Joel Lockhart panelist with Life After High School Sports

Joel Lockhart, assistant athletic trainer for Houston Dynamo, recently participated as a panelist with the Houston Dynamo and 100 Black Men Hou on "Life After High School Sports". Joel had the following to say about the event:

"One of my reasons for my participation in the Life After High School event and even the creation of the Diversity Committee within PSATS was to create conversations and show representation of Athletic Trainers in professional soccer that look like me to future athletic trainers. Coming up through high school and during my undergraduate degree, there were not many Black Athletic Trainers in professional soccer that I was familiar with other than Ron Shinault. Once I saw him, I knew there was a chance that my dream of working in professional soccer was possible, and that was solely off representation while also considering experience, networking, etc. Fast Forward to my time with Houston Dynamo FC, I have participated in a roundtable discussion with other Black employees within the Dynamo company and have had discussions with our Community Relations department on how I can volunteer or what events and opportunities are there for showcasing Diversity in Athletic Training in professional soccer. The Life After School Sports event was mentioned as a small percentage of high school athletes go on to play professionally and for the panelist to present some unique careers that we found following our high school sports careers. Panelists included a lawyer, a former professional basketball player, a youth programs director for a professional sports team, Services coordinator for a professional sports team, and myself. My goal was to showcase my path to my current role and that representation can go a long way in helping motivate you towards your goals."

To see the Twitter post or learn more please follow the link below!