer of the New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions, is co-sponsored by PFATS and Gatorade.
“I feel really honored and blessed to be selected as a recipient,” said Grove. “It shows that hard work pays off. This scholarship will help me network and build connections within the athletic training community.”
In combination with the hands-on learning practices within the MSAT program curriculum, Grove is now one step closer to achieving her career goals in the field.
I have been able to become a well-rounded athletic training student, as I have had clinical experience with diverse groups of student-athletes ranging from collegiate volleyball and basketball to high school wrestling and baseball."
“The MSAT program at Waynesburg University is the best,” explained Grove of her experience within the program. “The professors and athletic trainers that teach here are deserving of so much praise. I have been able to become a well-rounded athletic training student, as I have had clinical experience with diverse groups of student-athletes ranging from collegiate volleyball and basketball to high school wrestling and baseball. In the classroom, my classmates and I are challenged to think critically, encouraged to practice hands-on-skills and learn from the experiences of our professors.”
One of the benefits of attending a small, private university for Grove has been the personalized relationships grown between those within the program.
“The WU MSAT program is such a close-knit program that provides an education that rivals large schools known for athletic training,” added Grove. “The sense of community within the athletic training room and the connections I have built with the WU AT staff, current students and alum are unlike any other.”
Grove’s future plans upon graduation are to secure an athletic training position for a collegiate or professional soccer team, where she can build her dream career within a sport she grew up with as a child.
“I grew up playing soccer and would love to continue to be involved in the sport, this time as an athletic trainer,” she said.
Committed to the advancement of the profession of athletic training, PFATS Foundation dedicates “funding, resources and voluntary efforts toward special programs and services of its members to a variety of NATA programs and services.” Over $500,000 in endowments have been provided by PFATS Foundation since its inception through the NATA Research and Education Foundation.
Master of Science in Athletic Training at Waynesburg U.
Waynesburg University’s MSAT Program prepares students to become certified athletic trainers through a combination of rigorous academic study and supervised clinical practice in a variety of areas. Completion of this degree can be done in two ways: through a 3+2 program where students earn both a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Exercise Science and Master of Science (MS) in Athletic Training in five years or through the stand alone two-year professional MSAT program. Both options allow students to sit for the Board of Certification (BOC) exam upon degree completion.
