ESU ATC TEAM - PICTURES FROM PLAYA SUSCIA

As the CAC Games continue, the team of certified athletic trainers from ESU are keeping themselves busy by providing support for the Medical Services Unit and using what little free time they have to explore the west coast of Puerto Rico. Pictures tell the story.

WEEK TWO AT TRACK AND FIELD

WEEK ONE AT BEACH VOLLEYBALL!

WEEK ONE PICTURES TELL THE STORY!

ONE WEEK DOWN! ONE TO GO!

The team of certified athletic trainers from ESU have been busy from the crack of dawn to late in the evening at the XXI Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Most students have moved onto new medical services teams and venue assignments. Jane Scheffler has moved from the aquatics venue in Mayaguez to the Beach Volleyball site in our "hometown" of Boqueron. In Aguada, Sarah Coehlo is now providing support at the "lucha" competitions (wrestling). In the small town of Hormiguerros, Professor Lindsey McGuire has joined the medical services team for the CAC Gymnastics competition. In Rincon, Puerto Rico native, Mariangeli Balaguer, has moved onto support the Triathletes competing in the games. Another Puerto Rico native and ESU Graduate Student, Jose Pomales, has moved from the racquetball competitions at UPR-Mayaguez to the Tennis matches at the same location. Mike Rath and Dianneliz Garcia are now providing athletic training services at the Karate competitions on the campus of UPR-Mayaguez. Also at UPR-Mayaguez are Jason Hickman (Boxeo - Boxing) and ESU Professor Emily Hildebrand (Water Polo and Synchronized Swimming). Providing support to the athletes in the Men's Balomano (Team Handball) competition is Mike Freed. Bill Coburn continues to work with the baseball competitors at Isidoro Garcia as the attention in this area now turns to the knockout stage and medal competition. At the main stadium in Mayaguez, Dr. John Hauth has joined his colleague Dr. Alexis Ortiz (UPR-Rio Piedras) to provide services to the many track and field athletes competing at the games. Joining Dr. Hauth are ESU Graduate Students Drew Lotocki, Anne Martens and James Peer. The Track and Field Competitions opened with the "20 Kilometer Marcha" (Race Walking) competition at 5:30am Friday morning. This was followed by the CAC Games "Maraton" (Marathon) on Saturday, also at 5:30am. Preparations for the race walk and marathon started at 3:30am each day.

OUR STORY IN PICTURES II

OUR STORY IN PICTURES

Days 6 - 9: ESU Athletic Trainers Busy at XXI CAC Games

(Mayaguez, Puerto Rico) For the past four days, the team of certifed athletic trainers from East Stroudsburg University of Pennyslvania's Graduate Athletic Training Program have been kept very busy providing support as part of the Servicios Medico Unit at the XXI Central American and Caribbean Games. The following posts and blog entries will include pictures that help tell about our awesome experience here in the Porta Del Sol region of Puerto Rico. Having survived the severe weather on Sunday, several team members fought through minor illnesses to care for their assigned teams/sports throughout the week.



From Moca, site of the XXI CAC Games Weightlifting competition, Professor McGuire and students Bill Coburn and Jason Hickman wrote about their first day (Sunday, 19 July):



Yesterday was our first day at the Weightlifting venue in the small town of Moca, Puerto Rico. We arrived early (to beat the traffic), located the venue and with time to spare decided to explore the downtown area. We found the town square, but because it Sunday, everything was closed. We made our way to the McDonald's where we ate a light breakfast and then return for the start of the competition. Once onsite, we met Savier, a physical therapist who was also assigned to the venue. He introduced us to the Mayor of Moca who stated that he was very happy to have us in his city and welcomed us by presenting us with a souvenir commemorating Moca's selection as a XXI CAC site.



Later that day we had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Hiram Luigi, an orthopedic surgeon who works at the St. Carlos Hospital (located next door). Dr. Luigi's orthopedic assistant, Ismael, explained to us that Dr. Luigi is one of only three orthopedic surgeons in the northwest island. During breaks, we spent time discussing the various injuries seen in weightlifting athletes and learning about orthopedic care in Puerto Rico.



The atmosphere at the weightlifting event surprised us all. the top male and female lifters from throughout Central America and the Caribbean supported each other by standing, cheering, and playing drums and tamborines! There were hundreds of fans singing and dancing between ech athlete's session. The best part of the day was watching the top two female lifters (Mexico and Puerto Rico) both break the CAC Games record which was previously held by the Mexican athlete. The arean was so loud it was deafening. We definitely got chills! This was a great reminder as to why we all love sports so much.

From an injury perspective, it was a relatively uneventful day. Many of the athletes have a coach and/or "trainer" (NOT Athletic Trainer) who assists with conditiioning, pre-event massage, and the application of heat. We ended the day by traveling back to the "International Zone" where we ate dinner with athletes, coaches and medical personnel from the various countries. On the way back to Boqueron, "home for twenty days", we picked up Jane Scheffler who was wrapping up her day at the Natatorium. (L. McGuire, B. Coburn, and J. Hickman)
_______________________________________
From the Natatorium at UPR- Mayaguez, Jane Scheffler wrote:

Sunday was my first day working at the aquatics venue in Mayaguez. Professor Rodriguez and Dr. Hauth transported me to the venue and introduced me to a nice nurse named Danami who was also working at this site. Once inside the natatorium, I met Dr. Tous who is the Medical Director Swimming, Diving, Synchronized Swimming and Water Polo. Dr. Tous is a very nice gentleman who took the time to make sure I was comfortable with my role at the games.

I also had the opportunity to meet several students from UPR-Ponce's Athletic Therapy program. One student, Lillian, is planning on enrolling in ESU's Graduate Athletic Training Program in the fall of 2011. Sheis fluent in English and a good bit of the day was spent teaching her about American Football! Another student, Laneisha, was also very helpful.

During a long break in the afternoon, ESU Graduate Student and UPR-Ponce Graduate, Dianneliz Garcia introduced me to her hometown of Mayaguez. She took me to a restaurant where I tried a traditional Puerto Rican dish called "mofongo'. Mofongo is smashed mature plantains which are stuffed with various meats, vegetables and/or seafood. I also tried "Brazo Gitano" which is a pastry made at the famous Ricommin Bakery in Mayaguez. Sold throughout the island, the recipe for this pastry is a well kept secret. I tried the guava and queso as this is Dianneliz's favorite.

I also had the opportunity to visit with Dianneliz's family at her home in Mayaguez. Everyone was very welcoming and let me know that "their home was now my home". All the people we have met are so nice and are very eager to teach us about their culture and language. These games are very exciting and I am thrilled ot be able to share it with them. (J. Scheffler)
___________________________________________________________________

Day 5 - Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe Apertura Oficial

Competition at the XXI Central American and Caribbean Games opened today in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The team of certified athletic trainers from ESU were busy assisting the Servicios Medico (Medical Services) Units at five different venues. Most students provided support from early in the morning (7am) until late in the evening (11pm). Sarah Coehlo* and Michael Rath* provided athletic training services at the Badminton venue in the northwest region of the island at Quebradillas. Andrew Lotocki* was part of the medical services team at Aguada, site of the CAC Games Judo competition. In the southwest region at Cabo Rojo, Anne Martens* and Mariangelie Balaguer** provided services to the athletes practicing and competing at the Fencing venue. Michael Freed* was also assigned in the southwest at San German. San German is where preliminary games in the men's and women's basketball are being hosted. In Moca, a small town in the western part of the island, Professor Lindsey McGuire joined the Medical Services team at the Weightlifiting venue. In Mayaguez, the Games' host city, Jane Scheffler was kept busy at the state of the Aquatics Center located on the campus of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez and Professor Emily Hildebrand and James Peer* were part of the team providing services to Team Handball competitors in Mani, just outside Mayaguez.

Dr. Hauth and Professor Elaine Rodriguez spent the better part of the day transporting students to their venues and arranging transportation and meal requests at the "International Zone". Later in the day, Dr. Hauth and Professor Rodriguez represented ESU as part of the Medical Services Volunteers at the Opening Ceremonies which had been rescheduled from Saturday Night. Dr. Hauth will participate in prelimary meeting of track and field supervisors on Monday. He is assigned to assist with athletic training services at the new Baseball Stadium in Mayaguez when competitions begin on Tuesday afternoon.

The students will be reporting on their experiences in future blogs. After an exhausting day where the heat index approached 112 degrees at times, the team from ESU was ready to get a good night's rest and start all over again on Monday!

Day 4: Opening Ceremonies Rescheduled

On Saturday morning, a "tromba marina" or water tornado (www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8UAT0_xyZM) caused a reported 1 to 1.5 million dollars in infrastructure damages, seriously injured at least four people and destroyed the stage where performers were practicing for the Opening Ceremonies of the XXI Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Things could have been much worse as an estimated 15,000 people, including the team from ESU, were scheduled to attend the Opening Ceremonies in the coastal town of Mayaguez at 6:00pm. Fortunately, the team of athletic trainers were not in the area at the time as they were meeting with UPR-Ponce Athletic Therapy Director David Bahamundi to review plans for the start of the games. With the Opening Ceremonies postponed until Sunday evening, the athletic training students spent time discussing logistics with the Medical Director for their assigned sports and reviewing their spanish for health care workers with Dr. Victor Rodriguez. Dr. Rodriguez will be working as a physician at the Beach Sports Venue in Boqueron. Depending on event and practice schedules, students and faculty plan to attend the ceremonies with other medical services volunteers this evening.

Severe Weather Hits Mayaguez - ESU Team Safe

Severe weather hit the southwest coast of Puerto Rico this morning causing power outages and damage to properties. In Mayaguez, site of the XXI CAC Games, a number of workers were injured when the high winds caused the stage for the Opening Ceremony to collapse. Crews are working to restore the stage and replace lights that were brought down when the "tromba marina" struck the coast of Mayaguez. The team of athletic trainers were reviewing schedules in their Boqueron accommodations when news of the severe weather was reported. All students and faculty are safe and looking forward to the start of the games tomorrow.

Day 3 - Pictures!

Day 3 - Final Preparations: Culture and Economy

On day three, our students and faculty completed preparations for the games which begin with the Opening Ceremonies at Mayaguez Stadium on Saturday night. Professor Elaine Rodriguez and Dr. Hauth worked to address travel and medical services coverage assignments for the team members who have been invited to participate in the Opening Ceremonies with the rest of the Medical Services Unit. With little time remaining to tour the island, the team visited various sites in the southwest region in an effort to learn more about the history, culture, economy and people of Puerto Rico. Our first visit was to San German where we visited the Porta Coeli Monastery. While navigating the streets of this area was sometimes challenging, the visit to this island treasue built in the 1600's was well worth the effort. Views of the town and the "walk of monks" (plaza view) are pictured here in this blog.

Our second visit of the day was to a coffee plantation in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. Our time at the Hacienda Buena Vista (Beautiful View) provided students with an opportunity to learn about this 19th Century coffee, corn meal and cocoa plantation. Located on the Canas River in a subtropical humid forest, the Vives family used the power of water to operate the machinery that made this one of the most prosperous plantations of its time. This protected area is a habitat for a diverse community of flora and fauna species.

Our last stop of the day took us to the town of Ponce and the Castillo Serralles. This castle was built in the 1930's by Don Juan Serralles and served as the families home during the peak of the Puerto Rican sugar and rum industries. In addition to learning about the Serralles family and its importance to Puerto Rico's economy and culture, students learned about the conditions of the common worker at Hacienda Mercedita.

After a long day reviewing logistics and touring the southwest corner of the island, the team retired to Boqueron where they took time to experience the culture of this small beachfront village. The team planned for a good night's rest ast 12 hour shifts start after the Opening Ceremonies Saturday night!

Day 2 - Exploring the Island

Today the team from ESU had the opportunity to explore some of Puerto Rico's natural beauty. After reviewing logistics for the upcoming XXI CAC Games, the group spent time at the beach in Boqueron, took a tour of the islands near Paguera, and then took a drive into the rainforest near Maricao. Maricao is the home of ESU graduate student, Mariangelie Balaguer. Students and faculty were treated to a special home cooked meal with Mariangelie's family at her home deep in the central mountains of Puerto Rico. We even celebrated graduate student Jane Scheffler's 23rd birthday!

Day 1 - Arrival in Puerto Rico

The team of Certified Athletic Trainers from East Stroudsurg University's Graduate Athletic Training Education Team arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico today to begin preparations for their participation in the XXI Central American and Caribbean Games. Students and faculty received their credentials and a brief orientation from CASCO Medical Services Official Dr. Flavia Bayron. After a long day of traveling from ESU to San Juan and then onto their apartment in Boqueron on the Southwest side of the island, students and faculty were ready for some much needed rest.

Off We Go!

Well, today is the big day for faculty and graduate students from ESU's Athletic Training Education Program! We will be gathering in about 45 minutes to load the vans and head to Newark's Liberty International Airport for our departure to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Once on the ground we will head to Cabo Rojo and get ready to experience the XXI Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez! Be sure to follow our journey through the eyes and experiences of our students and faculty that are attending the games!