OSU-CHS athletic training student has passion for profession

Monday, March 24, 2025

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A lifelong love of sports and relationship-building led Dacie Sanders down the path
of becoming an athletic trainer.

Sanders is completing her Master of Athletic Training at Oklahoma State University
Center for Health Sciences and will graduate in May. Currently, she is finishing her
final rotations with OSU Sports Medicine working with Tulsa’s professional soccer
and hockey teams, FC Tulsa and the Tulsa Oilers, respectively. 

There are multiple reasons Sanders is passionate about athletic training. 

“I love learning about the human body. From the way muscles work to everything else,
it is all fascinating to me. Tie that in with the sports I’ve played my entire life,
and athletic training is the perfect mix for me,” she said. 

Her interest in athletic training was first sparked as a child. At 11, she injured
her knee, resulting in her undergoing physical therapy for the rest of her soccer
career until she was 18. 

She found herself asking her physical therapist questions during her sessions, and
seeing her curiosity, her physical therapist encouraged Sanders to learn more about
the subject. 

This led her to obtain a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with an emphasis on sports
medicine from John Brown University in Arkansas. As an undergraduate, she completed
an internship and was a work study with the athletic training department. 

“While observing the athletic trainers, sometimes they asked me for my opinion. Even
though I couldn’t write the rehabilitation orders or anything like that, they still
included me, and I got to see their point of view,” she said. “I also saw the athletic
trainer building relationships with her athletes and I really enjoyed it. That’s where
it all began.” 

Now, on her OSU Sports Medicine rotation with FC Tulsa and the Tulsa Oilers, Sanders
has had the chance to cultivate those relationships herself. It has been a highlight
of her rotation.

“I love meeting new people and building relationships. It’s who I am,” she said. 

Athletic training gives her the chance to help athletes achieve their goals including
helping a hockey player’s rehabilitation after he injured his knee, who went on to
score his first professional goal. 

“It was amazing to watch and know that I played a small part in that,” she said. 

The Tulsa Oilers and FC Tulsa are the first professional-level teams Sanders has worked
with. Previously, she had rotations with Bishop Kelley High School and Jenks High
School. Seeing it on a higher level and learning how athletic trainers work interprofessionally
have been big learning experiences for her.  

These rotations have also given her the chance to network, which she said plays a
major role in athletic training. 

Destiny Lalaguna, an athletic trainer with OSU Sports Medicine and FC Tulsa’s athletic
trainer, values working alongside Sanders. 

“Dacie is truly one of the most outgoing and hard-working student athletic trainers
I’ve had the pleasure of working with. She always brings an incredible level of dedication
and enthusiasm to her role. I believe she’s made a positive impact on both the athletes
and the overall team environment, especially in the athletic training room,” Lalaguna
said. 

Regarding the profession, Sanders wants people to realize that there is more to the
job than giving water and taping ankles. Athletic trainers perform administrative
tasks behind the scenes and use resources to refer athletes who need further medical
care. 

“There are a lot of misconceptions about athletic training. It isn’t just musculoskeletal
work. If someone gets a splenic injury, we’re the ones out there recognizing that
so we can get you the proper care you need,” she said. 

For any student interested in studying athletic training, Sanders’s advice is to approach
it with an open mind. 

“You don’t want to be set on one thing, because you never know where you’re going
to end up,” she said. “You also have to stay dedicated. It’s a lot of work and it’s
very tiring, but it’s worth it in the end.”