Swimming Salutes Athletic Trainer Abby Solis
March 31, 2020 | Swimming & Diving
Checking in with the Cards' first year athletic trainer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- As National Athletic Training Month winds down, the University of Louisville swimming and diving team salutes their athletic trainer, Abigail Solis for her hard work and dedication that helped the Cardinals be prepared for their record setting run at the ACC Championships in Greensboro, N.C.
Background:Â
Abigail Solis joined the University of Louisville staff in the spring of 2019 as the athletic trainer for the Cardinals men's and women's swimming and diving team. She comes to the Ville from the University of Pittsburgh where she was a graduate assistant for Pitt's men's and women's swimming and diving teams. There she managed the health and well-being of Division I student athletes working with team physicians, counselors, and psychiatrist while collaborating with nutritionists, and strength coaches.
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While in graduate school, she was a research assistant at Pitt's Neuromuscular Research Lab and at George Mason's SMART Lab, where she studied concussions. She also served as a teaching assistant in the School of Health and Rehab Science, assisting with strength and conditioning course for undergraduate athletic training students. As a student, she gained experience working as an athletic trainer with the Washington Redskins, Advanced Kinetics Physical Therapy, and served as an athletic trainer at Georgetown University, Osbourn High School in Virginia, Park View High School in Sterling, Va., and Woodson High School in Washington, D.C. She worked at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla, where she served as a post-graduate athletic trainer at a 250-acre sports facility that accommodates more than 60 sports and has nine venues. She added experience in her field by staffing events such as the Steel City Freeze Volleyball Camps, Hoop Group Jam Fest and Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic. She did her undergraduate work at George Mason University where she graduated in 2016 with a bachelor of science in athletic training. She earned her masters of science in sports medicine at the University of Pittsburgh in April of 2019
Checking in with Abby:Â
Q: What are you doing with yourself during your free time?Â
A: I have been running, hiking, reading, watching Netflix, and FaceTiming friends and family. During this crazy time, I have found that staying active is most important to not go crazy.Â
Q: What have you binged watched, hobbies, done in your free time since the quarantine
A: I have been watching Ozark on Netflix -- Season 3 just came out last week. Also, I have been reading. I like to read books that are also movies, right now I am reading The Goldfinch.Â
Q: How are you continuing to treat or rehab players remotely? Â
A: Amy, our other ATC for swim and dive, and I have sent out a shoulder prehab program as well as some lower extremity activation exercises to the team. I am always available via phone, text, and email for anything they may need. It has been interesting adjusting to doing my job from afar as Athletic Training and a very hands-on profession.Â
Q: Your impressions on the spring season up to this point?
A: The spring season up to this point has brought on a lot of unanswered questions. Since everyday life is ever-changing this is really testing the adaptability of these student athletes.Â
Q: What do you miss most about being on campus?
A: I miss seeing the fellow Sports Med/Athletic Department staff. As well I miss seeing the student athletes everyday. I love going to work and helping these athletes succeed, so it is hard being away from that environment for an extended period of time.Â
Q: Have you been keeping in contact  with the team through all of this and how?
A: The Swim and Dive team has been using the team GroupMe to keep in touch. Sharing of workouts, prehab plans, etc. I have talked with many of the student athlete to ensure they made it home safely as there are many internationals and student athletes from far away.Â
Q: What is your favorite memory of this season?
A: My favorite memory of this season was the Kentucky meet. I really enjoyed being introduced to the rivalry and seeing the support for the team by family, friends, the community and other student athletes.Â
Q: What is your favorite memory as a Cardinal? Â
A: My favorite memory as a Cardinal so far is going to Summer Nationals in California last summer. The trip was right after I started working at Louisville and I really enjoyed getting to know the team that way. Being in nice weather at Stanford wasn't so bad either!Â
Q: What are your thoughts on spring season being canceled?
A: It feels like a bad dream. It is like one those things you are naïve about and you think "oh that will never happen to us". The amount of people affected by this is endless. However, people have to understand that it is the best decision in the long run for the health and safety of the student athlete. Even though it is the hard decision.Â
Q: If you could say something to the basketball players/swimmers/indoor track athletes who did not get a senior season back and missed their championship what would it be?
A: The thought of the swimmers and divers missing championships is heart-wrenching. I watch these kids train day after day and they are all so passionate. The current situation is something that no one ever could have imagined, but my advice, and what the swim and dive team has done a good job doing, is supporting one another and staying connected with a common goal of coming back stronger than ever.Â
Q: What would you say to the spring sports who lost a whole season? Â
A: For the spring student athletes, I think it is important to understand that this is a time to take a step back and hit reset. To spend time studying your sport, mentally preparing, reconnecting with family/friends (virtually, of course). Athletics are a large percentage of these elite SA's identity, so having that ripped away from you is indescribable, but it is important to take time to improve yourself each day rather than have it bring you down. When I played softball growing up one of my coaches, Denise Davis, s used to say "1% better each day". I think that resonates well with the current times. Do what you can with what you have and where you are to improve each day.Â
Q: How have people in your family been directly affected by the virus?
A: My biggest worry is how it could affect both of my grandmothers, they are in their 80s. Luckily, both of them live close to family who can assist with groceries and making sure they do not have to go outside and be exposed.
Background:Â
Abigail Solis joined the University of Louisville staff in the spring of 2019 as the athletic trainer for the Cardinals men's and women's swimming and diving team. She comes to the Ville from the University of Pittsburgh where she was a graduate assistant for Pitt's men's and women's swimming and diving teams. There she managed the health and well-being of Division I student athletes working with team physicians, counselors, and psychiatrist while collaborating with nutritionists, and strength coaches.
Â
While in graduate school, she was a research assistant at Pitt's Neuromuscular Research Lab and at George Mason's SMART Lab, where she studied concussions. She also served as a teaching assistant in the School of Health and Rehab Science, assisting with strength and conditioning course for undergraduate athletic training students. As a student, she gained experience working as an athletic trainer with the Washington Redskins, Advanced Kinetics Physical Therapy, and served as an athletic trainer at Georgetown University, Osbourn High School in Virginia, Park View High School in Sterling, Va., and Woodson High School in Washington, D.C. She worked at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla, where she served as a post-graduate athletic trainer at a 250-acre sports facility that accommodates more than 60 sports and has nine venues. She added experience in her field by staffing events such as the Steel City Freeze Volleyball Camps, Hoop Group Jam Fest and Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic. She did her undergraduate work at George Mason University where she graduated in 2016 with a bachelor of science in athletic training. She earned her masters of science in sports medicine at the University of Pittsburgh in April of 2019
Checking in with Abby:Â
Q: What are you doing with yourself during your free time?Â
A: I have been running, hiking, reading, watching Netflix, and FaceTiming friends and family. During this crazy time, I have found that staying active is most important to not go crazy.Â
Q: What have you binged watched, hobbies, done in your free time since the quarantine
A: I have been watching Ozark on Netflix -- Season 3 just came out last week. Also, I have been reading. I like to read books that are also movies, right now I am reading The Goldfinch.Â
Q: How are you continuing to treat or rehab players remotely? Â
A: Amy, our other ATC for swim and dive, and I have sent out a shoulder prehab program as well as some lower extremity activation exercises to the team. I am always available via phone, text, and email for anything they may need. It has been interesting adjusting to doing my job from afar as Athletic Training and a very hands-on profession.Â
Q: Your impressions on the spring season up to this point?
A: The spring season up to this point has brought on a lot of unanswered questions. Since everyday life is ever-changing this is really testing the adaptability of these student athletes.Â
Q: What do you miss most about being on campus?
A: I miss seeing the fellow Sports Med/Athletic Department staff. As well I miss seeing the student athletes everyday. I love going to work and helping these athletes succeed, so it is hard being away from that environment for an extended period of time.Â
Q: Have you been keeping in contact  with the team through all of this and how?
A: The Swim and Dive team has been using the team GroupMe to keep in touch. Sharing of workouts, prehab plans, etc. I have talked with many of the student athlete to ensure they made it home safely as there are many internationals and student athletes from far away.Â
Q: What is your favorite memory of this season?
A: My favorite memory of this season was the Kentucky meet. I really enjoyed being introduced to the rivalry and seeing the support for the team by family, friends, the community and other student athletes.Â
Q: What is your favorite memory as a Cardinal? Â
A: My favorite memory as a Cardinal so far is going to Summer Nationals in California last summer. The trip was right after I started working at Louisville and I really enjoyed getting to know the team that way. Being in nice weather at Stanford wasn't so bad either!Â
Q: What are your thoughts on spring season being canceled?
A: It feels like a bad dream. It is like one those things you are naïve about and you think "oh that will never happen to us". The amount of people affected by this is endless. However, people have to understand that it is the best decision in the long run for the health and safety of the student athlete. Even though it is the hard decision.Â
Q: If you could say something to the basketball players/swimmers/indoor track athletes who did not get a senior season back and missed their championship what would it be?
A: The thought of the swimmers and divers missing championships is heart-wrenching. I watch these kids train day after day and they are all so passionate. The current situation is something that no one ever could have imagined, but my advice, and what the swim and dive team has done a good job doing, is supporting one another and staying connected with a common goal of coming back stronger than ever.Â
Q: What would you say to the spring sports who lost a whole season? Â
A: For the spring student athletes, I think it is important to understand that this is a time to take a step back and hit reset. To spend time studying your sport, mentally preparing, reconnecting with family/friends (virtually, of course). Athletics are a large percentage of these elite SA's identity, so having that ripped away from you is indescribable, but it is important to take time to improve yourself each day rather than have it bring you down. When I played softball growing up one of my coaches, Denise Davis, s used to say "1% better each day". I think that resonates well with the current times. Do what you can with what you have and where you are to improve each day.Â
Q: How have people in your family been directly affected by the virus?
A: My biggest worry is how it could affect both of my grandmothers, they are in their 80s. Luckily, both of them live close to family who can assist with groceries and making sure they do not have to go outside and be exposed.
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