General | 8/6/2025 11:30:00 AM
The Empire 8 Conference, Nazareth University and Sports Medicine Concepts hosted the 2025 Empire 8 Emergency Preparedness and Fundamentals Workshop from the Golisano Training Center on Tuesday, August 5.
The day-long training brought together 44 athletic trainers and sports medicine professionals from all 12 different institutions to participate in the Core4® program taught by Sports Medicine Concepts.
The training was presented thanks to support from the Empire 8, host Nazareth University, and NCAA Division III Grant Program.
"We are very enthusiastic to host this program in support of our sports medicine professionals and the safety of our student-athletes," said Empire 8 Executive Director Chuck Mitrano. "It is vital for our sports medicine leaders to have this valuable experience and learn the same progression of evaluation, which builds confidence that when your team goes to another E8 campus, that institution's sports medicine staff is ready and prepared."
"This training is a great program, to practice various situations with our peers to work as a team and make sure we are ready and prepared for any emergencies, wthether it is at our institution or at another in the Empire 8," said Dave Tomkalski, Head Athletic Trainer at Elmira College.
This was the second time that the league's athletic trainers and Sports Medicine Concepts teammed up for the workshop, also previously collaborating in 2023.
SMC is the elite provider of sports emergency care programming. Driven by founder Mike Cendoma’s personal commitment to fostering a safer environment for everyone in sports, SMC delivers mastery-level emergency preparedness services. SMC's programming has been designed for one purpose: ensuring medical teams are ready to respond in the most critical moments.
"The Empire 8 should be applauded for the support they put behind this program, as they are the only athletic conference where all athletic trainers from each institution participate," said Jeff Bray of Sports Medicine Concepts, who was the former Associate Director of Athletics for Sports Medicine and Head Athletic Trainer at Keuka College. "This is the same emergency response program that sports medicine professionals in the NFL, NBA and WNBA are presented."
The event was a rare opportunity for athletic trainers to meet and train face to face. Athletics teams' schedules, limited staffing, and travel for road contests make such gatherings challenging.
"It is important to bring everyone from all Empire 8 institutions together for one day and one event, working together to prepare for the new season," said Deanna Hand, Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Internal Operations at Houghton University and chair of the Empire 8 Sports Medicine committee. The event helps us ensure that we are all working on the same prepardness models for when emergencies do happen."
The training workshop began at the GTC with discussions and demonstrations of proper procedures and techniques. The group worked on hands-on training removing various types of sporting equipment as well as practicing CPR and other emergency responses. To wrap up the day, the E8 athletic trainers put the training to practice with full-scale simulations on the GTC turf and at Tim Horton's IcePlex.
"This is a great learning opportunity for all of our athletic trainers," said Lyndsey McCoy, Assistant Athletic Trainer at Alfred University. It is nice to know the institutions you are working with and against have the same training and same drive to learn these techniques. As a former student-athlete, I love to know my athletic trainers are constantly learning, willing to learn new techniques.
McCoy, who also played on the women's basketball team at Alfred from 2017-21, had her training put to the test on July 8, when serving as an athletic trainer for the Hornell Steamers of the New York Collegiate Baseball League. During a game against the Olean Olilers, the home plate umpire was struck in the chest by a foul ball in the top of the first inning. After the inning was completed, the umpire collapsed to the ground.
McCoy knew something was wrong even before he fell and immediately sprinted to the Hornell dugout to retrieve an automated external defibrillator and responded to the umpire’s side, where she performed CPR and First Aid, along with Paul Welker, general manager of the Hornell Steamers, and Josh Sikorski, Olean Oilers athletic trainer.
Local ambulance arrived at the scene within three minutes of the umpire falling and transported him to St. James Hospital in Hornell. He wound up being released from the hospital at around 11 p.m. that night.
"Thankfully with my training, I was able to recognize the situation, play through my head what could be happening and stay one step ahead of the worst case scenario."
"I am really proud of our sports medicine leaders and staff," said Mitrano. "This is an event we will continue to build upon in the future, as it is imperative for our instituions."
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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