Sam Viola joined Clayton State Athletics as a graduate athletic trainer in August of 2014 as part of her degree program at Division I Georgia State.
In her two years in Morrow, Georgia, she has been responsible for all of the training needs for the men’s basketball program and assisted with a number of other sports, including women’s tennis.
Prior to joining the Lakers she completed her undergraduate degree at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. While there, she served as a Clinical Athletic Training Student, gaining experience in a number of high profile athletic settings.
During the 2013-14 season she served as Head of Sport at Dewitt High School (Dewitt, Mich.), meaning she was the senior trainer in charge and second only to the head athletic trainer. This position gave her the autonomy to evaluate without direct supervision and also work with a number of different sports.
In 2012-13 she worked with MSU’s men’s basketball and softball programs, assisting with evaluations, treatments and rehabilitations. Viola was also responsible for providing first aid and emergency care during all practices and games, as well as organizing administrative duties and preparing for travel needs.
Serving as an Observational Athletic Training Student during the 2011-12 season, she worked with football, women’s gymnastics, women’s volleyball and women’s basketball. During this time she observed clinical evaluations, assisted with game preparation and gained valuable insight how to work with a diverse group of individuals.
In addition to her experiences at Michigan State, Viola also worked at the Youth Basketball and Dance Camp held by the National Basketball Association’s Philadelphia 76ers during the summer of 2013. While there she was responsible for advanced clinical evaluations and the well-being of more than 200 campers.
She also worked at the Gatorade Summer Sports Camp that same summer, which was an event that had more than 500 athletes in attendance, and the Twistars Gymnastics Tournament from January 11-14, 2013.
Viola also spent two years working for Lansing Psychological Associates (2012-14) and was President of the Educating Student Athletic Trainers in Michigan (E-STIM) from 2013-14. She was also a member of the Michigan State University Athletic Training Student Organization.
She is a member of the National Athletic Trainer’s Association (NATA) and has multiple certifications, including licensure in Georgia, BOC and American Red Cross. She has held the latter since August of 2011 and is trained in first aid and is a professional rescuer using CPR and AED through that organization.
Viola earned a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Michigan State in May of 2014 and is currently completing her Masters of Sports Medicine at Georgia State University.
