By Morgan Devane, MS, LAT, ATC

I am very fortunate to have had my time spent with the team. Because of the unique range of knowledge within the medical staff and the wide range of personalities and backgrounds of the players, this environment allowed me to grow not only as an athletic trainer but as an individual.

As an athletic training student, I worked directly with the medical staff, which consisted of Doug Bennett (Head AT), Matt Aiello (Asst. AT), Nick Mahaffey (Team PT), Mike Maresca (Massage Therapist), and Bill Burniston (Head S&C Coach). Every morning, the medical team gathered before players arrived to discuss a basic plan for our most pertinently injured players. We focused on what needed to be modified in the gym for workouts, what needed to be limited on the ice, and what treatment, rehabilitation, or protocols needed to be followed—all dependent on different injuries and timelines.

My initial daily clinical tasks consisted of observing and helping where help was needed. Every morning, I would be attentive during meetings to see where I could potentially help out or learn from throughout the day. As time progressed and trust from my preceptors and players increased throughout the season, I was able to take on a few more athletic training-specific roles, including developing and assisting with rehab plans and performing treatments. A large part of the increase in responsibility led to an increase in handling therapeutic modalities and gaining comfort in using new tools I had not been exposed to in prior clinical rotations. These modalities included shockwave therapy, laser therapy (LLLT), dry needling, blood flow restriction (BFR), etc. Similarly, I had the opportunity to use many tools pertinent to timely rehabilitation and data tracking for performance, such as velocity-tracking devices in the gym, bilateral differences in strength evaluators on ice, Biodex machines for objective power and endurance measurements, force plates, eye-tracking and reaction-timing tools, and more. Observing all the different tools and their applications has been incredibly educational in allowing me to be creative and apply the same concepts with what is readily available to me at lower levels of competition.

One opportunity that gave me a lot of comparison and insight into professional organizations was the ability to liaison the medical arrangements for a PWHL game hosted by Carolina; being able to observe the differences in communication styles and how medical staff worked together to achieve success was something that benefited me in many ways. Navigating a predominantly male field as a woman has at times been uncomfortable, yet these experiences, while challenging, have offered critical insight into the kind of clinician and leader I want to become.

This experience taught me a lot about reshaping expectations, learning to adapt, thinking on my feet, and rolling with the punches. I’ve come to believe that the most chaotic and unpredictable environments—though often uncomfortable—are where you learn how to think quickly and advantageously. Each day presented an opportunity to observe my preceptors closely, learning not only from their strengths and innovations but also from their missteps and challenges they faced. From navigating communication to managing a range of personalities and strategies, I absorbed a wide spectrum of clinical approaches. These moments helped me begin to shape my own evolving identity as a new clinician.