Exercise and sports science is not a major for students who are not morning people. The department rarely offers courses after 11 a.m. to make sure students' schedules do not conflict with athletic practice schedules.
Once a week, Slatky's day begins before his first class even starts. At 7 a.m. he enters the Kenan Stadium training room to treat any injuries a football player might have.
When classes are over, Slatky returns to the training room at 4 p.m., two hours before the team begins practice.
His main responsibility is to lend a hand to the team's 26 defensive backs, from easing a strained neck muscle with an ultrasound and taping ankles to providing rehabilitation to players with more serious injuries. "We're here to learn," he said. "This is like class for me."
On game days, Slatky puts this knowledge to use. And while he might have the best seat in the house at football games, Slatky said he cannot relax during what he calls "organized chaos."
He makes sure the players are hydrated while keeping an eye on the action to spot potential injuries. "Our goal is not to miss anything, because that means someone's playing with (an injury) that might get worse," he said.
Due to the demands of football, Slatky said he would get in about 500 clinical hours this fall. More than 200 of those were earned in just the pre-season when he tackled 12- to 14-hour workdays, six days a week.
For Styers, who is juggling a full course load and clinical hours while in the middle of writing her senior thesis, the schedule does not leave room for much else. "A lot of times, I feel stressed out, but, at the same time, I'm being productive," she said.
Styers will accumulate more than 300 hours this semester at Cary Academy, a private school for grades six through 12. She drives there four days a week to attend games and practices for all the school's fall sports.
At the school, her hours are occupied by four main aspects of athletic training. "Prevention, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries - those are the big things that we do," she said.
Student trainers can take an exam in the spring of their senior year that will qualify them as certified athletic trainers.
Styers said she hopes to receive her certification in April. Right now, she is applying to physical therapy schools to earn her master's degree.
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While she admits easing strains and forming rehabilitation plans are challenging and time-consuming, Styers said the major is a great way to combine her love of sports with her interest in medicine and physical therapy.
"It's a wonderful experience," she said. "But you have to know that's what you want to do."
Slatky echoed her sentiment. "This is a fun job. Here, we're learning what we'll be doing for the rest of our lives."
The Features Editor can be reached at features@unc.edu.
