Athletic Trainer Interview Research Paper

I interviewed Ben Cleveland, who is the head Athletic Trainer for Oklahoma Baptist University. Athletic Trainers are not technically a field in leadership studies, but this interview was very beneficial to be because I want to be an Athletic Trainer at the high school level. This interview just reassured me that being an Athletic Trainer is truly what I want to do with my life. Before talking about how Ben views leadership, one has to know and understand his background and where he is coming from. Ben is originally from Mobile, Alabama and earned his undergraduate in Science in Athletic Training from the University of Alabama soon after that he obtained a Master’s of Science in Physical Education at Florida State University. Ben started as an assistant athletic trainer at Trevecca Nazarene University for seven years before accepting the job here at Oklahoma Baptist University. I have to agree with Ben that leadership is not just a title. Just because you are the head of something does not necessary make you a leader. Ben sought out to be a leader; he looked for the things that he deemed necessary to become a head trainer at a university. He did not wait
There are so many injuries that take athletes out for the season and the trainer needs to know if that athlete needs tough love or needs more soft empathy. His weakness would be his assertiveness because his attitude is more “laid back,” but he is assertive when he needs to be. He really wants to imitate Jesus’ servant like leadership because that matches up perfectly what athletic training is. They have the amazing opportunity to put other’s needs above their very own. The trainer is doing everything necessary to keep the athlete safe, get them healthy, and back into their sport better than what they were. Ben wants to do everything for the athletes he can so that he can in turn bring glory to