Clements keeps athletes under wrap
Campus Times
October 18, 1996
Keith Clements, the new full-time assistant trainer, demonstrates his
ankle-taping technique on senior football player Tré Fultz. Clements
is a graduate of Fresno State with a degree in sports medicine and is now
finishing his master's thesis at Cal Poly in exercise biochemistry. He is
replacing Marilyn Oliver, who is currently on sabbatical.
When Keith Clements was young he wanted to be an astronaut, perhaps join
the Air Force, maybe be a doctor-but today he is very content working with
athletes as an athletic trainer.
Clements, now 25, has always been very active in sports, playing baseball,
soccer, volleyball and tennis in high school. Eventually he began to realize
that he wanted to go into the health field, but was not sure how he would
fit in.
"If you would have asked me back then, I couldn't have even told you
to put ice on a sprained ankle," said Clements.
He began his college career at the University of Arizona in 1989 as an exercise
science major with an emphasis in sports medicine. However, he still was
not sure what he wanted to do.
"My adviser told me to try athletic training and see how I liked it.
So I went and talked to the teacher not knowing what to expect," Clements
said.
Not knowing what to expect really meant not knowing what to expect. At the
University of Arizona, he was told they would begin with seven student trainers.
They would spend the year devoting their lives to the program, spend time
he had and even time that he did not have to the training room, not get
paid for it and at the end of the semester, if he did well, he would be
kept.
"At the end of the year they look at your grades, your skill level,
and the results of a written and oral test. And then they keep three to
stay on for next year," Clements said.
Clements was No. 4.
"I didn't know what to do. I'd found something I had grown to love
and I was stuck not being able to do it," he said.
Clements' teacher had seen his potential. She phoned Fresno State University
and gave them her recommendation. From there he received a full ride, all
expenses paid round trip ticket to a degree.
He spent the next three years getting an education and working as a trainer
for the football team every year and for the baseball, track and men's soccer
teams, each one year.
In 1993, Clements graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training
and a minor in Physical Anthropology. The following fall he began his new
position as Assistant Athletic Trainer at Montana State University in Bozeman,
Montana. After a year at MSU, he spent his summer working with the United
States Olympic Development Program for men's soccer.
"It was a good experience and it opened the door for more opportunities,"
said Clements.
And he knew that he wanted to take advantage of the opportunities given
to him and further his education. He had thoughts of going to medical school
in Washington, and although he enjoyed his time spent in Montana, he knew
California was where he belonged.
"I had a change of heart," he said. "I asked myself, do I
want to spend the rest of my life inside a building from nine to five or
be outside doing something that I love and can't see my life not doing?"
So back to California he ventured, and Cal Poly Pomona is where he landed.
In the fall of 1994 Clement accepted a job at Cal Poly as an Assistant Athletic
Trainer. This is where another chapter in Clements' book began-Keith Clements
the instructor.
"I said 'give me a shot.' I knew I could bring youth and energy into
the classroom."
Teaching everything from Introduction to Athletic Training to Drug Education,
Clements sees himself as a natural teacher.
"I love teaching. Most of the kids that I teach I think I can really
relate to because I'm so close to their age."
Clements prides himself on being the absorber of knowledge and feeding his
brain with as much information he can get his hands on. Last summer he worked
as one of the trainers for the Women's National Soccer Team, to many, a
dream job.
The main role he played in the program was to help rehabilitate the girls
after injury and get them back to where they were before they were hurt.
He also worked with many of the girls who were 'on the bubble,' wavering
between the Olympic Squad and sitting at home.
He was paid only $400 a week but what he learned was paid with experience.
"It was a tremendous experience. I've had the opportunity to work with
many levels of athletic ability. With them there was a great sense of urgency,
a mentality for winning," said Clements.
This past fall here at the University of La Verne a position opened up in
the Athletic Department when head athletic trainer Marilyn Oliver is away
on leave.
"The money is better here and I have the opportunity to do what I want,"
Clements said.
Clement teaches at Cal Poly in the morning then comes to ULV in the afternoon
to assume the role as assistant athletic trainer along with Paul Alvarez.
Part of what Clements does at ULV is working with student-athletes and coaches
in setting up rehab programs that directly address the problem at hand.
"I want them back on the field," said Clements, "not just
so they can play, but to make them stronger than they were before. We want
to prevent a reinjury."
Aside from rehabilitation, Clements is here to provide instruction for the
student athletic training staff, along with Alvarez and Oliver, when she
returns.
"I want them to feel comfortable setting up rehab programs and giving
recommendations to athletes by themselves, using the head trainers as consultants,"
said Clements.
There are a few ways that Clements sees would be beneficial in fulfilling
this objective. The first would be to set up an advanced curriculum.
"I'm in full support. ULV is a gold mine for preparing students in
athletic training, it has all the right resources and a department that
supports the major," said Clements.
What he means by a new curriculum is that the standards in really succeeding
in athletic training are changing with technology.
"By the year 2004 the major will have changed quite a bit. We need
to start now and get the ball rolling by the year 2000."
Clements would like to see the addition of a few classes, perhaps one class
per year, and eventually an increased number of staff.
Clements is very passionate about his work and seeing students succeed.
"There are great facilities here, and its a great environment with
great people," Clements said, "Let's make people want to come
here."
Clements would like to see the Athletic Training major stand out like the
Law School or our Education Department, and he would like to teach it.
"I would be thrilled to teach here. Everyone has been so great,"
he said.
"And we think he's great," said senior Ana Delgado.
With all of this enthusiasm, it is difficult to see if Clement has time
for himself.
"I spend a lot of time with my family and being involved with church,"
said Clements who is currently in a steady relationship with his girlfriend
for almost a year now.
He also enjoys spending time at Lake Mead, water skiing and boating, when
he is not at home in Arcadia, or at La Verne. Or when he is not at Cal Poly.
Nobody is really sure if Clements has any free time at all. After all, is
he not at every home game for almost every sport? Nobody is certain, except
for Clements himself.
"I like to have a fine balance with everything I do, and share my happiness
with the ones I love."