Training Facility

Health care is one of the most important aspects of a student-athlete's life, and no university is more committed to keeping athletes healthy than Middle Tennessee. The Sports Medicine facility underwent a $1 million renovation in 2001, giving MT student-athletes one of the finest athletic training facilities in the nation.

Head Athletic Trainer Joe-Joe Petrone, the Sports Medicine staff has set liberal hours to make sure each student-athlete has his or her needs met. The Sports Medicine facility opens at 6 a.m. each morning and doesn't close until all student-athletes have been treated.

With the 2001 renovation, Sports Medicine tripled in size and vastly improved health care for each Blue Raider and Lady Raider program. The Sports Medicine facility contains a complete injury rehabilitation center, new rehab equipment, two full-size whirlpools, a dressing area for athletes, and a private office for the team physicians.

There is no waiting in the Sports Medicine facility since there are nine taping stations, eight state-of-the-art modalities, and a brand-new rehabilitation area. All of the equipment in the facility is top of the line. Athletes can use a full-stride treadmill, a stairmaster, and exercise bike during their rehabilitation. One of the most recent additions to the equipment in the Sports Medicine facility is a Cybex muscle performance-testing machine, which allows the staff to accurately monitor the progress of a student-athlete's rehabilitation.

The latest piece of equipment that aids the Sports Medicine staff is a new state-of-the-art computer system that tracks injuries, rehab protocols, medications, and surgeries. The new computer system allows each athletic trainer to keep student-athlete rehabilitation programs moving forward at as rapid a pace as possible.

The facility also contains a fully stocked physician's examination room for the resolution of any minor issues that a student-athlete may encounter without having to take more time-consuming measures.

Petrone and his assistants each have an office in the Sports Medicine facility, and there is work space for the nine graduate assistants. Each office is self-contained, allowing for private consultations with injured student-athletes.

The Sports Medicine facility represents the University's commitment to quality health care for its student-athletes, and the Sports Medicine staff is dedicated to providing the best care possible.

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