Say hello to Encore Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer Walt McKean!
Walt is in his first year at UMS-Wright as the Assistant Athletic Trainer. Walt comes to UMS-Wright from Oxford, Mississippi, where he worked with the Ole Miss Health and Sports Performance Team. Mr. McKean was raised in Mobile, Alabama and attended UMS-Wright for fourteen years.
Walt graduated from Troy University with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training. He worked with many sports teams during his time at Troy before leaving in 2016 for Oxford, MS. During his time in Oxford, he worked out of the Manning Center Athletic Training room with both Football and Track and Field.
We are proud to have you on the Encore Sports Medicine Team, Walt, and wish you a Happy National Athletic Training Month!
Happy National Athletic Training Month to Encore Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer Chad Abrams!
Chad began his athletic training career as a Junior at Reeltown High School in 1983. He became BOC certified through the internship route in 1995. He has been the Head Athletic Trainer at Reeltown since 1985. He graduated from Auburn University in 1992 in Agriscience in Education. While there, he was a Student Athletic Trainer with Auburn University Athletics, completing his Masters in Health and Human Performance at Auburn in 2010.
Chad taught Agribusiness at Reeltown for three years, worked in production at Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Manufacture for 16 years, and was the Sports Medicine Outreach Coordinator for East Alabama Medical Center for 12 years. He was also the owner of Reeltown Tire and Auto Sales.
He has been employed by Encore Rehabilitation since 2018 as a Athletic Trainer Area Manager for the East Alabama Region.
“My name is Tate Fowler. I graduated from Huntingdon College in 2014 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Athletic Training. I currently cover Enterprise High School. I enjoy playing golf, hunting, wood working, and spending time with my wife and daughter.”
Happy National Athletic Training Month, Tate! We are proud to have you apart of our team.
To celebrate National Athletic Training Month we wanted to spotlight all of our local athletic trainers. This weeks spotlight is Kaylea Johnson, ATC. Kaylea covers our Fayette County Region as well as Bevill State, Fayette Campus. We are thankful to have Kaylea as a part of our Encore Team!
Why did you choose athletic training as a career? I found athletic training by chance. I knew I wanted to be in the medical field and coming from a sports back ground it just made sense. A friend of mine knew RT Floyd and put me in contact. It was one of the best decisions of my life!
What has been the highlight of your career? The relationships I have made. These bonds make my job so much easier and give it so much meaning. When the athletes, parents and coaches develop a relationship with you, they learn to trust you and that makes a world of a difference in this job. There is nothing like being chased down in the Walmart parking lot by a graduated athlete for a hug and a chat. Getting to see these kids grow, mature, and develop into adults, and having a hand in that is the most rewarding feeling!
What does it mean to be back home taking care of the people in your community? When I attended Fayette County High School, we did not have an athletic trainer. For me to be able to come back into this community that I grew up in and love, to provide a service not given to me is rewarding. I love being home and being able to care for these athletes, because they deserve to have someone there to respond to them in their time of need.
What would you tell future students that might want to become an AT? This is a career you get into because it is something you love. The crazy hours and long nights are definitely worth it. This job is very fun and rewarding. The lives you touch and relationships you make are absolutely priceless!
Say hello to Mariah Stevenson, Athlete of the Month with Encore Rehabilitation-Pike Road!
Mariah is a Sophomore at Pike Road School where she competes in Softball for the Patriots. She also plays on a travel softball team. Her future plans include pitching softball at Tuskegee University while obtaining a Law degree.
Mariah is the daughter of Samantha McCall.
Congratulations, Mariah! We are very proud of you!
Encore Sports Medicine is proud to be the Official Sports Medicine Provider for Pike Road School!
Celebrating with Encore Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer Marlee Carnevale!
Marlee joined the Encore Sports Medicine Team in June of 2016 as a Certified Athletic Trainer covering Fairhope High School.
In 2016, Marlee earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Athletic Training from the University of West Florida (UWF). While attending UWF, she worked with the men’s and women’s soccer teams and several of the local high schools. In conjunction, she also served in an internship with the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Florida, working with professional athletes.
Marlee is a native of West Palm Beach, Florida. She is passionate about her profession and loves working with Fairhope High School and the Fairhope community. Go Pirates!
Happy National Athletic Training Month, Marlee! Thank you for all you do!
Congratulations to SportsFit – Leakesville Gym Members Annsley Franks and Claire Scarborough on their recent Powerlifting feats! Annsley placed 3rd and Claire placed 1st at the District Level. Both ladies compete for the Greene County Wildcats! We are very proud of both you!
Congratulations to Alysha Miner, Athlete of the Month for Encore Rehabilitation-Fort Walton Beach!
Alysha is an avid Soccer player for Choctawhatchee High School. After ACL surgery and then Physical Therapy with us, Alysha is ready for soccer season!
We wish you all the best, Alysha!
Alysha is shown here with Physical Therapist Malcolm McDougall.
MONTGOMERY – Ten high school seniors who will be participating in the 99th AHSAA State Basketball Championships this week are among the 24 players selected to represent Alabama in the upcoming 31st annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball Classic to be played March 12 at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl Multiplex. Jamie Lee, Director of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association (AHSADCA), announced the squads Sunday. The teams, consisting of 12 boys and 12 girls, were selected from coaches’ nominations by the AHSADCA All-Star Selection Committee. The Alabama girls’ team will be coached by Spain Park’s Mike Chase and Madison Academy’s Alissa Flowers. Cold Springs coach Tammy West will serve as the girls’ team administrative coach. The Alabama boys’ coaches Steve Ward of Huffman and Shumbe Hunter of Williamson. Thompson coach Dru Powell is the administrative coach. Headlining the boys’ squad are six players who will be on the court this week at the AHSAA State Basketball Championships, which got underway Feb. 26-27 with the 4A semifinals and 5A semifinals at Bill Harris Arena. Play continues March 1-6 with the Class 6A girls’ and boys’ semifinals at UAB’s Bartow Arena Monday and the Class 3A girls’ and boys’ semifinals at Bill Harris Arena. Class 7A semifinals will be Tuesday at Bartow Arena and Class 1A semifinals are set for Bill Harris Arena. The 6A and 7A championship games will be at Bartow Arena on Wednesday and the Class 2A semifinals will be at Bill Harris Arena. The remaining championship games will be held at Bill Harris Arena on Thursday (4A and 5A), Friday (3A and 1A) and Saturday (2A). Play begins each day at 9 a.m. Ramsay 6-foot-11 center KeShawn Murphy, Lee-Huntsville 6-6 guard Kaleb Brown, Calhoun 6-4 guard Jerdarrian “J.D.” Davison of Calhoun and Spain Park 6-3 guard Cameron Crawford highlight the players on the Alabama boys’ squad still competing in the state tourney. Murphy, a Mississippi State signee,led Ramsay to a 58-40 win over Sipsey Valley in the Class 5A semifinals Saturday. He had 18 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and several thunderous dunks in the win. Brown, a Missouri signee, had 10 points, including the first bucket the following his steal, as Lee beat Sylacauga 67-25. He left the game late in the first quarter after suffering a minor injury and as a precaution, did not return the game, said his coach and father Greg Brown. Lee and Ramsay meet in the Class 5A finals Thursday (4:30 p.m.) at Bill Harris Arena. Davison, an Alabama signee and MVP of the 2020 Class 2A state tourney, will be in the lineup for Calhoun at Bill Harris Arena on Wednesday in the semifinals against Midfield. Spain Park’s Crawford will be in action at Bartow Arena Tuesday when the Jaguars face Enterprise in the 7A semifinals at 4:30 p.m. Six girls selected to the Alabama All-Star squad are set to compete in this week’s State Tourney with three, Anniston guard Allasha Dudley, Mae Jemison guard Saniah Parker and Birmingham-Carver guard Randrea Wright each leading their teams semifinal wins at Bill Harris Arena over the weekend. Dudley sparked Anniston to s 50-34 win over Jackson on Friday in the 4A semifinals scoring 20 points, handing out two assists and totaling five steals. The Lady Bulldogs will play Rogers in the 4A finals at Bill Harris Arena at 9 a.m., Thursday. Parker and Wright will be leading their teams into the Class 5A finals at Bill Harris Arena Thursday at 2 p.m. Parker had a game-high 23 points and nine assists and also had 10 rebounds and six steals at the Jaguars beat defending state champion Charles Henderson 76-37 in the 5A semifinals Saturday. Wright had 23 points and five assists to lead the Rams past Marbury 70-40 in the other 5A semifinal. Also competing in the state tourney this week are all-star selections Grace Watson of defending 6A state champion Hazel Green, Nya Valentine of 6A McGill-Toolen Catholic and Amiya Payne of 7A semifinalist Hewitt-Trussville. Watson, a 6-0 forward and Delta State signee, and Valentine, a 5-3 point guard, go head-to-head at 9 a.m. in the semifinals Monday at Bartow Arena. Payne, a 6-0 guard heading to Middle Tennessee, will make her debut Tuesday at Bartow Arena when the Huskies take on Theodore at 2 p.m., in the 7A semifinals. Tennessee signee 6-3 center Karoline Striplin of Geneva County, also headlines the Alabama girls’ squad. Alabama’s girls won last year’s game at Mississippi 70-63, and the Alabama boys won 118-97. Alabama holds a 16-14 edge in both series, which date back to 1991. The teams include:
2021 Alabama All-Star Roster (Girls)
Player
School
Pos.
Ht
Maya Cunningham
Pleasant Grove
G
5’10
Allasha Dudley
Anniston
G
5’6
Saniah Parker
Mae Jemison
G
5’10
Amiya Payne
Hewitt-Trussville
G
6’0
Kaitlin Peterson
Eufaula
PG
5’8
Sara Puckett
Muscle Shoals
G
6’2
Jirah Rogers
East Limestone
P
6’1
Karoline Striplin
Geneva County
C
6’3
Nya Valentine
McGill-Toolen
PG
5’3
Jenna Walker
Priceville
PG
5’8
Grace Watson
Hazel Green
F
6’0
Randrea Wright
Carver – Birmingham
G
5’7
All-Star Coaches (Girls)
Mike Chase
Spain Park
Alissa Flowers
Madison Academy
Tammy West
Cold Springs (Administrative)
Team Trainer
DeShena Thomas
Encore Sports Medicine
2021 Alabama All-Star Roster (Boys)
Player
School
Pos.
Ht
Jordan Bell
Williamson
SF
6’4
Kaleb Brown
Lee – Huntsville
G
6’6
Cameron Crawford
Spain Park
G
6’3
Jerdarrian (J.D.) Davison
Calhoun
PG
6’4
Dwayne (D.J.) Fairley
Hoover
SG
6’2
Bryson Hall
Tuscaloosa County
SF
6’8
Grant Hopkins
Thompson
PG
6’0
Riley Leonard
Fairhope
G
6’4
Keshawn Murphy
Ramsay
F
6’11
Brody Peebles
Hartselle
G
6’3
Dawson Sarblah
Greenville
G
6’6
Rayquan Taylor
Carver – Montgomery
F
6’10
All-Star Coaches (Girls)
Steve Ward
Huffman
Shumbe Hunter
Williamson
Dru Powell
Thompson (Adminstrative)
Team Trainer
Christi Hurd
Encore Sports Medicine
Encore Sports Medicine is the Official Sports Medicine Provider for the Alabama High School Athletic Association!