Delta State University

Katherine Kratzer enters her first season as an assistant athletic trainer for Delta State University athletics. Kratzer joins the #DSUFamily after completing her Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Troy University.
 
Kratzer completed a full-immersion internship with Delta State Athletics in the spring of 2021, where she worked primarily with the men’s and women’s basketball programs under the supervision of the Assistant Athletic Director for Health and Sports Performance, Abby Havard. Under Havard’s supervision, she performed evaluations of injuries to the back, knee, ankle, head, and thumb, and stated her clinical impression. She also formulated rehabilitation plans for injured athletes.
 
While at Troy, Kratzer worked rotations with the Troy Trojans football team, women’s basketball team, and the men’s and women’s golf teams. 
 
She observed on-field evaluations with orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Dugas, and his Sports Medicine fellows from Andrews Sports Medicine with the football team, and gained experience through observations of concussion protocols with the women’s basketball team while performing day-to-day athletic training functions. 
 
A native of Montgomery, Ala., Kratzer also worked with the Goshen High School football team and the Luverne High School football team, where she observed evaluations and assisted with first aid and hydration of athletes. 
 
She was named a James A. Whiteside, M.D. Eminent Scholar by the Troy Athletic Training program in 2020, was named to the Provost’s List in the Fall and Spring semesters of 2017 and 2018, the fall of 2019, and the fall and spring semesters of 2020 and 2021, and served as the Athletic Training Club Vice President. 
 
Kratzer is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, the Southeast Athletic Trainers’ Association, and the Alabama Athletic Trainers’ Association, and had the opportunity to organize and coordinate Tory Lindley’s, former NATA president, presentation to Troy University’s Athletic Training club on emotional intelligence in the athletic training setting.
 
Kratzer is pursuing a Master of Science in Exercise Science from Delta State University.