Aug. 6, 2024
Jess VanTroostenberghe to keep Bulldogs ready for peak performance as new Ferris State assistant athletic director for Sports Medicine
Jess VanTroostenberghe has been named Ferris State University’s assistant athletic director for Sports Medicine and will work to keep Bulldogs healthy for peak performance.
VanTroostenberghe, who will also be head athletic trainer, has been head athletic trainer at Big Rapids High School since 2014. She will lead a team of four full-time trainers on the Ferris State staff.
"Jess has been a great addition to our team and will play a major role in providing first-class care for our student-athletes," Athletic Director Steve Brockelbank said. "She has been well-respected in the community for her outstanding work at Big Rapids High School and we believe will have a big impact on the college level."
Athletic trainers work closely with athletes, coaches, and medical experts to improve athletes' physical condition and performance. Their duties include developing programs to prevent injuries and work with athletes to rehabilitate and recover from injuries.
During her time at BRHS, VanTroostenberghe provided athletic training services and daily care for freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams across 17 programs. She served as liaison with first responders in the community and enforced all Michigan High School Athletic Association policies regarding health and safety. She also provided treatment and designed rehab programs for injured student-athletes.
While with the Cardinals, VanTroostenberghe supervised and educated student workers. Her duties included monitoring the athletic training budget and working with sports medicine vendors for equipment and supplies.
VanTroostenberghe also served as a clinical athletic trainer for Evergreen Physical Therapy where she assisted with rehab programs and patient scheduling. She also provided athletic training services to local schools as needed, including Chippewa Hills, Crossroads, Morley-Stanwood and Big Rapids Middle School.
VanTroostenberghe worked as the head athletic trainer for the Grand Rapids Gazelle men's and women's rugby teams from 2016-18 and was the head athletic trainer at the College of Lake County on the junior college level from 2009-13.
She also worked as an athletic trainer for several other organizations, including the Northwestern University men's club hockey team and the Loyola University women's club hockey team, and Cardinal Stritch University.
Previously, VanTroostenberghe was a student athletic trainer at Adrian College and served as a intern at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit along with being an athletic training student at the University of Findlay.
She earned her bachelor's degree in exercise science (athletic training) from Adrian College in 2006 and a master's degree in athletic training at Findlay in 2009.