Beth Druvenga named head athletic trainer

By SIERRA HORTON

Staff Writer

In February, University of Mary Washington Athletics announced that Beth Druvenga is the new head athletic trainer for UMW athletes. This decision was made through the careful promotion process and consideration by the interim director of Athletics, Patrick Catullo.

“Beth Druvenga was selected because of her leadership style, professionalism and experience with UMW Athletics. In addition, Beth will be able to provide an exceptional staff and student-athlete experience,” said Catullo.

UMW student athletes also believe in Druvenga’s ability to excel in this new position.

“I am super pumped about Beth taking over the position. She is always full of energy and truly cares about all of the athletes and their specific needs,” said Michaela Miller, a senior swimmer and psychology major. “I hope and know that Beth is going to continue to keep athletes healthy while making the training room a welcoming environment.”

Athletic trainers (ATs) are healthcare professionals who provide care for athletes using their education, training and careful consideration of the rules, statutes and regulations of the state. This takes place under the direction of, or in collaboration with, a physician. ATs provide services that include everything from injury prevention, avoidance of illnesses, wellness promotion, wellness education, examination, clinical diagnoses, therapeutic intervention, emergent care, and injury and medical condition rehabilitation.

As head athletic trainer, Druvenga now has some additional responsibilities different from an AT. Some of these responsibilities include administrative and supervisory tasks that Druvenga was not held accountable for previously, but she still keeps the same mindset as she had in her past position.

“My overall goal to provide quality healthcare and a safe environment for our student-athletes to participate in remains the same [as it did when she was an AT],” said Druvenga. “I and the athletic training staff provide care to the student-athletes participating on all of our varsity athletic teams.”

Druvenga also has past experience that prepares her for the responsibilities of this position. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training from Central College in Pella, Iowa,  and is also a board certified athletic trainer. She also has a Master’s of Science in Education from Old Dominion University and worked as an assistant athletic trainer at Norfolk State University, a Division I school. While in Norfolk, she also taught Kinesiology at ODU.

Beyond her education, Druvenga is also a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association, licensed by the Virginia Board of Medicine, and CPR/AED and first aid certified, according to the UMW Athletics website.

“Both of these experiences taught me a lot as an athletic trainer,” said Druvenga. “I’ve worked with a lot of great athletic trainers and learned a lot from the different head athletic trainers I’ve worked with. All of this helped shaped my practice and my goals for the future.”

Druvenga has been an assistant athletic trainer here at UMW since 2016 and she is feeling optimistic about her promotion.

“I’m excited to continue working here in this new position,” says Druvenga. “We have a great group of student athletes and coaches who I truly enjoy working with every day. We also have a phenomenal athletic training staff and I’m excited to collaborate with them in this new era.”

As head athletic trainer, Druvenga has more responsibilities, but she also has a vision for change within the department.

“There may be some changes coming to the athletic training department, with the goal of fostering a positive environment for student-athletes and enhancing their experience here at UMW,” said Druvenga. “We have a lot of great things going for us in the athletic training department and I can’t wait to work with the other AT staff to give our student-athletes the best experience possible.