Inside Athletics: Shannon Singletary

OleMissSports.com's Inside Athletics is a biweekly blog by the Ole Miss athletics department's senior administrators and key personnel to offer fans added insight into the overall operation of the department.

Participation in athletics has grown exponentially over the past two decades.  Both male and female athletes have increased in number on all levels including both high school and collegiate sports. The rise in number of athletes unfortunately increases the number of injuries and illnesses that are contributed to sports. In order for NCAA member institutions to meet the demands of health related issues for student-athletes, a more comprehensive prevention and health care service program has evolved. The University of Mississippi is no exception. 

Our philosophy is to have a proactive approach to providing a complete sports medicine program. Education, prevention, conditioning, assessment and timely treatment are the parameters that are met to ensure that all of our student-athletes maintain a healthy experience with an end result of optimal athletic performance.

Ole Miss Sports Medicine works in conjunction with the Rebel Ready program to educate our athletes on issues such as the effects of alcohol on athletic and academic performance. Despite the myth that student-athletes love to party and drink alcohol, statistics say that only 2-3 percent of NCAA athletes consume alcohol on a regular basis. We routinely bring in sports nutritionists and counselors to educate our student-athletes on the effects of drugs and nutritional supplements. With performance-enhancing drugs being easily accessible and a huge temptation in college athletics today, we spend a great deal of time talking to our athletes about the facts of such dangerous drugs. 

Prevention of injuries starts with comprehensive pre-participation physicals that each student-athlete receives on an annual basis. A cardiac exam is just part of a complete medical history and physical exam that is performed on all student-athletes. This information is used to determine whether or not an athlete should compete or if any modifications need to be made to ensure a healthy lifestyle for the student-athlete. Vaccinations, such as for the flu, are offered to all athletes each year. Lab work is done on each athlete to test for such limiting conditions as sickle cell disease. 

Minimizing athletic injuries would not be possible without a sound strength and conditioning program. We have nine strength and conditioning coaches that are charged with developing training programs that not only ensure peak athletic performance but also make it possible for the body to sustain the physical demands of competition in the Southeastern Conference. Our low injury rate is a direct result of the phenomenal job of our entire strength and conditioning program. 

Treatment of athletic injuries begins with the athletic trainers. Ole Miss Sports Medicine has 10 certified and licensed athletic trainers. These allied health care professionals are responsible for providing quick on-site assessment, making efficient referrals to the appropriate health care providers and rehabilitation. 

At Ole Miss, we are fortunate to be a part of a caring medical community. Many physicians covering a wide range of specialties donate time and resources to our student athletes. Baptist Medical Center North Mississippi partners with our athletics department to provide state of the art medical services. Over two years ago, Ole Miss Sports Medicine and Student Life Services launched its own Physical Therapy Clinic that is housed in the Starnes Athletic Training Center.  This program provides rehabilitation services for not only student-athletes but also for students, faculty and staff here at the University of Mississippi.  This partnership has laid a foundation for continued research, outcome measurements and visionary thinking so that we can continue to provide the best healthcare and ultimately give our student-athletes the opportunity to reach all of their academic and athletic goals. 

Shannon Singletary DPT, ATC, CSCS

Senior Associate Athletics Director for Sports Medicine / Strength & Conditioning    

Past Articles

	1/17/2007	Inside Athletics: Derek Horne
	12/20/2007	Inside Athletics: Lynnette Johnson
	12/05/2007	Inside Athletics: Karen Schiferl
	11/24/2007	Inside Athletics: Blake Barnes
	11/06/2007	Inside Athletics: David Wells
	10/17/2007	Inside Athletics: John Hartwell
	10/05/2007	Inside Athletics: Sans Russell
	09/24/2007	Inside Athletics: Walker Jones
	09/05/2007	Inside Athletics: George Smith
	09/05/2007	OleMissSports.com Launches Athletics Blog

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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