The Capital Athletic Conference is proud to begin the second year of INTRODUCING ... features, highlighting members of the CAC family.  The first spotlight of the 2009-10 season is on York Assistant Athletic Trainer Allison Kunkel, who was instrumental in the Spartans winning a national award for community service from the NADIIIAA in 2008.

What is your background in the sports?  I am assistant athletic trainer at York College. I am entering my fifth fall season and sixth winter/spring season. I have my bachelor's degree in sports medicine from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. I will be completing my master's degree from Millersville University in Sport Management in December. Prior to York College I worked at East Allegheny High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I also did an internship with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the summer of 2002.

What is your favorite spot on campus?  I spend most of my time over in the Grumbacher Sport and Fitness Center which is a beautiful facility. My favorite spot on campus is actually on the main campus during the spring. The flowering trees at the center of campus are so beautiful and the willow trees that line the walking path along the creek, between the baseball and softball fields are gorgeous during the spring breezes. It's one of the prettiest campuses I've seen during the spring time.

Other than your team, what organization (s) do you participate in (on campus or off campus)?   Beyond the duties of athletic trainer, I am also the advisor for our Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). It has been amazing to work with the student-athletes off the field. I continue to be impressed with the amount of leadership so many of them posses. Our athletes work so hard to make SAAC successful and have a proven commitment to bettering the York Community. Last year the York College Athletic Department received the Jostens NADIIIAA Community Service Award in the category: Array of Projects and Activities. I'm very proud to have been a part of the community service projects our student-athletes have done. This award meant a lot to the department, not only has York College Athletics been recognized nationally for athletic talent, but now the impact the athletes have off the field has also been recognized nationally.

What is the most important societal issue facing college students?  I can only answer this based on my observations...There is a lot of pressure to succeed. Today's college students are involved in so many different things that pull them in several directions at once.  The demands are very high from professors, parents, and campus administrators. They are an extremely stressed and anxiety ridden generation.

What was your major in college, and what is the most important thing you learned in that discipline?  My education in sports medicine, which obviously helped build a foundation for everything I now do on a daily basis.  I learned to work hard at Pitt-Bradford and better understand that MY choices ultimately affected ME.  I learned to take responsibility for those choices good and bad and to grow from them as a person and a professional.

Other than your family members, who was the most influential person in your life?  I have two people that have been an important influence in my life beyond my family. A professor I had in undergrad at Pitt-Bradford, her name was Dr. Linda Lyman. She taught me to always think outside of the box and to never settle. We still keep in contact through e-mail and so many of her lessons are still with me today.
Second, when I first graduated Pitt-Bradford I worked in an outpatient physical therapy clinic in Pittsburgh while I worked on passing my athletic training certification exam. I worked with a physical therapist/ATC named Laura Winslow. Laura was amazing! She took so much time out of her daily work to teach me and improve my rehabilitation skills while building my confidence. She believed in my skills at a very difficult time in my professional career. I will always be grateful to her for that.

If you could give one piece of advice to elementary school children, what would that advice be?  Do not specialize in a sport too early! Take the time to play everything! Play sport for fun!!  I've seen too many talented athletes burn out who have played one sport for most of their lives. Also, specialization in one sport can lead to many serious overuse injuries to the adolescent population...and always wear sunscreen!

What is your favorite form of entertainment?  Believe it or not, I love to play video games! It is a mindless activity which I can do that truly lets me leave the day's stresses behind.

Outside of the Capital Athletic Conference, who or what is your favorite sports person or team?  I bleed blue and gold! I am a huge Pittsburgh Panther fan! (I live for March Madness!) It's my alma mater; you can't fault me for that!

Name three (3) people, real or fictional, living or dead, that you'd like to have dinner with.
Kevin Carroll is an author and catalyst for sport for social change. He has an unbelievable story and he is one of my inspirations. I would love to talk to him about his life and his experiences. Check out his book " The Rules of the Red Rubber Ball".
Jennifer Robertson is also an assistant athletic trainer at YCP. I often joke that I can't remember my life at York College without her. She has been such a great asset to our staff her but her true impact has been in my personal life. She is one of my best friends and I can't imagine my life without her. Anytime I can have dinner with her, I will!
John Mayer is my favorite musician. I often feel that he has expressed lyrically many thoughts I've had in my own head over the years. I would love to have a conversation over dinner with him.