Sonja L. Herman, MS, AT, LAT, NCMT

Head Athletic Trainer / Instructor

Hometown: Conde, SD

Certificates: Massage Therapy
                      Southeastern School of Neuromuscular
                  and Massage Therapy
Undergraduate Degree: Athletic Training
                                           North Dakota State University Graduate Degree: Kinesiology and Health
                                University of Wyoming

Sonja is in her second year as the Head Athletic Trainer at Neosho County Community College. She came to NCCC in January 2008 after working as an intern athletic trainer for New Century Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Pittsburg, Kansas. While with New Century, she served as the athletic trainer for Pittsburg High School Athletics and Pittsburg State University Men's and Women's Basketball.

Prior to moving to Southeastern Kansas, Sonja attended graduate school at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, WY. She received her Masters Degree in Kinesiology and Health in May 2007. While attending the University of Wyoming, she worked as a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer, where her primary sport responsibility was with the wrestling team. She also worked with women's soccer and football and served as the UW Athletics Team Massage Therapist. Sonja worked in the summer as an athletic trainer for the Laramie Colts, a member of the Mountain West Collegiate Baseball League. In addition to clinical athletic training responsibilities, Miss Herman has a passion for teaching. She taught Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries for four semesters at Wyoming and one semester at Labette Community College. Currently she teaches two athletic training classes a semester.

Sonja completed her Bachelors Degree in Athletic Training in May 2005 from North Dakota State University, passed the Board of Certification Exam, and acquired her athletic training certification in June 2005. In the midst of completing her bachelors degree, Sonja moved to Greenville, South Carolina for a year where she completed a six month certificate program in Massage Therapy. She passed the National Certification Exam in January 2004 and became national certified as a Massage Therapist by the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.

Sonja's most recent accomplishment is her first-ever publication. The article, Four-Week Dynamic Stretching Warm-Up Intervention Elicits Longer-Term Performance Benefits, was published in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. She would like to thank the 2006-07 University of Wyoming wrestling team and coaching staff for allowing her to implement this program into their daily practice routine. Also, a big thank you to her advisor, and co-author, Dr. Derek T. Smith.

Sonja is the daughter of Bruce and the late JoEllen Herman of Conde, SD. She has one sister, Heather Fortin who resides in Tea, South Dakota with her husband Rod. Sonja resides in Chanute, Kansas.