Athletic Trainers the Nucleus of Track & Field and Cross Country Program

Spend a day with the Purdue track & field and cross country program, and it's easy to see why coach Norbert Elliott calls athletic trainers Eden Embree and Luke Passalacqua the center of the program.
 
Charged with ensuring 90 Boilermaker student-athletes are healthy and ready to compete at the highest level week in and week out is a tireless task that requires long, dedicated hours and a passion and enthusiasm for helping each athlete reach their goals. That's exactly what Embree and Passalacqua bring on a daily basis.
 
"Without the good work, the timeless work, the long and dedicated hours that Luke and Eden put into our student athletes, without them, we would be in trouble," Elliott said. "Our student-athletes train at a really high intense level and they need to have good trainers, good enthusiastic, dedicated trainers. I don't know if there's anyone better than Luke and Eden. There are other good trainers, but I don't know if there is anyone better. There are times when we are off and they're still working early in the morning and late at night. I really appreciate their efforts, and I know I speak for all my coaches as well."
 
Passalacqua is in his third season with the track & field and cross country program, and Embree is in her second.
 
The pair, along with student trainer Allison Eavey, work together to treat injuries, rehab student-athletes and get everyone ready for the next competition. Their days begin hours before practice and end well after, as student-athletes come in for individual treatment sessions throughout the day.
 
The track & field and cross country student-athletes know they can count on Embree and Passalacqua to be there at any moment for them to answer questions, listen, and help solve problems. Their impact extends well beyond treating injuries, as they build relationships and improve the team's physical and mental health.
 
A California native, Passalacqua earned his bachelor's degree in exercise science and masters in athletic training from Northern Arizona University.
 
Being an athletic trainer is everything that Passalacqua loves about sports, and he sees first-hand the passion that each student-athlete has for what they do.
 
"The struggle, the success with hard work, the fascination with what the human body can do," is what Passalacqua credits as the most rewarding aspects of his role in the program. "Athletic trainers are people who help people when they're at their absolute lowest when they get injured, so it's really gratifying to see when a patient or an athlete succeed after going through something very tough and challenging in their life."
 
While having an immense impact on their daily life and athletic performance, Passalacqua strives to be someone who cares for his patients both in competition and away from the track. Especially in the unique environment that the COVID-19 pandemic presents, his goal remains to help all members of the Purdue track & field and cross country family remain safe and healthy, whether they're competing or are a coach and support staff.
 
Passalacqua also relishes the opportunity to always be there for his student-athletes and have day-to-day interactions while watching them reach their goals.
 
"At the end of the day, when you see them succeed, that's what makes it all worth it," Passalacqua added.
 
Embree is an Indiana native and earned her bachelor's degree in athletic training from the University of Indianapolis and her masters in athletic training from Indiana University.
 
She embraces the impact she has on her student-athletes and the opportunity to treat the person, not just the injury. Daily, one-on-one interactions has allowed Embree to help her Boilermakers grow beyond the competition field.
 
"That impact is huge in that way that we can really pour into their lives and make sure that when they are at their lowest, there is someone to support them and build them up," Embree said. "We teach them through adversity how they can get better and stronger while growing as a person as they heal physically. That type of impact can shape a person for the rest of their life, so I think that's a really cool opportunity that athletic trainers get to have that."
 
Embree's father was a physician, which ignited her career in the medical field. She did an internship in high school and never looked back.
 
Working with the track & field programs also allows Embree to have a wide range of interactions on a daily basis.
 
"I talk to 30 different athletes on our busy days, and I can have 30 different impactful conversations or 30 different fun conversations depending on what the day brings," Embree said. "That definitely makes it worthwhile, it's a really fun aspect of what we do."
 
Embree and Passalacqua each emphasize their opportunity to have an impact on student-athletes lives, and their positive influence isn't missed by Elliott and his team.
 
They're not only treating injuries and getting athletes back to competition quickly, they can be an advisor, friend or comfortable person to talk to when one is needed most.
 
"A lot of times a student-athlete might be having an issue that they might feel somewhat uncomfortable talking to their individual coaches," Elliott said. "It's important for Luke and Eden to be that sort of place of comfort for them, to allow them to go without any reservations, to speak freely. It's sort of like they're the mother and father away from home. That's what they do, they pat the kid on the back and they heal their wounds. As a kid you fall down and your mom would put a band-aid on it and you'd feel all better, that is exactly what they do. They patch our kids up and pat them on the back listen to them. Not only are they trainers they are good sociologist and psychologist as well."
 
Life as a student-athlete can be stressful, with classes, training and a jam-packed schedule. Knowing that, Embree and Passalacqua give each student-athlete the time and attention they need. They put in the work and it clearly shows that they genuinely care.
 
"We banter a lot in the training room, we talk about a lot of different things," senior sprinter Waseem Williams said. "It's not just a business relationship, the human side comes out. It feels like I'm with family or friends, everything is relaxed even though I'm there to get work done. We laugh and joke around."
 
From a good conversation to helpful advice or a joke at just the right time, they know what to say and when to say it.
 
"I can talk to them about anything, not just rehab or track," senior long sprinter Samara Miller added. "If I had a long day, I know I can sit down and talk to them about it, and they'll listen to me and offer advice without being pushy or nosy"
 
Their work ethic and long hours are noticeable, and just as Embree and Passalacqua look after the Boilermakers' mental health, they have people looking after them too.
 
"They do skimp on time at all, and they never complain about it," junior distance runner Rachel Anderson said. "Every so often I'll ask them if they've gotten a break, and they'll kind of tell me they got a little bit, but they're more than willing to give us their time, even if it means they have to stay later. That's huge for us, because it really impacts our running and overall performance and wellbeing."
 
The dedication and commitment goes beyond just the hours and meaningful conversation. When it comes to treatment and getting student-athletes back on the track, Embree and Passalacqua don't take any shortcuts to ensure their team can compete at their best.
 
Williams is perfect proof of that, as he has battled several injuries during a record-breaking, All-American career as a Boilermaker. Despite the injuries, Embree and Passalacqua have helped Williams return to peak performance each time.
 
"Oh wow, I don't even know where to start," Williams said when asked about the impact Embree and Passalacqua have. "I've been injured on many occasions, and they got me back just in the nick of time every time. I see them create exercises on the fly that really work. They have to deal with a lot of different types of people, and they're awesome at what they do.
 
"The way they write their rehab programs, they're patient with me, I trust them 110%. If I get injured, I don't worry, its rehab time and they'll get me back. They'll tell me what to do, and the onus is on me to do what they say. They're awesome."
 
Anderson knows she can count on her athletic trainers to help with injuries big and small, and treatment tailored to that specific problem will be prescribed.
 
Additionally, Anderson has issues with her breathing, and keeping her back loose helps with that. Weekly treatment sessions allow her to always compete at her best.
 
"They'll work with me with anything I have going on, even if we're feeling under the weather, they'll help us figure out the next steps if we need to see a doctor," Anderson said. "With my back, I go in every week and explain how tight it feels, and based off of that they decide what type of treatment to do. The specific treatment gives me an edge up when I'm competing, and they're willing to spend a lot of time with those specific treatments."
 
As Purdue's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee President, Miller hears from athletes from every sport at Purdue on a wide variety of issues. She has never heard a complaint about training room or Purdue's athletic trainers, everything is positive.
 
That's a testament to not only Embree and Passalacqua, but the commitment Purdue has to its athletic training program, led by Associate Athletics Director for Sports Performance and Director of Sports Medicine Doug Boersma. Under his leadership, the resources available to student-athletes are second-to-none.
 
"We have so many resources in the athletic training room, more than we could ever imagine," Miller said. "I know that transfer students will come here and be confused because we have so much. Things like heating packs, it's a privilege to have that. When we travel to other schools, we see how lucky we have it here too. I know our student-athletes are very happy with the athletic training program and their athletic trainer specifically."

 

Added to the trainers' role in the last year is the new wrinkle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

An extensive amount of work has been done to keep student-athletes, coaches and staff safe while practicing and competing this year. With the guidance of Boersma, Embree and Passalacqua have continued to treat every member of the track & field and cross country team while ensuring everyone follows health and safety protocols established by Boersma and the Purdue Athletics Department last summer.
 
"I don't know how they've been able to do it," Elliott said. "When student-athletes originally could just walk into the training room, now they are having to go through all the COVID, security and health protocols. There work has been doubled. Not only are they treating our student-athletes, they are doing the social distancing and doing the contact tracing and everything related to that. Somehow, they are able to get it done. And that's just because they're dedicated and committed to doing what they truly love."
 
Embree and Passalacqua have been the team navigate COVID-19 since last March when the season abruptly ended and everyone was sent home. They made frequent calls to their athletes to check in and answer questions as they arose about the pandemic, the next year's season and more.
 
"Both Luke and Eden have been extremely instrumental in the last year especially, reacting so quickly to COVID protocols," Miller said. "They made sure we all knew that we could reach out to them if we had any issues at home or didn't know what was going on when the pandemic first broke out. Luke or Eden reached out almost every week, just to ask how I was doing, if I needed anything and just checking up on me physically, mentally and making sure I was still healthy given the circumstances."
 
The COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenges it has presented, has given Passalacqua perspective on his responsibilities as an athletic trainer.
 
"Without COVID-19, our job would be a cakewalk," he said. "It definitely has given us our challenges, but it shows how resilient our profession is and how we've been able to step up in uncertain times and show that we can be leaders in getting college athletics back and going again. At the end of the day, our crowning achievement will be knowing that we gave it our all to help our athletes this past year."
 
In the end, it's a long day for Embree and Passalacqua in a long season that officially stretches from September to June. With a tailored treatment plan, around-the-clock care and an enthusiasm for helping their student-athletes on and off the track, they've certainly made an impact.