Athletic Training Department

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The Virginia Commonwealth University Athletic Training Department provides injury prevention, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation for all 14 of VCU’s intercollegiate athletic teams.

The Main Athletic Training Room is located in the Sports Medicine Building. Opened in July of 2001, this state of the art facility is where student-athletes come to utilize the latest in rehabilitation techniques and equipment that includes a SwimEx Therapy Pool. The training room also serves as a clinical lab site for the Athletic Training Education Program. Also located in the Sports Medicine Building is the VCU Sports Medicine Center. Under the direction of George Borden, Director of Sports Medicine, this clinic houses VCU’s team physicians and a sports medicine physical therapy clinic.

VCU Athletic Training also operates a satellite training room located in the Stuart C. Siegel Center. This training room is used primarily for pre-practice and game preparation of the basketball and volleyball teams.

VCU’s Atheltic Training staff consists of three full-time Certified Athletic Trainers and four Graduate Assistant/Intern Athletic Trainers.

Head Men’s Athletic Trainer Todd Craft came to VCU in 1991 after completing his master’s degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Craft earned his undergraduate degree from Ohio University in 1989, majoring in Athletic Training.

He is certified as an Athletic Trainer by the NATA and is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach by the NSCA. For his first eight years at VCU, Todd was the only full-time staff trainer.

Wendy Sheppard joined the VCU Athletic Department in 2006, and serves as the Head Athletic Trainer for Women’s Sports. In addition to her duties with men's and women's soccer, she oversees the care of each VCU athletic team, focusing on women’s sports.

Prior to her appointment at VCU, Sheppard enjoyed a successful three-year stint (2003-2006) with the semi-professional Richmond Kickers of the USL’s Second Division. Sheppard worked as the head athletic trainer for the Kickers, supervising and administering treatment, physicals and rehabilitation for the team.

From 2001-2003 Sheppard served as an athletic trainer for Chesterfield Physical Therapy in Richmond. Her workload there included serving as the head athletic trainer for James River High School. She was also the head athletic trainer for Trinity Episcopal School in 2001.

Sheppard has also volunteered as the athletic trainer for the Jefferson Cup Soccer Tournament in 2004-05, as well as the USA National Field Hockey Festival in 2003-04.

A native of Richmond, Sheppard earned her B.S. in Health Education from VCU in 1998 and her M.S. in Sports Administration from Austin Peay State University in 2000.

Nicole Stevens joined the VCU athletic department in 2007 and serves as the Head Athletic Trainer for Women’s Basketball. Stevens previously worked with VCU as an athletic training intern from 2004-2006.

Prior to her most recent appointment, Stevens spent the 2006-2007 season at West Point (Va.) High School as head athletic trainer. While working with West Point High School, Stevens also served as an exercise specialist at Tidewater Physical Therapy, Inc. in Williamsburg, Va.

Prior to working as an intern on the VCU athletic training staff, Stevens spent four years as a student assistant at Campbell University and spent four summers working at various summer sports camps.

Stevens earned her B.S. in Exercise Science from Campbell University in 2004 and her M.S. in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from California University of Pennsylvania in 2006.

VCU’s athletic training staff also works closely with Strength and Conditioning Coach, Tim Kontos, regarding rehabilitation and nutritional issues.

The Sports Medicine Building Training Room is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Weekend hours are by appointment only or determined by the home event schedule. Additional information can be obtained by calling 804-828-2321.