University of Tennessee Athletics: Inside Tennessee

UT Athletic Training News

TeamEXCEL

The University of Tennessee Men's Athletic Department recognizes the unique needs and demands on the student-athlete. In response, Team Excel was created to strengthen the health and well-being of each student-athlete. This is accomplished through the provision of an array of integrated services addressing his or her physical, emotional, mental, educational and spiritual needs. This holistic approach to behavioral health services provides the student-athlete with the necessary skills to excel.

Wellness Education and In-Services

Through Team Excel, student-athletes are provided with wellness education via in-services and group discussions. Wellness topics are designed to educate the student-athlete on general issues that are most commonly encountered. Topics may include the dynamics of peer pressure, alcohol awareness and education, the social, emotional, and physical impact of substance abuse, appropriate supplement use, hygiene, nutrition, life-skills, prevention education, information on domestic violence and general health guidelines.

In addition, Team Excel staff are available to provide in-services for coaches and athletic department staff.

Primary Behavioral Health Services

Team Excel provides core services that include substance abuse and mental health treatment through a multi-disciplinary team. Referrals for these services are generated and coordinated through the Head Team Physician. The Head Team Physician facilitates the integration of services as needed. Depending on the unique needs of the student-athlete, specialists in these areas are utilized to provide assessments and subsequent services if indicated. This integrated system allows for each student-athlete's physical and behavioral health needs to be evaluated and treated simultaneously. Services may include interventions for stress reduction, anger management, grief counseling, substance abuse, and mental health treatment.

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Mission

The University of Tennessee Sports Medicine Department delivers traditional athletic training and sports medicine services to the student-athletes of The University of Tennessee. The services provided to the student-athlete can be divided into four areas:

Prevention of athletic injuries.
Recognition, evaluation, and treatment of athlete injuries and illnesses.
Rehabilitation and reconditioning of all injuries incurred by student athletes.
Health and wellness education.

Our goal is to provide the student athletes at UT with the best health care possible. In providing these services, the UT Sports Medicine staff strives to utilize the most efficient, proven and current technologies, including the best equipment available. Consistent with this goal, we aim to offer a health care system that is proactive in approach, reducing the risk of athletic injury for our student athletes; provide easily accessible sports medicine services that are responsive to the needs of the student-athlete; and facilitate injured student-athletes' safe return to participation in athletic competition as soon as possible.

Our philosophy is that the needs of the student athlete will always be the first consideration for all members of the sports medicine staff. The University of Tennessee Sports Medicine Department strives to be a program of recognized excellence in sports medicine. We will comply with the recommendations and guidelines as established by the NCAA Sports Medicine Committee, the Southeastern Conference, and the National Athletic Trainers' Association.

Vision Statement

It is the vision of the University of Tennessee Sports Medicine Department to provide the student-athletes of The University of Tennessee with the highest quality health care system available. We will strive to stay on the leading edge of knowledge and practices providing the most aggressive yet safe approaches to athlete health care.