Stephanie Mock’s journey in athletic training didn’t begin with a passion for sports or a love for the field; it was driven by her feelings toward her own athletic trainer. “I hated my athletic trainer. She wasn’t an athletic trainer. She was a physical therapy assistant, so ice and stem was all she ever did,” Mock said.
Mock attended St. Francis High School, where she played basketball. In her junior year, she also started playing lacrosse and was in the All-American first league team at St. Francis. The variety of sports Mock played resulted in numerous injuries throughout her academic career. “After high school, I went to Chapman, and went into athletic training because I spent more time in the athletic training room than I did probably anywhere else,” Mock said.
After graduating from Chapman University, Mock’s athletic training journey blossomed. “I worked with USA volleyball, USA figure skating, and USA Water Polo. I’ve done Special Olympics and World Games in 2015, and then I primarily work at high school, but I’ve done up to the college level. High schools are where I like to be because it’s the most fulfilling,” Mock said.
Mock’s mission has always been helping others first, prioritizing their well-being and growth. “My goal is to turn the athletic training room into a place for those who can’t get help outside of here. I have an open-door policy in my office. It’s always kind of a safe space for everyone. And as this grows, I want everything to be on campus and available to you guys,” Mock said.
Mock is in her third year at M-A and is excited to launch a new Sports Medicine elective, which will be offered starting next year. “I used to teach down in Southern California. I had a course, and then I wanted to teach it here because a lot of the students were interested,” Mock said.
The new Sports Medicine course will only be offered to juniors and seniors. The course provides students the opportunity to become CPR certified and an introduction to basic anatomy, tape evaluations, and first aid.
“It’s an introduction to how to be an athletic trainer. We’re going to learn to do everything. It provides you guys an opportunity to learn something new,” Mock said.
