Spalding University athletic trainer Kaitlin Niemiec highlights mentorship and athlete care

Kaitlin Niemiec, head athletic trainer at Spalding University in Louisville, is being recognized for combining student-athlete care with teaching, mentorship and leadership development. Her profile also points to shortages in athletic training and the profession’s growing opportunities in education and non-traditional settings.

Why it matters: - Kaitlin Niemiec’s work sits at the intersection of athlete health, student training and leadership development in collegiate sports medicine. - Her role reflects broader pressure on athletic training programs to provide care, education and staffing support at the same time. - Niemiec’s experience also highlights the profession’s need for more women in leadership roles.

What happened: - Influential Women featured Niemiec as head athletic trainer at Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky. - Niemiec has served in the role for more than five years. - Her responsibilities include injury prevention, evaluation, treatment, rehabilitation and return-to-play decisions for student-athletes. - She also supports practices and competitions across multiple sports. - The profile says Niemiec teaches and mentors future athletic trainers at Spalding University. - As a clinical preceptor, she gives students hands-on training and supervision in sports medicine settings.

The details: - Niemiec has 13 years of experience in athletic training. - Her career path included a graduate assistant athletic trainer role at Tulane University. - She later worked full time at Campbellsville University before joining Spalding University. - Her honors include the Spalding University Clinical Preceptor Award and Faculty of the Year recognition. - Niemiec earned a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from the University of Texas at Austin. - She later completed a master’s degree in liberal arts at Tulane University. - She is pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership at Spalding University. - Her research interests include gender disparities in sports medicine, mentorship development and leadership pathways in athletics and education. - Niemiec is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the Kentucky Athletic Trainers Society. - Her professional mission focuses on improving athlete health outcomes and strengthening the pipeline of future athletic training professionals. - More information is available through her Influential Women profile and her Spalding University staff profile.

Between the lines: - Niemiec’s comments point to a profession that is still misunderstood by the public, even though athletic trainers handle injury prevention, emergency care and rehabilitation. - She said the field faces a nationwide shortage of athletic trainers, especially in larger metro areas, which can mean evening, weekend and holiday work. - The profile also frames athletic training as a field with expanding visibility because of greater attention to sports-related injuries. - That visibility appears to be opening doors in education, advocacy, leadership and non-traditional settings such as corporate wellness, performing arts and community health. - Niemiec encourages young women to pursue leadership opportunities even when they feel underqualified. - She also advises early-career professionals to apply for roles even if they do not meet every listed qualification.

What’s next: - Niemiec is continuing her doctoral work while remaining focused on student-athlete care and professional development at Spalding University. - Her profile suggests she will keep emphasizing mentorship, female leadership and broader awareness of athletic training as the field evolves. - The growing demand for athletic trainers is likely to keep shaping staffing and scheduling challenges across the profession.

The bottom line: - Niemiec represents a growing model in collegiate athletics: a clinician, educator and leader working to strengthen both athlete care and the next generation of sports medicine professionals.