Sports Medicine students visited the University of California, Berkeley, athletic facilities on April 7 to observe the equipment and practices of sports professionals.

In the past, Sports Med visited the facilities at Stanford University and those of professional Bay Area sports teams like the Golden State Warriors and the Oakland Raiders. However, Sports Med teacher Ray Albiento decided to switch it up and visit the Berkeley campus.

Albiento, a Berkeley graduate, had contacts at the university that allowed him access. “I had some connections still and it was actually pretty cool because I got to see people I worked with from Cal still there, and people still there that I did my Masters’ with,” he said. Albiento’s connections were important in organizing the trip, since the school “usually doesn’t do school field trips unless they know the person running it.”

While there, Sports Med students were treated to a number of talks by Division 1 Sports Medicine professionals such as doctors, athletic trainers, and strength coaches. Also, some former Campolindo athletes who now play at UC Berkeley, such as baseball player Robbie Tenerowitcz and soccer player Alex Mangels, spoke about the role of athletic medicine in school sports.

They toured the new sports facilities and observed college athletes using the latest in Sports Med technology. Specifically, they visited the men’s basketball training room and the football training rooms.

However, the students did not have an opportunity to interact or do hands-on demonstrations like they have in the past. “Just because we  had so much to see with the newer facilities, we didn’t do any hands-on activities. But in the past we have done that like at Stanford, and with the Raiders specifically – they actually have us do hands-on stuff and show us their new modalities,” said Albiento.

It was a little odd to have a field trip immediately after spring break, according to junior Dani Thomas. “Everyone forgot about it. There were like 3 people who didn’t go. Even before then there was only like one person who remembered and knew about it, and they ended up texting the Sports Med 2’s to remind them,” she said.

“It was fun, it was better than being at school,” Thomas added.