University of North Carolina Athletics
Thomas Moretto
March 29, 2001 | General
Hometown: Bluefield, W. Va.
Years involved with athletic training: Two
TarHeelBlue.com: What led you to become involved with athletic training?
Thomas Moretto: Becoming an athletic trainer is something that I always knew I wanted to achieve. I am fascinated with the human body, in how it works and the process by which the body heals itself. I wanted to a play an important role in an athlete's return to play from injury. The feeling that you get when you see an athlete return to the same level or a higher level of play after an injury is overwhelming.
I did not play sports for my high school but I earned a black belt in tae kwon do and karate during that time.
THB: With which UNC teams do you work and what are your responsibilities with those teams?
Moretto: Currently I am working with the wrestling team. I have many responsibilities as a student athletic trainer. I assist with primary health coverage of practices and wrestling matches. I also ensure that the athletes make it into the athletic training room for their rehab and I prepare them for activity as needed (i.e. taping ankles, wrists, thumbs, etc...). I ensure there is a line of communication with the athletic training staff and the coaches in regards to the status of an injured athlete.
THB: Describe your duties during a typical road trip.
Moretto: During a road trip, my duties are "as assigned"! We are a team and whatever the team needs, I am always willing to jump in and lend a helping hand to solve a problem or assist someone else.
For road trips, I make certain that our athletic training kit is stocked with the appropriate supplies. As a wrestling athletic trainer, I have learned you can never, ever, have too many gauze pads or latex gloves.
When the team arrives at its destination, I introduce myself to the athletic trainer(s) there and get a tour of the facility.
THB: What kind of training are you undergoing to become an athletic trainer?
Moretto: I had to have at least 50 observational hours in the Fetzer athletic training room, have taken EXSS 75 (human anatomy) and EXSS 88 (emergency care of injuries), and have a minimum 2.75 GPA before I could apply to get into the undergraduate athletic training program.
The observational hours were extremely beneficial to me. I was able to learn about the things that go on inside an athletic training room during the season and it also helped to reinforce what I was learning in human anatomy class. Observational hours also prepared me for the classes that I have already taken, am currently taking, and will take to graduate from the undergraduate athletic training program.
Once being accepted to the undergraduate program, five core classes need to be taken: Fundamentals of Athletic Training, Evaluation of Athletic
Injuries, Therapeutic Modalities, Therapeutic Exercise/Rehabilitation, and Seminar in Athletic Training). Experience from different sporting environments also is required to be eligible to take the national certification exam for athletic trainers. I am scheduled to take the certification exam in April of 2002 and graduate from the undergraduate athletic training program in May of 2002.
THB: What is the most interesting part of your job?
Moretto: That's a tough question, because I find everything interesting. But the most interesting aspect of athletic training is the many different theories and styles that the certified athletic trainers here bring to our program. Each certified athletic trainer, staff and graduate, introduces me to different ways to evaluate injuries, taping skills, modalities, and rehabilitation of injuries.
In my opinion, rehab is the most diverse area. Everyone has different exercises to return an athlete to the level of play he or she was on before their injury. As an undergraduate student athletic trainer, I am being given a great opportunity to learn from a myriad of certified trainers.
