Luke Novosel: Pittsburgh Pirates Assistant Athletic Trainer & Physical Therapist

(upbeat music) - Welcome to episode 100 of the Inside Athletic Training Podcast. Today's guest is Luke Novasel, assistant athletic trainer and physical therapist for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Luke brings a unique perspective to this role, combining his clinical expertise with firsthand playing experience as a former Division I college baseball player at the University of Pittsburgh. Enjoy the show. (air whooshing) All right, Luke. Welcome to the Inside Athletic Training Podcast. Excited to have you on for this episode. You're currently in your first season with the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Major League level as the assistant athletic trainer and physical therapist with the staff there. We'll get into your current role, all that good stuff about your day to day and the team you work with there pretty soon. But love to hear more about your background, share that with the listeners. So take it back from the beginning. Where'd you grow up? Were you into sports growing up? And also how you found a passion for kind of sports medicine and athletic training? Yeah, definitely. I just wanna start off by saying thanks for having me on, Sam. Obviously I've been, heard a number of these podcasts in the past. So it's really cool to finally be a part of one. So appreciate you having me on. So it's just a little bit about me. So I'm actually from Pittsburgh. I'm from a town about 25, 30 minutes east of the city. So for me, it was a really unique opportunity when this job had come up and I had an opportunity to interview for it. So that was something that's been still really cool and surreal to me to this day. And I played baseball my entire life growing up. Played a number of sports in high school. And then fortunately I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to play baseball at the University of Pittsburgh. I was a pitcher there and had an awesome experience, got to play three full seasons there. And then kind of towards the end of my junior year and then into the fall of my senior year, started to develop, had a slap tear in my shoulder and just, I guess really just had a beat up shoulder, some significant internal impingement, just some stuff that I really had a tough time coming back from and led to a decline in my velocity and performance and everything. And at that time I had, I made a tough decision to kind of step away and focus on my academic. So it's kind of cool to again also with that to kind of come full circle to really make it to the big leagues in a sport that I grew up kind of loving, playing, watching and kind of everything about it. So I think that was kind of really where, what fueled my passion for, you know, athletic training was I always wanted to be, you know, I saw what people had done for me in that setting, what my trainers had done, you know, watching what they got to do with the other athletes and teammates that I had and just the dynamic environment of what they got to work in and just then getting to be in the dugout and on the field and kind of helping to lead in the medical care, you know, with for a team. I think was something that was extremely cool to me and I was fortunate that my mom's cousin owned a physical therapy practice that I was involved with, you know, throughout my earlier years and really kind of started my initial, I guess, passion for wanting to get into sports medicine. And then as I got more involved in experience with athletic training in, you know, in college, that was something that I think my passion just kind of started for. But, you know, really back then it was a bachelor's degree and, you know, I wasn't able to do that because of, you know, playing baseball, they wouldn't allow me to do that just with the demand of playing. So, you know, I ultimately took a different path and, you know, just through a number of things kind of got me to where I'm at today. - Yeah, that's awesome to hear. And one thing I want to kind of, a couple of things there I want to dive into deeper. But first you said you grew up just a handful of miles or a little more from Pittsburgh, which is kind of crazy to think that you're on the field and working with the players there. Has to mean a ton to you and your family and just like even your buddies you grew up with watching the Pirates, like it has to be really cool for everybody involved with your life and your career. Not so much professionally, we'll get into that. But personally, what does it mean to kind of be a part of the team, someone who impacts winning for the Pirates, a team you probably cheered for since you were able to watch TV? - Yeah, I mean, it's honestly, it's hard to put that in words. I mean, I've grown up with this team. What's my first game? I think when I was four or five years old and, you know, I've gone to, you know, multiple games pretty much every year since when I was, you know, around the Pittsburgh area. So for me to be able to put on the, you know, the Pirate P every day, you know, has meant a lot to me. And, you know, I think it forces me to kind of work my hardest each and every day, you know, for the staff that I work with and the players that I have, just because of, you know, the winning in the team is not just a job for me. Like it's something that I would love to be with this team, you know, forever. I mean, it's so cool to have my friends and family that are, you know, still, you know, mostly in the area being able to come to games, you know, being around them, being able to, I guess, facilitate some level of a work-life balance, if you will, with the job that seems to be, you know, very challenging in professional sports at times. So, you know, it's just been something that has been extremely, you know, cool and rewarding. And I get full fuma with it and hopefully we'll be a part of, you know, seeing where we're at now and just the part of the growth and development of the organization to, you know, get us to a point where we are a winning organization one day and just see what that process looks like. I think it would be extremely, you know, even more rewarding, you know, than it is now. - Yeah, absolutely. And kind of jumping back into your time at Pitt as an athlete there on the baseball team. So, you know, you mentioned your exposure to the athletic training room and staff kind of had an uptick because of an injury. Did you find, you know, a lot of us, myself, as a college athlete as well, you find you don't want to spend a lot of time in the training room, but all of us do at some point. At what point did it kind of shift from like, hey, I don't want to be here, I'm injured. This is kind of like a devastating end to a career to like shifting the mindset of kind of absorbing what was going on in the training room and kind of thinking that that might be something that you want to pursue as a profession. - Yeah, I think it was one of those things that I had been, you know, I started out, I think my freshman sophomore year just kind of not ever wanting to go in the training room. And I think probably some of that led to maybe some suboptimal arm care routines or just routines as a whole, you know, take care of my body and really prepare my body how, you know, I maybe should have at the time. And, you know, I think it was just something that I, you know, wish looking back on it, like now we have such a culture where we want people, we encourage athletes to come into the athletic training room 'cause we want to work with them, we want to establish good relationships, we want them to have good routines, we want to make them feel comfortable and, you know, give them whatever they need to help them to, you know, play every day and, you know, to handle the demands of the sport. So, you know, I think that's something that certainly evolved. But, you know, I think it was like throughout my junior year, once I kind of saw the writing on the wall a little bit, I think I started to kind of sit back and, you know, talk to some, you know, family and, you know, my mom's cousin who was a PT to kind of talk about some future career options. And I talked with our athletic trainer at the time there. And, you know, I think everybody was just like, look, let's give this the best shot we can. But, you know, ultimately, I think you have some different options of what you might want to pursue as a career in the future. And, you know, so I just tried to work my butt off in the, you know, with the rehab, but also just try to soak it in and observe as much as I could. And it was really cool. My AT actually let me, you know, observe and kind of come in some off hours and kind of was around our soccer athletic trainer 'cause our Peterson Sports Complex at Pitt is, you know, we have men's women's soccer softball and baseball kind of all in a complex. And we share one athletic trainer room. So I was able to come in and kind of observe them and be around them to kind of take some forward steps, you know, to really making sure that that could be an environment I could see myself working in. - And kind of more into that in terms of your education at Pitt. So you got your bachelor's in exercise science and then went on to your doctor of physical therapy, a ton of school, a ton of information, so much that goes into that. What went into the decision to go back to school to earn your master's degree in athletic training from Boston University? Was that something you always want to do, something you thought you needed for your career or were you kind of like someone who enjoyed school and always loved that learning process? - Yeah, I mean, I think starting with kind of the latter half of what you said, I think, you know, I've always had or always been told and kind of thought and encouraged myself to try to have a growth mindset and try to learn as much as I can in the earliest, you know, in the early stages of my career. So I think that was always kind of something that I just innately, you know, developed or tried to, you know, work toward having as best as I could. But I obviously chose the path of going into physical therapy, just given the fact that I couldn't, you know, do athletic training and undergrad. And when I was talking about my mentors going throughout my physical therapy program, they were like, hey, you know, just with this, you may not want to go necessarily go, you know, do some additional schooling to do bachelor's in athletic training. There's a potential that it might get to a master's in the future. Why don't you, you know, one option you could pursue is to do a sports physical therapy residency where you're going to get a ton of specific mentorship, learn how to be a sports physical therapist. You're going to get a ton of venue coverage, work with a lot of athletic trainers and really help to set the stage for you in terms of like what you might want to do next and maybe give you some, you know, a pathway to getting into an athletic training to work as a PT or if not, then you can kind of help to determine what those next steps will be. So I ultimately chose to go with the sports PT or to go the sports residency route. And honestly, it was probably the best decision I could have ever made. I learned so much in such a short period of time, the shins and athletic trainers that I worked with, the Houston Methodists and then with all the different teams that I had a really cool opportunity to work with as a part of the residency, I mean, I learned so much. And I think when I got towards, you know, probably halfway through my residency, I kind of sat back and kind of looked at the landscape of sports and, you know, at that time, there probably wasn't nearly as many PT-onlys in professional sports or even collegiate sports. And, you know, I really saw it as a, you know, a situation where I didn't really, you know, I didn't have a passion for working in the clinic, clinical setting, and I really, really, really wanted to work in the athletic training room and in a team setting. And, you know, I didn't really want to put myself in a position where I might have to go work in a clinic for a period of time and then keep trying to get in. So I was like, hey, what am I still lacking? And it's like, well, I sit back and I observe all the athletic trainers and all the experience I had in residency. And I'm like, man, there's so much that I want to be able to do that I want to be able to provide to the athletes, like watching how they get to interact on a day-to-day basis, all the on-field stuff, all the wound care, you know, all the emergency medicine stuff that you don't get as a PT and you really get a very superficial overview and residency that kind of gives you a little bit of a taste of it. And you're like, oh, this stuff is really cool. You know, I want to learn more and be able to do more of this to, you know, be an asset to a team and be an asset to the players to provide them a wide range of, you know, of care. And, you know, there was an athletic trainer that I worked with who's now the head athletic trainer at Georgia Tech, his name's Brad Kimball, absolutely phenomenal guy. I think he really immersed me when I was in my initial experience with a rice university with rice football. - Okay. - And he really was a huge kind of mentor of mine and still is to kind of help to push me, you know, into the direction of going to athletic training and what opportunities and doors it could open for me no matter what sport I went into. And, you know, that was a huge, I think, driving force in addition to the support I had for my family and everybody else to kind of take that step, you know, back if you will, to pursue an additional degree. And, you know, ultimately, you know, that's the route that I went. And again, it helps provide me with the opportunity to be where I'm at now. So it's really hard, you know, hard to look back on and say it wasn't worth it. - For sure. And I want to kind of hear more about the residency. I think this is something that unique, not that no one's done it, but a lot of our guests have not, you know, they've had a more traditional route from, you know, a master's in athletic training, maybe more schooling and then right into minor league baseball. So explain that a bit. So it looks like, you know, the residency, you've got exposure to a ton of different sports from working at Rice University, the Houston Texans, Rodeo Ballet, a ton of different sports with very different movements. Talk about the impact that had on you as a professional learning growing, like you mentioned, is so important to you. I know you wouldn't take it back or in the position you are and super happy with it, but just explain how working with multiple sports kind of is something that you might recommend for other younger athletic trainers. - Yeah, no, it's a great question. I think it gave me an initial exposure to a, you know, like you said, a number of different sports, movement patterns, athletes. I mean, these are all athletes at, you know, at the highest level with the Houston Rodeo, the Houston Ballet, Houston Texans. I mean, those are all very unique athletes in sports and with a variety of different demands. So I think it allowed me to appreciate those and what it was to work with professional athletes at the highest level and a number of different sports. And I think it ultimately helped me to figure out a little bit of what avenue, you know, I kind of wanted to go down or go into. I mean, I think it really helped to seal that, hey, the working with the athletes at the highest level where they're constantly pushing the demand, you know, their physical demands to get them to the highest level of the sport, I think is always something that I just kind of appreciated and was a similar theme that I had with every experience that I had. So I thought that was super cool. And, you know, again, just kind of continue to reaffirm that, hey, after no matter what my next step is after residency, like this was an area that I know, this was a pathway that I know I want to explore. - Yeah, and kind of moving on kind of forward here, you know, your time at Boston College, working with the baseball and football team, at that point, did you kind of narrow it down to that you want to be an athletic trainer with a baseball team where that's collegiate or professionally or during your time there, were you still considering that there was a number of different ways you could go professionally? - Yeah, I mean, for me, I've always looked at it like with the residency question with all the different sports. And then in athletic training school, where I got to work with track and field, volleyball, like, you know, rugby and sports, Boston University, men's ice hockey, like a lot of different cool experiences, right? And I view it almost like, you know, you know, a lot of times that you don't want, you know, young kids to be a, you know, one sport athlete, you want them to be adaptable, diverse. You want them to see different things, get exposed to different areas, you know, other sports, different movement patterns, different athletes, you know, to learn how to, you know, talk to different, you know, talk to different people in different ways and just be a lot broader and a wider range of skill sets. So for me, I think that was the biggest thing that I was able to, you know, to take from that. But I think all of those things had, when I got into BC and kind of was looking for after I, you know, I knew I always obviously had the passion for baseball, but football was always something that I think I was extremely interested in. So for me, it was like, hey, let's cast a wide range of options, let's network as best as you can and, you know, into those two realms and just kind of see, you know, when the dust settles, see what opportunities you have. And, you know, that was kind of what I did and what my approach was, where I had networked, I reached out to a ton of people on LinkedIn, you know, reached out to my, you know, the Pitt network is extremely well, you know, versed into a variety of different professional sports, but especially into the NFL. And then I had some good connections through my residency in baseball. And I reached out to everybody, reached out on LinkedIn and just had a lot of different conversations and, you know, tried to cast, you know, a lot of my interest out and send resumes out and, you know, ultimately just saw what I wanted to see where the dust settled and that really ended up being with a call from Sean Barnett at the New York Mets. And, you know, it ended up being one of the, I think the best decisions, you know, I could have made with experience there and helped to kind of lead me to where I am now. - Yeah, and talk a little bit about getting into pro baseball. So a lot of our listeners, Luke, are maybe someone, a student in athletic training who wants to be in a position like you are and wants to kind of, you know, get some insight into how they can do it. Like there's so many few major league baseball athletic trainers out there that it's a really, you know, it's a glamorous position to a lot of people out there, whether the hours or the work life balance, whatever you want to say, it's really cool to, for a lot of people to look at what you do every day. How did you break in? I know you said a lot of networking conversations, but what do you think was ultimately the key thing that kind of helped you break in and getting a job with the Mets as their minor league physical therapist? - For me, first of all, I was just doing a really good job in what you do day in and day out with the athletes and patients and that you have around you and the staff that you're working with. And, you know, for me, I think that was probably the biggest thing of just doing a really good job in my residency and showing the people that, hey, I was, I deserved, you know, an opportunity for an interview to serve something additional, to help to get me to the next level. And, you know, when you show people that you care and you're willing to work hard and, you know, grind it out and do whatever is necessary, I think that leads to a number of different opportunities and leads to people that are around you wanting to help you to facilitate those different opportunities. So for me, I think that was the biggest thing I learned and then just networking, how important the art of networking is. I mean, people say it's a little cliche at this point, but I mean, I couldn't be any more, you know, it couldn't be any bigger of a believer than just the value and power of networking, whether it's LinkedIn, you know, just leaning on the network that you have, the people that you work with, their network of people, like everybody's network leads to a bigger network. And, you know, it's all about how you leverage that and the relationships that you can make with those people. So for me, those are probably the two biggest things that I think helped to kind of get me where I'm at. - For sure. And you, you know, obviously with the Pirates this year, first year in the big leagues, looking back on your time with the Mets, time as a minor league physical therapist, co-rehab coordinator, and then also time as a minor league rehab and reconditioning coordinator there for, so almost, you know, I think three or four years, correct me if I'm wrong with the Mets. What were the biggest takeaways and kind of learnings that you think benefited you as you kind of move into the big leagues? - Yeah, I mean, I think the, I think you learned, you start to see just the importance of communication at the minor league level, which is for all teams, especially in my position where you're, you have a central hub and then you have all these guys that when they go and rehab assignments or, you know, just a communication that has to be had at a very high level with coaching front office, with the affiliate athletic training staff. And, you know, I think for me, that was probably the biggest thing at this, at this level that I think is almost a little bit of a step up 'cause the stakes are a bit higher, obviously, at this level where, you know, days or dollars and everything matters and how you communicate players, the front office, the staff and kind of what that constant feedback loop of communication looks like is, you know, I think it can't be, you know, understated with how important that is. And then, you know, I think just the adaptability that is needed at this level, you know, you obviously get into a little bit of the day-in and day-out is pretty similar. I experienced a minor league PT role at the complex. So I think, you know, with the travel, the changes schedules, the rain delays, I think, you know, being away from Pittsburgh, I think forgot how much it rains here. And, you know, with the amount of rain delays, you know, that we've had. So I think just the level of adaptability it has to be had that you're gonna also have a lot of the affiliates as well, you know, 'cause you're gonna experience a lot of those same things based on whatever level you're at. And, you know, just the varying level of resources that you're gonna have, you know, at the complex to an affiliate, you know, to the major league level. So I think being able to see that in a variety of capacities has been, you know, kind of really unique and rewarding. - And Luke, all things kind of lead to where you're at now. You're in the big leagues. You kind of probably had a made it, I made it moment. Obviously, you're still growing, you're still learning, but very important to kind of reach that goal in the pinnacle of professional baseball. Talk about getting the call after interviewing and being a candidate for the role and landing the job. And, you know, you're back home hometown team. What did that feel like? Like, did you take time to reflect? Do you jump right into what I got to do to learn and get better? And with Todd and the staff, what was that feeling when you kind of landed in Pittsburgh with the Pirates? - Yeah, I think when I initially got off of the job, my first question to our assistant GM was like, are you serious? No, I think it was a bit of a surreal thing for myself. Like I said, it was, you know, of all the teams, I think it's obviously the, you know, the team that I had always dreamed of working with. So for me, I think it took a little bit to finally sink in, especially when it happened in December and then kind of having to wait until February, you're kind of do going through the onboarding stuff, but it's kind of hard to get through all that stuff without being in person. So I think it didn't really hit until I got into Bradenton and we got to meet all the staff and just, you know, to see the players and I was like, wow, this is, you know, this is real. So it's just, and then, you know, actually stepping onto the field for the first time at PNC Park here, my name announced, just having a ton of friends and family, you know, at that game, you know, I think was just really cool people texting me after like, hey, I saw you, I didn't even know you were in Pittsburgh, you know? So it's like, all that stuff. - That's awesome. - All that stuff has been pretty, pretty cool. And I still get pictures where people say, hey, I just saw you on TV, you know, in the dugout. So all those, you know, those are just for me, the little moments and the little things that kind of just add to it, just to make it just a touch more, you know, special. - Yeah, that's really cool. And I know, you know, we've had, from Todd Thompson, who leads the staff, Rafael Freitas, head athletic trainer, Tony Leonis isn't there. We've had all three guys in the show, super experienced group, awesome guys. I think you would agree with that. What's it been like to have such a great group and also Todd, kind of a local guy over there, just to learn from those guys who have so much experience and kind of take you under their wing. What's it been like to work with the staff over there? - Yeah, I mean, it's been great. I think it was, I kind of knew, you know, I think Todd and I would probably kid along whenever I was in my first interview with him. And I had switched positions and didn't have the blurry part of my background. Actually, my apartment down in Florida at the time, I had a PNC picture, canvas picture in the background. He just kind of stopped and kind of peeked over. We'd go say, "Is that something I should know behind you "that I'm a little familiar with?" And I was like, "Oh my gosh, like we're totally forgot "that I had switched positions and put the blurry on." He's like, "Nah, like I love the Odyssey from Pittsburgh." And then almost it just organically created a, the initial part of that interview to be really comfortable and just to hear him talk about his experience being with the Dodd Indians, Guardians, and then to the Dodgers and being able to come home. So I think that's certainly been a level that we've been able to relate on and really kind of started, I think that off on a really strong level, being able to kind of have that and know that we're both with a team that we want to fight to be better. We both have a little bit of that commonality there. And then moving to Tony, he's been great. I mean, he's an expert in wound care, the EAPs, how to pack efficiently on the road. And he's a master of ordering supplies and packing and packing and doing so quickly and efficiently and there's some of the day-to-day life that I think any athletic trainer, certainly can learn from that side of things. And then Roth is really, I think just becoming a technical expert from a day-to-day management of the players and how to keep these guys healthy. I've learned so much through his experience and he's really helped me. And we collaborate a lot on the rehabs and healthy player treatments and all that stuff. And it's been a really good two-way communicating and collaborative relationship that him and I have developed. And I think we lean a lot on each other to really provide high level of care to our athletes. - Yeah, absolutely, great group of guys there. Some of the best across the league. Well, looking at kind of the, we're just past the all-star break here. Like we mentioned at the outset, first year in the big leagues, has there been any kind of like surprises for you, whether that's, I know the travel is probably a little better, a little more easy for you guys up there. Any surprises about just the big leagues in general and how things operate in a big league training room thus far? - Maybe not necessarily a surprise. I think just the level of quirks that kind of they have at this level, I think, I still to this day kind of get chirped by some of our players for not wearing a colored shirt on our first equipment, using the player's bathroom and getting a ton of looks. And to this day, I still get a lot of looks for that and kind of chirp as we're walking by on the plane. So just like little things like that and learning the ins and the outs of the sport and operating at this highest level where you're not necessarily in your little bubble in the complex in Florida. It's obviously a lot more dynamic and fluid and you sometimes get a lot more personalities that come out at this level. 'Cause everybody in Florida, if you're at the complex rehabbing, I mean, everybody's, the season's going on without them. Their first set, just the vibes and the environment is probably one of the toughest things to kind of deal with in that setting just 'cause they're not doing what they ultimately wanna do and they don't feel like they're making positive progress toward getting to the big leagues. So it's you sometimes see some different personalities down there and everything. So I think dealing with the dynamics of the personalities at this level has been certainly a little unique challenging at times, but also rewarding. And it's, I think for a lot of growth in myself to learn to be also a little more dynamic and kind of give some banter of things, kind of grow in that way, the stuff that I've necessarily done as much in the past. So it's been a challenge for myself as well. - Yeah, I'm interested in hearing more about kind of those challenges. Obviously, like you said, it's so different being at a complex or a minor league level versus the big leagues where winning is paramount and so important and people are so different and established. Coming in as a first year guy, has there been any specific instances you can remember that kind of really challenged your expanded your skills that are pressed you to want to learn more about XYZ in the big leagues so far? And maybe some instances working with your colleagues that have kind of challenged your skills as an athletic trainer. - Yeah, I mean, I think first off, I mean, learning the, there's obviously a lot of, you know, different personalities at this level, a lot of strong personalities. So I think, you know, learning how to operate, you know, within a team with those different personalities and, you know, learn how to approach them and handle different conversations 'cause everybody is going to take, you know, questions or, you know, comments or, you know, discussions differently and really understanding the person of who you're talking to. I think it's been, you know, certainly a big challenge here. And, you know, I think I've constantly been challenged by the, you know, how to really shift my focus in terms of a little bit more, you know, obviously 50% of my role really is, you know, with the rehabs, but then a larger role is also, you know, with the day-to-day, you know, working with the players the day-to-day and really learning how to adapt, you know, arm care programs and, you know, preventative programs to our pitchers, to our position players and learning how to space that out throughout a week with the demands of the sport and how often we play, you know, to really, you know, meet their needs and to keep them healthy and, you know, give them a little bit about what they feel like they need, but also blending it with what we feel like we need. And I think that's where, you know, Roff has really, you know, come into play and really helped to support me and to kind of get me, you know, up to speed in a better spot. And I think, you know, obviously, I know I have a lot of room to still grow and get better with, but I think, you know, off to a pretty decent start with the sport that I have here, you know, to kind of keep moving forward. - Sure. And I kind of want to touch on the story you talked about, you know, using the players' bathroom or doing things wrong or kind of finding your way in the big leagues. You know, Todd and the guys there are so established, been there for so long, you know, probably have such great trust with all the players. As a guy coming in new to the staff in your first year in the big leagues, how do you go about building trust with players who you're unfamiliar with, who you're coming to a new organization with? Obviously, if you move up through the minor leagues and stay with the same organization, you may know a ton of the guys. When you come in day one, what's kind of, how do you go about getting to know the players, building that trust on the table, making it so they're comfortable seeing you in the training room? - Yeah, no, it's a great question. I think it's probably the initial, that's probably the most important thing I think you can, to, you know, you can do, you know, as any new staff member or any new player coming in is trying to, you know, figure out how to make them feel the most comfortable. But for me, it's first thing is just getting to know the player. It's who they are as a person, who they are as a player, you know, getting to know them on and off the field. I think that's so important, like starting with family, you know, their prior experience of the different ball club, what's worked well, what hasn't worked well, and then kind of find a way to, you know, really blend that into talking about their current routines, any issues that they're experiencing, you know, that we need to be aware of or target, and then just find some common ground that you can continue to make them feel comfortable with and welcome in their new organization. And, you know, we're going to see these guys every day. So it's like you, you know, you really have more, more material, if you will, to kind of talk about and relate to with them. If you can not just talk to them about baseball stuff, because if there's anything I've learned that not every professional athlete or baseball player, any, really, any athlete want to talk about is the sport that they're actively in, every single time they're finding those other things that they like to, you know, to talk about and figuring out where some common grounds, you know, that you can really, you know, take that to the next step and just kind of evolve each and every day. So that's something that I try to do. But I think our staff as a whole takes pride in, you know, the first impression that our players have to the organization, you know, we try to provide them with the best care and environment and experience that we can. And it's making sure the athletic training room is as up to date and, you know, clean and everything as we can to the care that we provide, you know, to them, just to give them the best environment and culture, you know, that gives them a good outlet and space where they can recover rehab, you know, just kind of talk shop, you know, get away from, you know, locker room, get away from the game and, you know, just kind of have a, you know, which creates a pretty unique and dynamic environment. We try to support that, you know, as best as we can. - Yeah, yeah, definitely. Great insight there. Well, Luke, you know, shifting gears a bit, you know, there's a lot, like I mentioned, a lot of our listeners are college students or early career professionals who want to probably follow a similar path to you into professional baseball. Reflecting on your road, never a straight line, a windy road for everybody. Any advice you would give for a college student who's potentially applying for a Pbats internship this upcoming year or looking to break in as a grad assistant somewhere, what's your best piece of advice for those to break into the game? - Yeah, it's, I mean, it's a great, great question. You know, I think for me, the first thing is just be bold and be proactive when that's really in about, in everything that you do, every internship, you know, that you have as a student, there's always something you can learn from. It doesn't matter if you're in track and field and you never want to be in track and field. I guarantee there's something about hamstrings, calf injuries, foot and ankle stuff that you're going to be able to learn from, from the athletic trainer that you're working, you know, under, you know, as your CI or from the athlete that, you know, you're going to get a ton of repetitions of lower body stuff that you're not going to get as much of, you know, in baseball as an example. So you're going to, you know, you need to lean on those experiences to make sure that those experiences that you have prepare you for what you're going to see. So when you do see a plantar fasciitis or calf strain or, you know, hamstrings are pretty prevalent, but, you know, the foot and ankle calf is a little less prevalent. You're going to see a lot of that in track and field as an example. And that was, you know, I try to, you know, would certainly encourage everybody, you know, who's listening just to be bold and try to take every opportunity to learn everything you can from every player you have, every clinician that you're around. And, you know, with that, you know, you find a good mentor 'cause I certainly would not be where I'm at today. You know, if I didn't have a number of good mentors that have helped to guide me, you know, in some different directions, you know, they've really been a huge support for me and continue to be just with questions that I have if I have a unique case or want to, you know, check on things, you know, even in my current role, I'm still asking, you know, there's, you know, a select group of people that I'll still reach out to to ask questions on. I think that is so important 'cause we, if you think you have all the answers at this level in my opinion, you know, that you're kind of in the wrong group. - Yeah, it's bad news, yeah. - Martis won in the room. So, you know, having a good network to lean on. And I think really just having a passion for what you do, you know, I think it's infectious and it helps set the stage and foundation. I mean, players feel it, staff will feel it. You know, if you find something that you enjoy and you love doing, I mean, people will recognize that and that will just make your day-to-day life and, you know, enjoyment that you have, you know, 'cause in professional sports, no matter what sport you choose, there's, you're gonna have, there's gonna be a huge time requirement. That's just something you have to know and understand going and do it. But if you find something that you love and enjoy, it's going to make it, you know, that much easier. - For sure, yeah, and I think a lot of our guests, even, you know, people with 30 years of experience or one year like yourself would tell students to come ready with kind of an eagerness to learn. Don't, you don't need to sit in the background forever, but you don't have all the answers. So it's cool to hear you echo that sentiment there. We'll look to wrap up today's episode. We're gonna finish with a quick Q and A segment that we call "Extra Bases" here on the show. I'll ask you four quick questions. I'll let you kind of share some insight into some of your favorite things about athletic training and pro baseball. So we'll kick it off at first base. You know, you've been to a number of the stadiums now, but a long way to go, obviously. What's your favorite visiting athletic training you're gonna work in in the big leagues? - Uh, I mean, my favorite one, I think probably just because it was the, the coolest one was probably getting to city field. I had always wanting to, to get back to, to go back. So that was just a pretty, pretty cool and unique experience to get back there and then being able to get on the field. But, you know, there was a, there was a close relationship with the, with the gym athletic training room. The, you know, the cafeteria was closed by everything was kind of organized nicely. And again, it was just kind of a pretty surreal moment to get back to, to city field. So to me, I always thought that was the, the coolest, you know, or most unique to get back to. - Yeah, definitely a personal connection there for you. Well, moving on to second base, I think everyone on your staff as is biased for a good reason, Pittsburgh's maybe the most beautiful stadium to watch a game. I think kind of fans who've been there were to agree, but outside of Pittsburgh, what has been your favorite stadium to sit in the dugout and watch a game without a doubt Wrigley field? I was super cool. I know I've been challenged that, you know, Fenway is extremely cool. Fortunately, when I was around during doing my masters in athletic training at Boston University, I, it was around the time of COVID. So it didn't get an opportunity to Fenway Park. So, you know, I think being everybody said how cool Fenway is. So I'm extremely excited to see Fenway in September. But I think to this point, Wrigley field was just the history of the ballpark, just seeing how it's been updated. Just, you know, everything about it is was just super cool. It was a packed house for all three games. I mean, it was, it was, it was just, I think as good as what everybody made it out to be. Yeah, Chicago is tough to beat. Just perched right in the neighborhood there. And I think you'll see Fenway is very similar, but different, but similar, but all just so historic. You can't beat it. Moving on to third base, outside of the baseball aspect and what you guys do every day, I know that takes up the majority of your time. What has been your favorite city that you visit on the road for, you know, just enjoying the city and outside of baseball? I mean, I'll keep it in Chicago or Wrigley field is, I mean, for me, Chicago was super cool. I mean, I think I never had never been to Chicago before. Okay. The three days we were there was beautiful. I mean, with Wrigley field, Wrigleyville, you know, the lake, the beaches. I mean, honestly, I mean, when we were driving by with how nice it was with some of the days, you, I mean, you could have thought you were at a beach. Yeah. I thought it was really cool. It had a tummy, you know, beach volleyball courts, a pickleball they had, there was so much outdoor stuff. There are a lot of people outdoor on like the boardwalk that goes all along the river stay. The, the city is huge. It's clean. There's a lot of nice stores around the hotel. So I thought that was, you know, pretty cool kind of getting to explore Chicago, you know, a little bit and excited to kind of get to do a little bit more as I, you know, get more and more comfortable, you know, in the, in the city and get to do a little bit more and see some different areas. So for me, that's probably been my favorite other, you know, favorite city I've gone to on the road. Yeah. Very common answer for a lot of you and your colleagues across the league. And I always say it's, you go in the summer. So it's a great time to be there. Yeah, every season you're not, yeah, every season, it's the win, you know, for, for a reason. So keep your travels to when it's nice or not. Exactly. Just keep going with the team. Avoid the winter and you'll be, you'll enjoy it always. So moving on, moving on to home plate, Luke, I think I'm excited to hear your answer just because it's so fresh for you when you broke in and, and the season started with the pirates, did you have any like a welcome to the big leagues I made it moment this year? I don't know if it was a specific moment, but I think for me it was in that first flight, whenever I got chirped extremely hard by probably half the pitching staff on A, using their bathroom and not wearing the college shirt. I mean, they just wouldn't let it go. So for me, I was like, all right, I'm not in Florida anymore. This is a little bit of a different environment. Yeah. I got to learn the ins and outs here, you know, a little bit more. So I think, and like I said before to this day, they still, you know, get on me a bit forward. So, you know, I think for me that was, that was kind of my first experience to be started on the road. So it was kind of one of my experiences to that. I was like, yeah, you're going to have to learn some of the ins and outs of, you know, of the organization of the sport, you know, a little bit and some of the do's and don'ts. I think I'm still learning a bit to this day. So, you know, I think that was kind of a little bit of the one, one moment for me, but, you know, it kind of sticks out. Yeah. Well, one day you'll be the guy kind of chirping the other younger athletic trainers, hopefully on that plane and showing them the way come full circle there for you. Well, Luke, yeah, my mistakes there. And I think that same mistakes so they can not, you know, have the same fate that I did. Exactly. Well, Luke, we appreciate your time and thank you so much for joining the show today. Learned a ton about you and great insight for our listeners out there and appreciate your dedication to PBATS and athletic training and wish you and everybody in Pittsburgh nothing but the best of luck in the second half. Awesome. Sounds great. Thanks so much for having me on. Thank you for listening to the Inside Athletic Training Podcast. For more information about PBATS and athletic training, visit PBATS.com. See you next time. (upbeat music)