Name: Masahiro (Hagi) Takahigi

Class: Senior

Major: Athletic Training and Sport Management

Hometown: Fukushima, Japan

I grew up in Japan and had many injuries from playing sports. In Japan, though, we didn’t have athletic trainers or sports medicine, so no one really knew how to help me with my injuries. Since the United States is the most advanced country for athletic training, I got on the Internet and started looking for schools with an accredited* athletic training program.

I chose Methodist University. Since then, I have been able to get hands-on experience with all types of sports teams, both college and professional. The program was all I had imagined. I interned with the New Orleans Saints pre-season training camp. I also was able to intern with the Texas Rangers. The environment with professional sports is very different from school sports. Professional training rooms have everything. With a college team, sometimes you have to make do. Both are important experiences to have.

I think Methodist University was the best choice for me. I wanted to study. I wanted to get experience. I wanted to focus on athletic training. I did it. I graduate this year and will go on to get a graduate degree in sports medicine. Then I want to go back to Japan and construct a good education system for athletic training.

* [Methodist University's athletic training program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education - CAATE.]