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Posts Tagged ‘sports medicine’

Winger soars in classroom, on court

Posted in academics, Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , , on December 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Marin Winger shows off her credentials. (Photo courtesy Robin Bernardy)

Marin Winger is always striving for excellence.

The Coupeville High School freshman is a busy bee, spending time participating in cheer, basketball, and track and field.

Add in the Lion’s Leo Club and Exec Board, and Winger has little down time.

But she still has pursued opportunities for academic achievement as well, both in the classroom in Coupeville and at other locations.

Inspired by her own experiences with athletic injuries — she hurt her Achilles tendon and suffered a concussion — Winger applied for and was accepted to a summer Sports Medicine program at Wake Forest University.

While there last summer, she received instruction on athletic injuries such as ACL tears, joint dislocations, concussions and traumatic brain injuries, as well as spinal cord treatment.

Using the cases of top-level professional athletes from the NFL, NBA, and track and field, the course demonstrated how the injuries were treated and their outcomes.

The month-long class gave Winger a chance to work alongside students from around the world.

Initial studies focused on anatomy, diagnostic and surgical procedures, and prospects for recovery.

Students were taught how to diagnose shoulder dislocations, how to manage injuries onsite, and the importance of properly using weightroom equipment and warm up exercises.

Winger lets a shot fly on the hardwood. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

To cap the class, Winger did a graded project in which she created a hypothetical patient with an Achillies rupture, outlining how to make diagnosis and creating potential treatment plans.

She presented this to university staff, which includes a director who has extensively worked with professional sports teams.

Reflecting on the class, Winger told the Coupeville Lion’s Club she had been drawn to it by a desire to learn the best ways to remain healthy as an athlete.

“I wanted to take this class because I had injuries that I found frustrating,” she said. “And I figured there were going to be more to come.

“I wanted to better understand what caused the injuries, how to prevent them, and what was involved in recovery.”

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Love of the game drives Besaw!!

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on May 27, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Oak Harbor High School junior James Besaw, seen here in his Washington Rush uniform. (Photos courtesy Teresa Besaw)

Besaw gets ready to rip one during select ball.

   A throwback to little league days, with James (center) hanging out with sister Kenzie and brother David.

Passing on the love of the game to a new generation.

“I think baseball has helped me out in life and kept me out of trouble.”

An athlete for all seasons, James Besaw has played just about every sport possible over the years, but at a certain point baseball became his true passion.

“I enjoy playing and watching the game,” he said. “I don’t dislike any teams or players, I like to watch them all.

“It’s having fun, doing something I love. I like being part of a team.”

A junior at Oak Harbor High School, Besaw, who flips between first base and the outfield, has been all-in on baseball the past three years.

High school ball in the spring, select ball in the summer, then fall ball, before rolling right into workouts to get ready for another season of high school and select play.

When he’s not wearing the gold and purple for OHHS, Besaw pulls on the uniform of the Washington Rush these days. Tournament play, which kicks off in Tacoma this weekend, keeps him busy.

The youngest of seven (he has three sisters and three brothers), Besaw made his diamond debut at four, inspired by his older siblings.

“I wanted to play ball like my big brother David,” he said.

Over the years, he’s honed his work ethic and it’s helped him tremendously.

Besaw lists his strengths as “speed, hitting and (being) one of the hardest-working people on the team,” but, with an eye on playing college ball at a school “that has a good medical program,” he’s always striving to get just a little bit better.

“Areas I would like to work on are just continuing to train and get better,” he said. “I hope to have my best year my senior year and I hope to be a good leader to the younger players.”

He’s already excelling at that, quietly helping one freshman with his algebra while also finding time to assist a sophomore in getting some extra practice time.

As is typical for the low-key Besaw, he doesn’t call attention to his behind-the-scenes work, but his mother notices.

“I am biased and think he is a great kid, of course,” said mom Teresa. “He is quiet and mature. I think having all those older brothers and sisters is why he is so mature for his age.

“Some find him hard to read, but if you get to know him, you know he is funny and has a great smile. He loves to teach kids to play ball and also likes to help his younger teammates.”

Besaw, who has earned academic letters to go with his athletic ones (requiring a 3.5 or higher GPA for two semesters in a row), enjoys hanging out with his friends, watching sports movies (“mostly the real-life story kind”) and his science class.

He plans to go into the medical field after school, but is still debating exactly what part of that field to pursue.

“I am still figuring out where to go with that,” Besaw said. “Thinking about physical therapy or sports medicine.”

Through baseball, school and everything else, he greatly appreciates the support and encouragement he’s received from his large family, though he singles his parents out for special praise.

“They have helped me do well in school and supported me with whatever I need for school and sports.”

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