UW-Stevens Point graduate student helping to keep Milwaukee Brewers in the game

An internship with the Milwaukee Brewers has helped University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point graduate student Logan Lutz obtain his goal of bettering the lives of athletes.

Logan Lutz, a student in the Master's of Athletic Training program, knew early on he wanted to pursue the practice after physical therapy helped him get through sports in high school. He saw the value in physical and psychological healing with the help of his athletic trainers.

"I felt like the athletic trainers mentally helped me get through my injury and back to playing much quicker than I would have thought," said Lutz. "That was something special and such a good connection I didn't know you could have with somebody."

Having both an undergraduate and master's program all at the same institution along with a familiarity of campus from family members that went to UW-Stevens Point were large factors in Lutz's decision to attend at UWSP.

Now in his second year of his master's degree, Lutz has worked his way up to training patients of a high athletic caliber. From emergency-based work through multiple high school sports to clinic and rehabilitation training at the university level, he was grateful to receive the opportunity to work with the Brewers.

Lutz originally did not consider the internship. With the conflict of the placement in Milwaukee and in-person classes in Stevens Point, he was unsure of how or if it could even be doable from across the state. However, Professor Danelle Smith knew Lutz was from the Milwaukee area and that he wanted to work in professional sports, so she was willing to help him make this goal a reality.

"My professors all set me up for this opportunity," said Lutz. "They always have meetings with their students to discuss their goals, find opportunities for them and allow the freedom for us to learn and provide any opportunity they can."

Willing to be flexible to make this dream happen, he resides in Milwaukee to aid the Brewers during home stretches and connects virtually for classes and returns to Stevens Point while they travel.

"Logan has shown he would be responsible enough to handle the demands on his time and strive to be the person the Brewers were looking to help mentor," said Smith. "He was the first student I thought of that would be a great fit and get the most from this experience."

Lutz says the experience working for the Brewers differs greatly from his previous roles in high schools and university settings. "The biggest thing is seeing everything from a whole other perspective. I have the foundations and basic skill sets, but going off to another place at that level gives you another sense of knowledge and way of thinking."

The most noticeable difference he has seen in his internship is how social and personalized the training with the players is.

"At the high school level, you are seeing different athletes every day and doing a lot of diagnosing, evaluating and getting them ready to play," said Lutz. "Now I work with the same athlete throughout the whole day, assisting with whatever they need and getting to know how they work on a deeper, individual level."

Guiding his internship, he works with a full-time medical staff consisting of four athletic trainers. "The Brewers are very educational based with their interns," said Lutz. "I have Zoom meetings with the athletic trainer during the away stretches to go over educational classes."

Lutz says a big advantage to advancing in the field was his own athletic experience. He currently runs on UWSP's cross country and track teams. He feels being an athlete has helped his mindset as an athletic trainer and improved his clinical experience.

For students hoping to pursue a similar path, he said, "Observe first, work hard and spend your time wisely."

Lutz aspires to continue working for the Brewers or in the minor league system after graduation.

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