One of M-A’s newest Career Technical Education course additions is Sports Medicine, taught by Athletic Trainer Stephanie Mock, introducing students to anatomy, kinesiology and more. This course is available for upperclassmen, providing an introduction to athletic training and the medical field.
Offering students valuable hands-on experience and practical learning opportunities, sports medicine strives to give students skills and a foundation needed in many career pathways. “[This course] is an introduction to the medical field, but it’s an introduction to more of what athletic training is as a whole,” Mock said.
“[Sports medicine can help with] Ultrasound tech, fire fighters, police, radiologists, PTs, everything under the sun. Some want to take it just because they’re interested in the course themselves. So it really depends, but I think it’s more of an interest in what the course can offer,” Mock said.
The first few months the course explores a deep dive into anatomy, in which students learn about axial and appendicular skeletons—in other words, the bones and muscles. “What we’re trying to do is set a basis for the rest of the year. Anatomy is the foundation for any type of science or physical science that we need to do,” Mock said.
Student practices taping an ankle.
“I’m really excited about anatomy right now, which is definitely difficult, but I think once we get past that part, we’re learning how to tape and then work on sports rehab and sports injuries. So that’s all gonna be really interesting,” senior Jocelyn Chang said.
The initial weeks are challenging with the heavy focus on anatomy. After that, the course becomes more hands-on, providing a great chance to understand what Mock does on a daily basis. Nearing the end of the first semester the course transitions to learning about the head and concussions, and the second semester is all upper body, including systems like cardiovascular and endocrine systems.
Many students taking Sports Medicine participate in competitive sports and want to learn how to better care for their bodies as athletes. For those planning to continue sports in college or pursue careers in biology, pre-med, or healthcare, the class offers a fun and practical way to connect interests in sports and science.
“I really want to do kinesiology in college, which is the study of movement science. I thought sports medicine would be a really great class to take to boost my education on that,” junior Siya Singla said.
Student practices taping an ankle.
“I’m not gonna lie, it’s hard, but I think it’s gonna be really beneficial in the long run. It’s just a great thing to know about your anatomy, your body, and how to take care of yourself,” Singla said.
Before becoming a trainer and teacher here at M-A, Mock first started teaching Sports Medicine at Mission Viejo High School. “When I decided to move home, I stopped teaching. But that was what gave me the idea to teach it here, plus all the amount of interest that’s here,” Mock said.
Mock’s goal is to make Sports Medicine a permanent CTE class and eventually gain approval from administration to create a Sports Medicine class for underclassmen.
“The class is super interesting, all the projects aren’t boring, and you’re actually doing things so you know what to do later on,” junior Finn Doherty said.
“I think if you’re really interested in sports, or you do sports at M-A, it’s definitely a really good idea to take the class because it’s really fun, and you’ll get to know Steph more,” Chang said.
