Care That Shows Up When It Matters Most

During National Athletic Training Month, we’re proud to spotlight Meghan Neffendorf, 2025 NAIA Athletic Trainer of the Year and Certified Athletic Trainer at LSU Shreveport, a steady presence whose work often happens quietly, but whose impact lasts far beyond a single game.

Meghan’s path into athletic training began long before college. As a multi-sport athlete in high school, she watched her basketball coach, the one who taped ankles before games, prepare to leave. Wanting to help, she learned how to tape and started bringing a small bag of supplies to every game.

“I always wanted to be in the medical field,” she said. “So, I combined that with my love for sports and my desire to help others.”

That combination became her calling.

Today, Meghan describes “care” in simple but powerful terms: “Care to me is built on the relationship and trust that is created with your student-athletes. It’s their overall health and well-being, being there for them in their time of need, both mentally and physically.”

That trust shows up in everyday moments, rehab sessions, injury evaluations, hard conversations, and sometimes in emergencies.

During a conference baseball tournament hosted at LSU Shreveport, a player from the opposing team attempted a bunt and took the ball directly to his face. He drifted in and out of consciousness and was visibly scared. Meghan stepped in immediately, stabilizing him and helping him through the situation.

“Luckily, everything was good,” she said. But what stayed with her was what happened next. The following day, the student-athlete and his mother sought her out to express their thanks. Years later, whenever their teams compete, he still finds her to say hello.

In that moment, uniforms didn’t matter. Care did.

Meghan is quick to point out that athletic training is rarely about one dramatic event. It’s about consistency. It’s about the daily responsibility of prevention, rehabilitation, administration, emergency response, and communication. It’s about collaboration.

When difficult decisions arise, like whether a student-athlete is physically ready to return, she works in partnership with physicians and coaches, communicating clearly and advocating for the athlete’s long-term well-being. “Communication,” she says, “is the key to any successful environment and care plan.”

If she had to describe her role in one word?

“VITAL.”

Not because she stands in the spotlight, but because she stands in the gap, between injury and recovery, between frustration and reassurance, between urgency and wisdom.
She also keeps a sewing kit and a tiny tool kit in her training bag. Because sometimes leadership looks like fixing a zipper minutes before first pitch.

When reflecting on her career, Meghan doesn’t point to a single defining moment. Instead, she credits every job, every colleague, and every student-athlete for shaping her into the athletic trainer she is today. Growth, like healing, happens over time.

GPAC Why Her Story Matters

As the national leader in education-based athletics, the NAIA creates a foundation where academics and athletics thrive together, The Right Way to Play.

That foundation depends on professionals like Meghan.

They build trust with student-athletes.
They collaborate with coaches and physicians.
They advocate for long-term well-being.
They ensure competition never comes at the expense of care.

Behind every highlight is a network of people protecting futures.

That’s not just support.

That’s leadership.

And that’s The Right Way to Play®.

Athletic Trainer Meghan Neffendorf