University of Tennessee Athletics
The Toughest Opponent
November 04, 2009 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 4, 2009
By Chad Newman
Chad Newman, MS, LAT, ATC, PES, is Associate Athletic Trainer at the University of Tennessee. He can be reached at: jnewman@utk.edu.
"Remember the Alamo" is a famous phrase known to millions, but it holds a much different meaning for me than for most people. I will always remember the Alamo, because I was standing in front of that famous fort when I received a phone call that forever changed the way I define my job.
In March 2007, the University of Tennessee men's basketball team was in San Antonio for the NCAA Tournament. We had made the Sweet Sixteen, flying high in one of the most successful seasons in school history, and a lot of that success was due to standout guard Chris Lofton. The call informed me that he had failed an NCAA drug test.
Chris was the team's leader--the foundation of our success--and the news took me by surprise. I immediately thought there must be some other explanation besides street drugs or performance enhancers. When I found out I was right, that there was another explanation, I was even more shaken: Chris had cancer.
As athletic trainers, we're used to helping athletes through sprained ankles, broken bones, common colds, and countless other injuries and ailments. Cancer isn't something we usually have to think about--the people we work with are young, strong, and seemingly invincible. But as many thousands of Americans learn every year, cancer can strike anyone at any time.
My journey with Chris was unlike anything I had experienced before in my career. This article tells the story of Chris's battle and comeback, and shares what I learned about treating an athlete--body, mind, and soul--during one of the most difficult challenges life has to offer.
Click here to read the rest of the article at www.training-conditioning.com.
