Jun 26, 2017Hosting the CWS
Creighton University has been serving as host for the NCAA Division I College World Series. Curtis Self, Athletic Trainer for Creighton’s baseball team, is the medical coordinator for the event.
According to the Omaha World-Herald, one of Self’s biggest tasks has been recruiting medical practitioners to volunteer and serve various needs.
“Creighton is the host institution and we take pride in being the best hosts we can be,” Self said. “The people who come to help us are the best in their fields with a phenomenal willingness to help out and make the College World Series the showcase event that it is.”
Terry Grindstaff, associate professor of physical therapy at Creighton and a volunteer, said that the College World Series was “a team effort,” and the volunteers are responsible for fulfilling various needs, including relatively small ones. He said he once dry-needled an injured athlete’s arm, a procedure that athletic trainers are generally not qualified to perform, but a physical therapist like Grindstaff can.
“We try to fill in as much as we can to make sure the individual student-athletes and teams are taken care of,” Grindstaff said. “As an example, we may be asked if we can make a quick run to the pharmacy. Another role that sounds small, but is greatly appreciated, is at the bottom of every even inning, we make sure the umpires have enough water so they do not become dehydrated. These little things can make a big difference.”
Self said that while his volunteer work takes up much of his time, he finds it fulfilling.
“I love baseball, I love being around the game,” he said. “And these are the up-and-coming best baseball players in the country, playing at the highest level, so what more can you really ask for?”
