Craig Clark

Craig Clark, Associate Athletic Director/Director of Sports Medicine, Tulane University

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“Everything we do every day is all about what’s best for our student athletes.”

“I’ve been doing this for more than 30 years,” said Craig Clark, who spent 16 years at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and has started a new position as the Director of Sports Medicine at Tulane University in New Orleans. “I tell parents when they come here on a recruiting trip that everything we do, every decision we make, is in the best interest of your son or daughter. Everything we do is focused on what’s best for our student athletes.”

Clark, who got his start as the manager of his high school football team in East Tennessee, added that new products, such as the Kinematic SidelinER® have been “game changers” when caring for student athletes.

“SidelinER® has changed the game,” Clark said. “I’ve done this long enough, and before we didn’t have any kind of privacy on the sidelines. Often when our athletes get injured, they are emotionally upset, realize the recovery they face, and feel very vulnerable. It’s just great to put up that SidelinER® and allow them to cry and vent. It also allows athletic trainers to be able to block out all the noise and make sure we’re doing right by our student athletes.”

Clark said the moment he first saw the SidelinER®, he knew he wanted one. He added that Furman was the first school in the Southern Conference to get one, and he actually had to appeal a conference rule that didn’t allow tents on the sidelines to purchase it. “They had to change the rules,” he added, “if the SidelinER® isn’t a standard piece of equipment at a school, it should. We use ours all the time and love it.”

He mentioned that Furman keeps an ultrasound in their SidelinER® so a clinician can do a quick diagnostic ultrasound on an injured athlete right on the sideline. “Before, we had to put them on a table, then put them in a cart, and take them to the locker room,” he continued, “this one piece of equipment has increased our efficiency, student privacy, and our ability to do our jobs. I can’t say enough good about it.”

Clark also mentioned Kinematic’s HydratER®. “When I was coming up, we only had our six-pack of water bottles,” he laughed. “We wore out a lot of shoe leather going back and forth between the cooler and the players. Now with the HydratER®, our efficiency has improved dramatically.” Other Kinematic products that have become standard for Clark and his team include AT Table and FieldER.

“When we’re working with EMS on our game-day plan, if the ambulance has to come on the field for an injury, they know to park between the stands and the player to give them some privacy,” he said. “But you can’t do that at a basketball game, but the FieldER solves that problem.”

“These products are designed with the athlete in mind,” he continued, “they are great for us, but more than anything, they are designed to meet their specific needs.” Which again, he reiterated, is what he and everyone on his staff put all their focus on.

“We do this because it’s our passion,” Clark continued. “Every day is different, and the people we work with and the students we care for are just amazing. It’s a strong community with a passion for caring for student athletes.”

He sadly added that Furman had lost a student athlete who collapsed during football practice the previous year.

“It’s tough to talk about now,” he said, “but we lost a student athlete last year. Our friends and colleagues in this profession sustained us. On that day, I think I had 300 or more missed calls and texts from different colleagues. This profession is amazing with great people. Every time I see another staff that loses someone or is going through something, I always provide my cell number and tell them that whatever they need, I’m here. It’s a tight-knit community and everyone shares the same commitment to caring for the student athletes.”

Even though he’s very busy overseeing a large staff, including the strength and conditioning staff, the equipment staff, and Furman’s sports medicine center with 10 physical therapists, as well as coordinating athletic training staff for every sports event on campus, Clark says he remains laser focused on caring for the student athletes.

“Whether I’m taping an ankle, managing the school-wide schedule, meeting with staff, or scheduling a mental health visit for a student athlete,” he said, “I know the only reason I’m here — the only reason my university employs me — is to provide the absolute best care for our student athletes.” He added that thanks to new technology, new products, and absolutely fantastic, passionate people, he is able to do just that.