Cal Sports Medicine Program

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Meet the Staff & Volunteers

Cal Sports Medicine Student Trainer Alumni

Our Mission Statement

The mission of the Sports Medicine Program at the University of California, Berkeley, is to provide systematic, multidisciplinary services that utilize advanced scientific and administrative practices to support student-athletes in the pursuit of optimal physiological and psychological health, personal development, and high performance.

Golden Bear student-athletes are privileged to be supported by one of the top medical staffs in college athletics, along with some of the most modern training and rehabilitation equipment in the country. The comprehensive program features state-of-the-art facilities, as well as a staff of acclaimed sports medicine practitioners.

Cal's athletic training facilities include more than 6,000-square feet, split between the Witter Complex Sports Medicine Facility and the Paul F. White Sports Medicine Complex at Haas Pavilion. Both facilities include rehabilitation space and equipment, hydrotherapy space and an extensive pre-practice preparation area, as well as physician examination areas. With both facilities operational year round, Cal Sports Medicine is able to serve the student-athletes in close proximity to their practice and competition sites.

In addition, Cal student-athletes also use University Health Services (UHS), which jointly with Intercollegiate Athletics oversees and coordinates sports medicine services to all injured or ailing Golden Bear athletes. UHS, housed in the Tang Center, is recognized as one of the largest and most comprehensive campus health service centers in the country. It provides access to physician clinics, laboratory services, X-ray and other ancillary services such as sports nutrition and counseling.

The expert staff of team physicians is led by Dr. Casey G. Batten. Dr. Batten was named Head Team Physician for Cal's athletic program in 2010, after serving as an Associate Physician since 2006. The staff features specialists from the fields of orthopedic surgery, family medicine, internal medicine, physiatry and podiatry, among others. The medical staff, with its diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise, has vast experience treating injured athletes at every level of competition, including Olympic and professional athletes.

Along with Head Team Physician Dr. Casey G. Batten, Cal's three associate team physicians provide medical care and event coverage for Golden Bear student-athletes. Dr. Brad Buchman is Medical Director of Cal's University Health Services, as well as a Cal alumnus and former Golden Bear on the gridiron from 1979-81. Dr. Jeff Nelson, a Cal grad and fellowship trained in sports medicine, has been a Team Physician and Staff Physician at University Health Services since 1998. Dr. Harris Masket, also a Cal alum, was Cal's post-graduate sports medicine intern before becoming the Chief of Urgent Care at UHS in 2006.

The staff psychologists who provide and coordinate counseling are Drs. Bill Coysh and Chris McLean.

In addition, the success of the sports medicine program would not be possible without the support and expertise of medical specialists in the community, representing all areas of sports medicine. More detailed information can be found on the web at CalBears.com under Inside Athletics/Sports Medicine, or linked above.

Cal's athletic training staff, led by Head Athletic Trainer Ryan Cobb and supported by administrative assistant Shelly Sharda and insurance coordinator Dan Westbrook, includes 15 certified athletic trainers and 30 sports medicine interns. The staff (see bio information linked above) tends to the day-to-day health care needs of Cal student-athletes in all sports, including the evaluation and treatment of injuries and illnesses. Rehabilitation of injuries is also the responsibility of the athletic training staff, with additional assistance from two experienced staff physical therapists. The athletic trainers provide coverage at home and away athletic contests, and practices are staffed on a full-time basis.

Whether it's for taping, physical therapy or the prompt recovery from an illness or injury, Golden Bear student-athletes have the full confidence that Cal's medical staff will provide the best care available with one of the most progressive treatment and rehabilitation programs in the country.