JASON NOVICK
SPORTS  REPORTER

In order to complete the requirements for their degrees, students in
York University’s kinesiology program double as therapists for the
Hawks.

Marcelo Cuenca, a fifth-year student in York’s kinesiology program,
is in his second-year as an athletic therapist.

He works with the Humber’s men’s volleyball and women’s soccer squads.

Students in the first year of the program work with the York Lions’ varsity
squads, but second years are usually assigned to other schools’ teams.

Cuenca’s ultimate goal is to work for a pro team. “I have no real sports
preference,” he said. “But my dream job is probably Toronto FC, because
I love soccer.”

He said the aspirations of others in his program include pro sports, semipro
sports, or working in clinics.

Molon Bromfield, a York University student therapist in the same program
as Cuenca, works with the men’s basketball and rugby teams.

While he is trained in everything from basic first aid to life-saving techniques, he said his style is to try and prevent injuries from happening in the first place.

“I do as much as I can,” Bromfield said. “I try to get them involved in a
dynamic warm-up, and of course after practice – cool down. Also, there’s
a fitness program that we have. It involves a little bit of weightlifting, and
they’re encouraged to do that at least three times a week. Outside of that,
I encourage them to eat healthy, rest well and spend some time working on
flexibility.”

Through all the injuries he has suffered,second-year Hawks rugby player
Mike Muto recalls the pain of injuring his ribs during a game against
Mohawk the most.

But he said the therapists were there to help.

“They were able to put a compression pad on and wrap me up to hold
my ribs back to where they’re supposed
to be,” he said.

Muto said therapists are important to the teams.

“They help us all the time; I’m in the athletic therapy clinic three times
a week,” he says. “They do everything to help us get better physically.”