We were excited to partner with Tates Creek Middle School to create a field trip experience for 6th-8th grade girls that highlighted topics related to physical activity, athletics, science, and research. Twenty-three girls from Tates Creek Middle School, their athletic director, and counselor visited the SMRI to learn about sports medicine research. Attendees engaged in an interactive demonstration of equipment commonly used in research and learned about analyzing human movement with a 14-camera 3D motion analysis system, measuring aerobic endurance and anaerobic power, and testing body composition with a BodPod. Finally, each girl had the opportunity to test their own reaction time and balance skills!  

“It is exciting to have young girls come to campus to see firsthand how the Sports Medicine Research Institute and the Active Women’s Health Initiative bring sports and science together. Perhaps this event will spark an interest in sports medicine research and a career path for one of our attendees,” said Johanna Hoch, PhD, ATC, assistant professor in athletic training.

The Active Women’s Health Initiative (AWHI) is housed within the Sports Medicine Research Institute at the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences. The mission of the AWHI is to optimize health and promote physical activity and wellness for girls and women across the lifespan. We are committed to solving the unique challenges related to women’s health by bringing together years of research under the AWHI and fostering new interdisciplinary collaborations. As an extension of our research, we are dedicated to building meaningful relationships with community partners to share our research and improve health knowledge and outcomes for girls and women in local community.