Friday, August 4, 2006

Online Chat With Athletic Trainer Jasen Powell

Chat Transcript
Beginning his eighth season as head athletic trainer for the club, Jasen Powell has brought with him a great deal of experience and is a familiar face in the Clippers' organization.

Powell was in his fourth year with the San Francisco 49ers as an assistant trainer when he made the move back to Los Angeles prior to the 1999-00 season. He had spent the 1994-95 season with the Clippers as an assistant trainer, after spending three seasons as a student trainer at Cal Poly Pomona. Powell's previous experience also includes an internship with the Atlanta Falcons in their 1995 training camp.

Powell is a certified member of the National Athletic Trainer's Association and is a credentialed Performance Enhancement Specialist as well as being a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. In addition, Powell is the first head athletic trainer in the NBA to have played collegiate basketball.

Powell chatted online with Clippers fans on August 4 at 2:00 p.m.



Jasen Powell: Thank you for chatting with me today about athletic training and the world of athletic injuries. I look forward to answering your questions and tuning in to the Clippers' sports medicine team.

Darrell (Pacoima): Hello Jason how are you doing? I just wanted to know what steps you took in order to become the Clippers Athletic Trainer. I would like to know because I want to major in the field of Kinesiology, but I not exactly sure what steps to take. Thank You!

Jasen Powell: I interned with professional teams to gain experience at this level. I also regularly attend seminars and workshops to keep my skills and knowledge current in this ever changing sports medicine field. If you would like to pursue this field, you should talk with an academic advisor about what courses you should take. Gain experience within all settings (high school, clinics, college, etc.) to determine what sector best suits you.

Rex (Sylmar): Hello Mr.Powell. How will you prepare the team for the coming season and do you think everyone will be healthy for the start of the season? Please let there be no more injuries.

Jasen Powell: We will prepare our players with numerous corrective and strength training exercises moving forward into this season. With the hope that no injuries occur during the off-season, we should have a good bill of health going into training camp.

David (Valley): What preparations are you going have to do to keep Sam Cassell's back healthy and ready to go during playoff time, knowing he has a history with back problems?

Jasen Powell: Sam’s history of back problems were not an issue this past season. He is working hard this off-season to help prevent any possible issues. With a lot of core strength work and conditioning, he will be prepared and ready to play for the start of the season.

Huntington beach: What is the condition of Q. Ross's back ?

Jasen Powell: Q. Ross is in good shape right now. He is working very hard every day at our practice facility. With that being said his back is doing quite well.

Taylor (Long Beach): What do you do to help players get back on the floor after taking a fall or getting bloodied up?

Jasen Powell: I evaluate and assess the injury that the player has suffered to rule out any emergency care. With player feedback and observation I determine if the player can return to play without suffering further damage. I utilize gloves to handle a blood injury or wound. Depending on where the blood is surfaced I provide immediate pressure on the area and try to stop the blood immediately so the player can return to activity.

Andy (Santa Monica): As an athlete I like watching the Clippers warm up with all the great stretches. What would you suggest to an athlete as a good stretch workout before exercise? Also can you recommend a book that might suggest a good plan?

Jasen Powell: If time permits, I suggest doing a light 10 minute cardio session to get your muscles loose and warm. After your cardio warm up, a good routine should emphasize dynamic stretching simulating the movement patterns that you will be doing for your activity. Static stretching is appropriate, also holding your stretches for 30 seconds in order to get an appropriate muscle response. In regards to literature and a good description of these stretches and exercises, you can visit NASM.org for book references.

Steve O. (Whittier, CA): What are the differences from being the athletic trainer of a professional football team and being an athletic trainer of a professional basketball team?

Jasen Powell: The difference working between the two sports is largely based upon the number of athletes one works with. In football we may have 50 guys to work with and in basketball we have 15. In football you may deal with a lot more injuries despite the season being shorter because of the aggressive contact of the sport. You also have a larger athletic trainer staff in football then in basketball. Both sports provide different challenges, and having worked both really prepared me for anything and everything I may encounter.

Jasen Powell: Thank you for taking the time to ask me some very good questions. Our players and staff are looking forward to this upcoming season. Remember: preparing yourself to compete with the appropriate exercise and nutrition gives you and your team the best chance to win.