A former Longhorn is one of the newest athletic trainers at The Nest as Michael Shiller joins the Redhawks after previous jobs at Children’s Hospital Andrew’s Institute, Fowler Middle School and Vandeventer Middle School. Wingspan recently got to know more about Shiller and what he does at The Nest.
Wingspan: How have your first weeks been?
Shiller: “I have loved being a part of the community. The staff and student body are awesome!”
Wingspan: What do you teach?
Shiller: “I teach Sports Medicine 1 here at Liberty. This course mainly goes over injuries and injury prevention. It’s almost like an introduction to the medical field.”
Wingspan: What is sports medicine exactly and what do you do in the class?
Shiller: “Sports medicine is an introduction to the medical field. You learn about other healthcare professionals and learn how to keep yourself safe and others in an emergency.”
Wingspan: Why did you choose to work here?
Shiller: “Why I chose to work here at Liberty is because in my last job, I had some of the students here already. I thought it would be really cool to work with my past students. I also heard really great things about Liberty that made me want to work here.”
Wingspan: Have you worked in clinical and field settings? Which do you prefer and why?
Shiller: “I have never worked in a clinic setting. Only when I was in grad school was I in a clinic setting. I do prefer the field setting more though.”
Wingspan: What led you to pursue athletic training?
Shiller: “What led me to pursue athletic training was getting hurt when I was a junior in high school. I had to work with my athletic trainer to get back to playing and that opened up my eyes to being an athletic trainer.”
Wingspan: Is being an athletic trainer important?
Shiller: “Being an athletic trainer is important because we help people get better from injury. We also listen to the athletes when they just need someone to talk to.”
Wingspan: What do you do to help contribute during football practices and games?
Shiller: “What I do to help contribute to football practice and games is making sure everyone that is participating is safe. I’m there to make sure if someone gets hurt, they have the best care.”
Wingspan: When someone gets seriously injured how do you stay calm?
Shiller: “When someone gets seriously injured I don’t know how to stay calm. I think my training I have gotten takes over so I trust in my instincts.”
Wingspan: Have you ever been stressed during an accident that happened?
Shiller: “I have been stressed during an accident that had happened. It was the first time I had to call 911 for help. I felt like I was calm on the outside but on the inside I was stressing out.”
Wingspan: What’s the scariest thing you have dealt with?
Shiller: “The scariest thing I have had to deal with is a possible spine injury. That was the second time I had to call for EMS (Emergency Medical Servcies).”
Wingspan: Have the student athletic trainers been doing good so far?
Shiller: “The student athletic trainers have been doing amazing so far! I am so thankful for them and I tell them how much I appreciate them everyday.”
Wingspan: What things do you do to prevent further injuries in someone?
Shiller: “Some things I do to prevent further injuries in someone is having them come in for treatment. This is the best way to help prevent injuries or prevent injuries from getting worse.”
Wingspan: How do you and Teagan Crane work well together?
Shiller: “Crane and I work well together by having each other’s back. We make sure we are always on the same page with everything we do. We are constantly communicating what our plans are and what needs to be done.”
