Alicia Valente: Athletic Trainer

University of Maine athletic training major Alicia Valente of New Gloucester, Maine will represent the New England Region at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Quiz Bowl in St. Louis, Missouri on June 25.

Valente will compete against nine other teams of three, each representing a district of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. New England makes up District 1. Contest questions include topics such as anatomy, treatment of injuries, athletic training history, preventative care and diagnosis, Valente says.

“The quiz bowl is an important way to represent our districts, as well as our states and programs. It’s a fun way to display the education we’re receiving,” Valente says, adding teams that finish in the top three receive money for their school’s athletic training program or club.

Valente earned her spot in the national Jeopardy-style competition after participating in a regional contest during the 2015 Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association Convention at the Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association Conference in Philadelphia. She competed against undergraduate and entry-level graduate students from several institutions including Springfield College and the University of Vermont. Valente came in second place in the regional contest.

This was the senior’s second year competing in the regional quiz bowl, and will be her first time competing nationally.

“Having been a part of it last year made me confident that I had a good shot at placing this year.” Valente says. “I made sure I went into it less nervous than last year and just answered everything to the best of my ability. The other students who came to the conference with me were so supportive and it helped to see them cheering for me in the crowd.

What are you most looking forward to about the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Quiz Bowl?
I always like meeting students from other programs and other parts of the country.

Why did you choose to study athletic training?
I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field, but wasn’t sure what. I spent some time researching the nursing program here when I was a freshman, but decided that wasn’t for me. Athletic training combines my interest in sport with my interest in medicine and the human body into one major and career.

Why UMaine?
For me, UMaine is perfect because it’s affordable, diverse and only a few hours from home.

Describe the hands-on training you’ve received while at UMaine:
Athletic training students at UMaine complete four clinical rotations during our second and third year. We work with an athletic trainer at either UMaine, Husson University, Bangor High School or Orono High School. We assist the athletic trainer with their job as much as we can, depending on how much we’ve learned at the time. We work with the athletes under their supervision, practice skills with them, and learn from them.

My second year at UMaine I was with UMaine field hockey, UMaine men’s basketball, UMaine women’s ice hockey, and UMaine spring football. My third year, I covered Husson fall sports and UMaine baseball. This past fall I completed a 50-hour general medical observation rotation at Cutler Health Center.

Have you worked closely with a professor or mentor who made your UMaine experience better?
Sherrie Weeks and Chris Nightingale are the core athletic training professors who I’ve worked closely with. Our program is small but very tough. I thank them for making the program so competitive; it’s made me grow tremendously over the past four years. With my class being so small, we’ve basically become family and I wouldn’t have made it without them.

Beyond academics, what extracurricular activities occupy your time?
I enjoy spending time with friends and family, going to camp, going to the beach, and exercising.

What are your plans for after graduation?
Get a job and work while planning to continue with more school in the future.

What difference has UMaine made in your life and in helping you reach your goals?
UMaine has given me the opportunity to work with a variety of different athletes from Division I and Division III, which has made me a well-rounded athletic training student. UMaine also has helped fund some of our Athletic Training Student Organization’s trips to conferences in order to learn, network, represent UMaine, and of course, compete in quiz bowls. The sense of community at UMaine is outstanding. I always feel supported and love being a part of UMaine.