National Athletic Training Month is held every March in order to spread awareness about the important work of athletic trainers.  "Essential to Health Care" is the theme of this year's National Athletic Training Month, which is sponsored by the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), a not-for-profit organization based in Dallas, Texas.

Virginia Union University and VCU Health Sports Medicine work collaboratively fostering relationships and providing quality patient care to the student-athletes ensuring they remain healthy throughout their athletic career and beyond.
 
"I want to add that we are fortunate to have multiple athletic trainers for the healthcare needs of our student athletes," said VUU's Head Athletic Trainer Sean Ahonen, M. Ed, ATC.  "The athletic trainers are constantly attending continue education classes, adding new treatment options and staying up to date with the evolving COVID policies and procedures.  VUU is following the best practices guidelines set forth by the CDC, and the athletic trainers are critical in executing these regulations to keep athletics open."
 
Ahonen joined Virginia Union University in 2020 from Foley, Alabama.  He will serve as the Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Medicine.  From 2006-2011 & 2012-2020 Sean worked at Foley High School, and in 2011-2012 he worked at Spain Park High School in Birmingham, Al.  He attended Graduate school at Columbus State University where he obtained his master's degree in education while working for the Hughston Orthopaedic Hospital.  He received his degree in Athletic Training from Valdosta State University in 2004.   He is also certified in CPR.
 
Ahonen is aided by Sierra Hobbs, MS, LAT, ATC, who serves as the outreach Athletic Trainer from VCU Health Sports Medicine.
 
"Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life," Hobbs said.
 
Prior to work at VCU Health, Hobbs previously worked as an assistant athletic trainer at Fayetteville State University from 2018-2019. She provided coverage for all 12 varsity sports programs with a primary focus working with the FSU football and the Women's basketball program. Before that, Sierra worked as an Athletic Trainer at San Marino High School from 2017-2018, working primarily with the football and girls' varsity soccer programs.
 
A native of Long Beach, CA, Hobbs attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School. She earned her B.S. in Athletic Training from North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC; and her M.S. in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sports Medicine and Injury Studies in 2017 from California State University, Long Beach.  She is working on her doctorate in Athletic Training with a concentration on Leadership, Education, and Orthopedics at A.T. Still University.