Fourteen women’s teams, 13 men’s teams, and one co-ed team make up the varsity athletic offerings at Arcadia. From the fields, to the courts, to the pool, student-athletes push themselves to their limits day in and day out. Sometimes, student-athletes need help staying at the top of their game, and that’s where the Arcadia Sport Performance team steps in.

The team of seven athletic trainers–one of whom is also a nutritionist–three strength and conditioning coaches, a mental health and performance coach, and a therapy dog takes pride in being able to help student-athletes through each facet of their journey.“We’ve been very fortunate that as we’ve added sports, we’ve been able to grow our staff size,” said Danielle Duffy, director of Sport Performance and head Athletic Trainer. “We realize it’s unique for a school our size, especially without football, to have a staff of this size, and we aim to do more than what is expected.”

With this staff, Duffy explains, the Sport Performance team can help student-athletes in preventing injuries before they happen, including partnering with the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program on injury prescreenings; treating injuries when they do happen; and helping with rehabilitation, most of which is done at Arcadia to help student-athletes better manage their time.

“When it comes to our staff, we care at a deep level about the student-athletes we work with,” Duffy said. 

Ya’Meer Thomas-Lowery ’25DPT is new to the Arcadia Sport Performance staff, but not to the University, as he recently graduated from the DPT program. Thomas-Lowery has worked for several sports organizations, including professional teams and high-level Division I programs. While he has learned a lot at each stop, he values the relationships he’s been able to build at Arcadia.

“Smaller Division III schools like Arcadia provide an experience where there isn’t too much business tied into the athletes,” he explained. “I get a chance to treat the entire person, and make sure these athletes are safe and healthy following sport. The relationships are more real and genuine.”

Thomas-Lowery also appreciates the resources provided to the Sport Performance team in order to help the student-athletes.

“Arcadia has the technology and assets of bigger universities right on our campus,” he said. “I get the chance to practice my skills gained in both physical therapy and athletic training in an environment that is open and accepting of new ideas.”

Duffy concurs, knowing that an open working environment helps the entire team.

“I think the diversity of our staff is one of our biggest strengths,” she said. “We come from different academic backgrounds, work experiences, and have different skill sets. When we share what we know with each other, it allows us all to be better clinicians.”

New to the team this year is Ranger, a therapy dog. Ranger is another tool for the Sport Performance team to help student-athletes with their mental health.

“In just a short time, we’ve seen the positive impact Ranger has had on our students, staff, and visitors,” Duffy said. “We are looking forward to having him on campus more often.”

For Duffy, Thomas-Lowery, and the rest of the staff, the job can be tough. But it’s the little things that help them continue on.

“It can sometimes be a struggle to turn the job off,” Duffy said. “But it’s worth it when you see an athlete return to sport after a long-term rehab after they were told a full return was in question; when there’s a closed-door conversation of someone asking for help or sharing something they’ve been hesitant to tell anyone; or when the wedding invitation comes years after a student graduates because they felt seen and heard while here on campus.”