MORROW, Ga. – With extensive experience in the field of amateur athletics, Abbie Heath has been named as a Clayton State graduate assistant athletic trainer as announced by head athletic trainer Alicia Roane on Friday, August 5. She will be responsible for coverage of women's soccer and women's tennis for the Lakers.
 
As a member of the University of Louisiana Lafayette student athletic training staff, Heath worked primarily with the football and women's basketball programs in addition to additional responsibilities at offsite locations.
 
From March through October of 2014, she assisted full-time staff and certified interns in the evaluation, care and treatment of Ragin Cajun football student-athletes. Her duties also included being responsible for field design, setup and breakdown for practice and games, creating rehabilitation plans for lower extremity injuries and assisting with taping and bracing.
 
Following her rotation with the football program, Heath aided the certified athletic trainer and staff in the care and treatment of ULL's 15 women's basketball student-athletes from October 2014 to April 2015. During that time she handled setup and breakdown of training needs courtside, assisted with taping and bracing, created rehabilitation plans and performed evaluations for a range of injuries.
 
She completed her sport rotation with football from August through December of 2015. In that role, she served as a senior mentor for the junior athletic trainers assigned to football, constructed multiple treatment and rehab programs, was responsible for travel preparation and assisted with the documenting of injuries and filing of medical information.
 
In addition to her work with ULL Athletics, Heath worked with the Acadiana Physical Therapy Clinic and University Hospital and Clinics from March through May of 2015. At Acadiana she assisted physical therapists and their assistants with rehabilitation and treatment efforts and worked with a variety of patients.
 
With University Hospital, her duties included shadowing doctors in residency for a general medicine rotation and receiving patient history and taking and recording vitals. She also assisted with post evaluation documentation.
 
Capping her athletic training program at ULL was clinical experience at Catholic High School of Iberia from January to May of 2016. There she assisted with physicals and concussion testing, covered games and practices for spring sports and aided the preceptor in executing rehabilitation protocols, creation of treatment plans and performing clinical evaluations and diagnoses.
 
Additionally, Heath is a member of four honor societies, Sigma Alpha Pi (The National Society of Leadership), Alpha Lambda Delta, Sigma Alpha Lambda and Phi Kappa Phi. She was also awarded an full in-state scholarship to attend ULL and proceeded to earn five semesters on the President's List and three on the Dean's List.
 
Heath holds multiple certifications, including OSHA and Bloodborne Pathogens Training, American Heart Association (AHA) Standard First Aid, AHA Professional Rescuer (CPR, AED) and Starguard Lifeguard Certification.
 
She is also a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), Southeastern Athletic Trainer's Association (SATA), Kinesiology Professionals Association and the Sports Medicine Association. In the latter, she served as secretary from May 2014 to May 2015 and has served as the organization's president since May 2015.
 
A 2016 graduate of the University of Louisiana Lafayette, Heath holds a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training and is certified through the Board of Certification.
 
Among her extensive charitable efforts are volunteering for postrace stretching for the Cajunman Triathlon, Cajuncup 10k and the Zydeco Marathon from 2013-16. She has also fundraised for Always Anniston to raise money for Krabbes Disease Awareness and assisted with coordination efforts for the ULL High School Symposium.
 
From 2012-16, Heath helped raise over $35,000 annually for Prevent Child Abuse America through Kappa Delta's Shamrock Week Committee and was a Girl Scouts of America volunteer during that same time.
 
"I am so excited to be working with women's soccer and women's tennis here at Clayton State!," said Heath. "The coaches and all the athletic staff here have been so nice and welcoming. I look forward to growing as an athletic trainer in such a wonderful and exciting environment."
 
TRANSACTIONS
Clayton State announced that Abbie Heath has been named graduate assistant athletic trainer.