Sherman Howze, ATC
Head Athletic Trainer
Dalton State College
Hamilton Sports Medicine
Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training ’11
I love the feeling of helping athletes physically, mentally and spiritually. I like to help turn their bad days into good or not-so-bad ones that usually start with a smile.
-Sherman Howze ’11
Sherman Howze says his path to becoming an award-winning athletic trainer started with an injury.
“Like most athletic trainers, I suffered an injury in high school, and my athletic trainer also attended the University of Mobile. I admired my athletic trainer because she went above and beyond her call of duty to take care of us, and I wanted to follow in her footsteps,” he said.
Today, this University of Mobile graduate is the head athletic trainer at Dalton State College in Georgia.
“A fun fact about myself and my job is that the college I work for is in the same conference as the University of Mobile. We compete against UM in every sport, and I am always torn on who to root for. I usually clap every time both teams do something great,” Sherman says.
About UM’s Master of Athletic Training
When Sherman graduated from UM in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training, he was fully prepared for the rigorous Board of Certification Exam that earned him the credentials of Certified Athletic Trainer.
Since then, the standard for entry into the athletic training profession has become a master’s degree, so UM’s athletic training program expanded. Now, undergraduate or transfer students at UM may earn a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a Pre-Athletic Training Concentration.
UM bachelor’s degree graduates and those from other universities who meet the qualifications may apply to UM’s Master of Athletic Training program. Applications are being accepted through May 1 for the upcoming cohort. Classes begin in June.
Both Master of Athletic Training and Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology programs are offered through UM’s School of Health and Sports Science in the College of Health Professions.
Learn more about the Master of Athletic Training program at UM and apply at umobile.edu/master-of-athletic-training. Or click here to go directly to the online application portal and start the application process.
Q&A with Sherman Howze
Sherman has worked as an athletic trainer in the collegiate setting for more than 12 years, earning a master’s degree in kinesiology along the way. He joined the Roadrunner Sports Medicine staff at Dalton State College in 2014 and was elevated to the position of head athletic trainer in 2016.
Q. What are some highlights in your career so far?
A. have served two terms as the Chair Athletic Trainer of the SSAC, two stints with the NAIA Athletic Trainers’ Association, and currently serve on the Intercollegiate Council for Sports Medicine (ICSM) of the NATA. I was blessed to be named SSAC Athletic Trainer of the Year in 2016-17 and in 2022, I received the Champ Baker Jr. Young Professional Leadership Award. I am also a massage therapist.
Q. Tell us about your job.
A. Athletic trainers, also known as ATs, specialize in managing, preventing and recovering injured athletes. Athletic trainers are often the first medical professionals on the scene after an injury. Athletic trainers collaborate with doctors to provide emergency and follow-up care and develop injury prevention and treatment programs for injured athletes.
Athletic trainers also provide a vital communication link between the injured athlete, the physician, the coach and sometimes the athlete’s family to determine when it’s right to return to practice and competition.
Q. What do you love about your work?
A. I love the feeling of helping athletes physically, mentally and spiritually. I like to help turn their bad days into good or not-so-bad ones that usually start with a smile.
One main reason I love athletic training is that there is no typical day. Sometimes I may work 16 hours and have 50 patient interactions; sometimes, I may work 4 hours with four patient interactions.
Q. MAT program faculty in the School of Health and Sports Science say you have encouraged students to pursue the MAT at UM. What do you tell students?
A. I tell them the truth. I tell them that the athletic training program was challenging and there would be good and bad days, but you would be second to none once they left the program. The MAT program led by Dr. Melissa Thomas and Dr. Megan Harper will produce excellent athletic trainers, and I want to do my part in helping student athletic trainers find a great home where they can learn and thrive.
Also, I love to brag about how great UM is. I tell them about the good times I had while in college. I brag about how many people were willing to help me in any way.
Q. What is something you are passionate about?A. I am very passionate about helping people, especially young people. They will run the world one day, and I want to say that I lent a hand to help them out. When graduating from the University of Mobile, (then-president) Dr. Mark Foley told us to go out and change the world, which is my daily goal.
Kathy Dean uses her passion for storytelling and “playing with words” to share the stories of people, place and purpose that make the University of Mobile unique. As associate vice president for university communications, she manages media relations, edits the TorchLight alumni magazine, and oversees university communications. A former award-winning journalist, she is a two-time recipient of the Baptist Communicators Association grand prize for feature writing. Kathy and her husband, Chuck, live with three extremely loud miniature schnauzers.