NUHS-Florida Sports Council recently gained hands-on experience treating athletes during the U.S. Dragon Boat Federation 2023 Club Crew National Championships, an annual boating competition held last month in Sarasota, Florida.

A total of 27 NUHS students participated in the event July 22-23, helping to treat 343 athletes under the guidance of NUHS faculty Dr. Carlo Guadagno, Dr. Jennifer Gantzer, Dr. Melodie Hammer, and Dr. Nelson Klahr. Students mostly performed soft tissue techniques. NUHS participates in the event annually. 

During the event, Taite Daisey, who graduates from NUHS in December 2024, was able to treat both upper and lower extremity conditions like sore hamstrings and tight upper traps. She also saw many shoulder conditions and a few complaints of low back pain. 

“For treatments I was able to use a combination of pin and stretch techniques and Functional and Kinetic Treatment with Rehabilitation (FAKTR),” she said. “It is always nice to get hands-on experience with people outside of school. This has helped me become more confident in treating athletes and was good practice for the future.”

Daisey has plans to open a clinic in St. Petersburg, Florida, specializing in sports medicine and clinical nutrition. She also plans to offer full bilingual services in both English and Spanish for non-English speaking patients.

Kevin Rosario, MS, CSCS, a current DC student who graduates in December 2025, also participated in the event. He treated myofascial restrictions ranging from the forearm, hip, neck and upper back musculature and had success increasing range of motion and decreasing pain and/or tenderness. He also helped athletes warm up, focusing on light mobilizing of the joints by going through an assisted range of motion and increasing blood flow to those areas

“Any time you are able to get your hands on different body types increases your tactile skills for musculoskeletal work,” Rasario said. “I happened to have two patients with double knee replacements which required me to approach my care slightly differently. One of the patients with these surgeries had great range of motion and no pain while the other needed more caution. I had to back off on some of the pressure and be more aware of the limitations she had. It was certainly a confidence builder.” 

At NUHS, students can participate in a long list of local events for hands-on learning. NUHS recognizes the impact these experiences have on preparing students for practice and continually works to keep a variety of these opportunities available.