North Carolina State University Athletics
Holleman Keeps Pack Ready To Play
8/7/2013 12:00:00 AM
Aug. 7, 2013
Ryan Holleman is entering his third season as the athletic trainer for the men's basketball team at North Carolina State University. Ryan hails from Havelock, N.C.,where he grew up on Cherry Point Marine Base. He then went on to do his undergraduate studies at Western Carolina where he worked for mainly the baseball and football teams.
After his time at Western Carolina, Ryan went on to get his Masters in Education from the University of Nebraska, where he served as a graduate assistant and was the primary athletic trainer for the baseball team and assisted in the football program.
Prior to coming to Raleigh, he was an athletic trainer with the baseball and women's soccer programs at High Point University. Ryan also has 2 years of experience in minor league baseball as an intern athletic trainer for the Durham Bulls professional baseball club, a Triple A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Ryan's daily schedule starts out with morning rehab protocols and injury notes. He makes sure he sees any player who might need early morning treatment before class. He then takes care of administrative duties, as he is responsible for multiple graduate assistants we have here in the athletic department.
Before practice begins Ryan has to make sure all the players ankles are taped, as well as any pre-practice rehab or treatment. They follow up any treatment with a stretching routine to make sure the players are as healthy physically as they can be to perform in practice. Ryan attends all practices so that if there is ever an injury on the court or a player needs to step aside for some treatment Ryan is there and ready to act as called upon.
Before the day ends Ryan is responsible for recovery treatment with our athletes. From getting cold tubs ready to massage therapy, Ryan makes sure after every practice every athlete gets proper recovery treatment.
I asked Ryan what an athlete does when they are not cleared to play in practice Ryan stated that, "the athlete will spend practice working just as hard on rehab and conditioning with him." Part of Ryan's job is to make sure that injured athletes get the proper treatment and care they determine is necessary before returning to game speed.
I asked Ryan how he gets a typical athlete back and ready to play as soon as possible with no risk of reinjuring himself.
"The access they have to health care is more than a typical student or someone off the street. We have access to around the clock care. They will see me after practice and first thing in the morning. We also have access to our doctors full time so they will always be treated or seen within 24 hours. The biggest advantage we have is the amount of time I can spend working with our players."
In order to be a trainer in today's world you need to build a special relationship with your athletes. "I probably spend more time with the kids than anyone else on staff," exclaimed Ryan. "I keep my relationship professional, but because I spend so much time with them I must earn their trust by developing a personal relationship."
North Carolina State is known for its top-notch facilities all around the country. "We have tremendous facilities here that our athletes have access to here at the Dail Center, but we are also in the process of renovating our training facility at PNC Arena," said Ryan. From hot tubs to cold tubs to hydrotherapy in the pool, NC State has all kinds of up to date equipment and treatment for our athletes. Another great thing about our facilities here is the location of the training room is connected directly to the basketball court in the Dail Center making it convenient for any medical emergency.
At PNC Arena, Ryan talked about how we always have a doctor onsite for any injury that could happen during a game. He also went on to talk about how we have X-Ray machines at PNC for any situation that could happen in a game to get the player cleared and back onto the court as soon as possible.
So many players want to play Division I basketball and especially in the ACC, so I asked Ryan what advice does he have for them on how to stay healthy and in shape. "Know your body, that is your money maker. "You must take care of it at all time with proper stretching, conditioning, hydration, and nutrition. Take all those aspects seriously starting at a young age and you will stay healthy to help you perform at your highest possible level."
Ryan and his wife, Tammy, an athletic trainer at Barton College, are expecting a baby girl very soon. They have decided to name their daughter Karli. I asked Ryan if he had any goals or ambitions beyond working at North Carolina State, "I grew up in Eastern North Carolina so ACC Basketball is what I grew up on, we would stop class and watch ACC Tournament games. I can't see there being a bigger step up from working for such a great Coach and school like North Carolina State."
By Taylor Johnson, CoachGott.com
