Hokie Club
Editor's note: Every Wednesday throughout the offseason, we'll catch up with volleyball support staff for five questions.
Kelsey DeShambo | Athletic Trainer
Q: Where did you go to college and how did you end up at Tech?
DESHAMBO: "I did my undergrad at Michigan State and I'm from the East Lansing area, so I was right at home. I got my degree in athletic training and then I came here to Virginia Tech and got my master's in information technology curriculum in 2017. Then I went to Ohio State and did a year with its softball team and now I'm back here."
Q: What was it like working with softball and its 50-plus game season?
DESHAMBO: "This past year at Ohio State was my first full season and it was exhausting, but it was really awesome. We went to a lot of fun places and the girls were awesome. I loved traveling and seeing all the different colleges and how things are set up in different places."
Q: How does Columbus compare to Blacksburg?
DESHAMBO: "It is way bigger. Columbus is like the second-biggest city in Ohio and it is definitely different with traffic, you have to plan your day out differently. But I prefer the smaller, college town and everyone knows everyone, which is more similar to East Lansing. My parents live about a mile away from Michigan State's campus. So, we knew all about the campus and Blacksburg is very similar."
Q: Growing up did you play sports?
DESHAMBO: "I played basketball and soccer in high school and then once I got to college I focused more on athletic training. I've known since probably my sophomore year of high school that I've wanted to work in athletic training. I had a really awesome athletic trainer in high school and I would help her out during football season. She is definitely my inspiration for getting into athletic training."
Q: What would be your takeaway so far with working at different Power Five schools in terms of athletic training practices?
DESHAMBO: "I think it has been interesting to see how everyone works with their team. We are all in the athletic training team, besides basketball, but they come down often, so it's great to learn from other people. I've learned some cool rehab exercises and I've talked to someone right next to me about how they treated an injury or what they've had success with. I think that has been really good for me here, that we are all in the same athletic training room and we are basically a family.
"But I'm excited to work with my new sport in volleyball. I didn't really play it growing up so it will be new to me, but the last couple weeks we've had camps and I have learned a lot. The girls have been teaching me, which has been great. I played 2-on-6 with Tom [Amberg] the other day at camp versus the little kids and I was exhausted afterward (laughing)."