GetToKnowLauraRamus
Welcome to New York. What made you decide to join the Liberty?
I love working in the WNBA and New York is one of the original franchises. Theres no better WNBA city to be in.In your tenure with the Detroit Shock, what was your most memorable moment against the Liberty?
Of course I will always remember the wins to knock the Liberty out of the playoffs (dont get mad at me, Libs fans). But, my most memorable moment was in The Garden - when I was warming up the team, one of the NY Liberty fans called me out. No other fans in the WNBA call out the Athletic Trainer, typically they call out the players and coaches. That was great!
You've been in the league since 1999. Outside of the current players, who is your all-time favorite Liberty player and why?
Sue Wicks - loved her hard-nosed game.
Who is your all-time favorite WNBA player?
Deanna Nolan Shes the Greatest Female Athlete I have ever trained.
Being an athletic trainer is a difficult job. What is the most challenging part of it? What do you love the most?
Most difficult / challenging part is watching a player suffer a serious injury. I love working with some of the greatest female athletes in the world.
What will you expect from the Liberty players when they get into camp? What should they expect from you?
I expect the players to give 100% to conditioning and rehab programs with me. From me, they should expect an Athletic Trainer that has one goal - Winning Championships. My role is to make each player the best / healthiest athlete they can possibly be. I'm a teacher - in this case I will teach each athlete how unique their human body is and how to take care of it and get the most out of it. If each athlete fulfills this, we can win a Championship here in New York.
What qualities are essential to be a great athletic trainer?
First and foremost, you have to be willing to be dedicated to your career. This includes LONG work days and often working 7 days a week. In the WNBA there are no such things as weekends or holidays. Its either a game day or practice day. Second, you have to be continuously willing to learn new techniques and methods. Medicine is continually changing and this especially true in Sports Medicine. You must constantly read and stay up to date on the latest techniques to prevent and treat injuries.
What advice would you give to an aspiring ATC?
My advice to all coming into the Athletic Training profession is to continually make yourself available to any work or volunteer opportunity you have in sports. The more contacts you make, the more opportunity you have to learn new methods and you just never know what person you work with that may help you land that pro, college or Olympics job down the road.
You have been able to spend some time with the Liberty coaching staff. What are your observations so far?
I have been here about a week with the coaching staff. I know Coach Whiz and his staff from their days in Sacramento. They are an experienced WNBA staff who knows what it takes to win. I really look forward to being part of this team
What is important for fans to know about you?
I have been a Sports Physical Therapist for 25 years and a Certified Athletic Trainer for 22 years. During this time I have worked with Professional Athletes in the WNBA, NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB. I was a trainer for the USA Paralympic Swim Team in 1994 and an Athletic Trainer in the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996. Of all of these experiences, my passion is still dedicated to preventing ACL injuries in the Female Athlete through my company "Girls Can JUMP."