Los Medanos College’s new Athletic Trainer Brian Powelson has always had an interest in sports at heart. His dedication and passion for athletics has been undeniable since he first attended CSU Sacramento, where he took a career assessment test that led him to pursuing a profession as an athletic trainer.

Powelson, who was involved in organized sports well into high school, received a lot of encouragement to be athletic from his parents when he was a child.

While attending Sacramento State, Powelson enrolled in a Care and Prevention of Athletic Injury course,  and he volunteered in the Athletic Training room.

After finishing studies at Sacramento State he continued on to Saint Mary’s College where he earned his Masters in Health and Physical Education.

As a student athletic trainer, Powelson was required to spend long hours in an internship program where he learned about sports medicine and professional opportunities in areas including athletic trainers, nutritionists, strength and conditioning coaches, physical therapists and doctors of various specialties.

Powelson, who specialized in sports medicine, said rehabilitation services for athletes are key.

“My goal is to heal the athlete’s injuries and prevent other injuries from occurring,” he said.

He has twenty years of athletic training experience, 19 of which were spent at Contra Costa College. That long history has been big for the program and he has utilized his experience to enhance the athletic department at LMC.

Mustangs baseball Head Coach Anthony D’Albora said that Powelson has brought methods to the program that he has never seen in his time as a coach.

“He’s doing some crazy stuff with guys right now in the pool and different stuff that traditionally we wouldn’t see a trainer do, but he’s been around it and he knows it’s working,” said D’Albora. “I think he’s helped our guys buy into whatever it takes to stay healthy.”

After spending all that time at CCC, it was an opportunity to be nearer to home that drove Powelson to accept a position at LMC.

“The opportunity came up to transfer to Los Medanos a few months ago, and since I live in Concord I decided to make the move to be closer to my family,” said Powelson. “The change of scenery and the opportunity for a new beginning was and still is appealing to me. I look forward to the new challenge and I am delighted to share my knowledge and experience with the student athletes of Los Medanos College.”

Although the shift in atmosphere is a breath of fresh air for Powelson, he said, “I hope that in the future Los Medanos College will have a new facility for the Physical Education Department.”

A freshly built, state-of-the-art structure (LMC is currently in the early planning stages for a new physical education complex) would provide athletes and Powelson with the proper equipment needed to help heal and treat numerous injuries that occur within the athletic department.

Some players don’t want to work with an athletic trainer out of fear that they won’t be able to play, but D’Albora said Powelson does a great job of keeping the players comfortable to avoid such issues.

“A lot of times in terms of athletic trainers, or health in general, when you think about going to the doctor you think, I don’t want to go because something is wrong,” D’Albora said. “That’s usually the case with trainers. Athletes are hesitant because they’re afraid something’s wrong and that means they’re not going to play. I think B (Powelson) does a great job. He is the right type of personality to engage guys and they enjoy being around him.”

An athlete’s health and wellbeing is always a top priority for Powelson, as well as athletic trainers everywhere.

Sprains and strains are the most common injuries seen within sports medicine. Powelson makes sure that the athletes here receive quality care from the athletic program.

His top priority is, and always will be, the concern for the welfare of the athletes.

With this first semester under his belt, Powelson hopes to continue to provide the athletes of LMC with exceptional medical care.