Katie Berglund revised her career plans while in college. The Griffins organization is happy she did.

Story and photo by Mark Newman

        Griffins assistant athletic trainer Katie Berglund had every intention of becoming an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine.

        She was on a pre-med track when she took a class taught by Valerie Moody at the University of Montana. Moody was the director of the Masters in Athletic Training Program and the chair of the School of Integrative Physiology & Athletic Training.

        Like Berglund, Moody had wanted to become an orthopedic surgeon but discovered her passion was athletic training and fell in love with the profession. Moody, a certified athletic trainer for more than two decades, suggested that Berglund consider doing the same and look into the program.

        "I took the Intro to Athletic Training class that she taught, and I enjoyed it a lot," Berglund said. "Then I spoke with one of my advisors, who I didn't know was an athletic trainer because she was on the academic side. She also told me, 'I think you would love it. I think you'd be great at it.'"

        Berglund was largely unfamiliar with athletic training. "I grew up playing soccer, then swimming, and I never had any major injuries, only some very minor injuries," said Berglund, who grew up in Idaho Falls, Idaho. "My school didn't have an athletic trainer, so I had no idea what it was.

        "My brother Eric played hockey and had a bunch of injuries, so I looked up to the orthopedic surgeon who did sports medicine and worked on my brother a lot. I thought that was going to be my path."

        However, when another advisor suggested she seriously look at athletic training, she had second thoughts. Her career reappraisal just happened to coincide with her taking a class in biochemistry.

        "While I enjoyed the class, it was tough," she recalled. "I was like, 'I need a better grade to get into medical school. I'm going to have to retake this class. I do not want to retake the class.'"

        Berglund had learned that what she enjoyed most about being a healthcare provider was connecting with patients. Being able to interact with injured athletes in a caring and respectful way – her bedside manner, if you will – prompted Berglund to alter her plans.

        One comment from a professor at the time particularly hit home.

        "He said, 'You're not going to enjoy being a surgeon because your patients are going to be unconscious most of the time that you're dealing with them.' Honestly, I thought that didn't seem so bad then. Now, if I had to deal with patients who were asleep all the time and never actually got to follow up with them, it would not be fun."

        She enrolled in the master's program in athletic training at Montana, where she got her undergraduate degree in health and human performance along with psychology. Her experience with exercise science ultimately convinced her to drop her plans for medical school.

        Her path to the Griffins job included three years as an athletic trainer affiliated with Bingham Memorial Hospital in her hometown from 2020-23. It's similar to her current position, in which she is employed by University of Michigan Health-West and contracted to the Griffins.

        In Idaho Falls, she served as the head athletic trainer for the Idaho Falls Spud Kings, a Tier II junior hockey team. She established and supervised rehabilitation protocols for players' injuries and assisted in their strength and conditioning program. During her time at Bingham, she also was head trainer for the Idaho Falls Chukars independent pro baseball team from 2021-23 and the head athletic trainer for Ririe Junior-Senior High School from 2020-22.

        "When I first started, COVID was still raging," she said. "I helped with vaccine clinics, data entry, and temperature scans at the entrances. It was not fun, but things worked out because Idaho is so rural that sports could start back there much faster than some bigger states."

        Although hockey and baseball players come from different mindsets, she found they were athletes who wanted the same thing.

        "At those levels, they're just trying to play at a higher level, whether it was getting to a training camp or a single-A team somewhere. The main thing was to make sure the guys missed as few games as possible. Or if it was going to be one of their last years playing, they didn't want to miss games because they wanted to experience playing for their team as long as possible."

        Her experience with the hockey team was particularly exhilarating because the Spud Kings were playing in the newly constructed, 4,100-seat Hero Arena inside the Mountain America Center. The Spud Kings, owned by the same people behind the baseball team, sold out 22 of 24 home games during their inaugural season of 2022-23.

        "That was an enjoyable season," she said. "It was chaotic at first because we weren't even practicing at home because the facility wasn't finished yet. But once the arena opened, it was exciting. The crowds were awesome. All the kids had never played in front of a crowd that big, and it was a nice little intimidation factor for visiting teams for the same reason."

        Berglund knew she wanted to work in hockey from her experience with her brother playing the sport.

        "When I went into athletic training, my top two choices were hockey and soccer," she said. "I played soccer through high school and got recruited for a few D3 schools for college, but I decided I wouldn't go down that route.

        "I worked with the college soccer team when I was a student in athletic training, and I thought, 'Oh, I care too much about this sport. I can't sit on the sidelines. I care too much about the game and don't think I can work with this.'

        "With hockey, I know the rules, I get it, I understand the mechanics, but I had never played, so I'm not quite as emotionally invested."

        When the Griffins hired athletic trainer Austin Frank before the 2023-24 season, Berglund interviewed for his former position at Western Michigan University. Instead, she landed the Griffins job as the assistant athletic trainer to Frank.

        While she is the first woman to hold the position in the Griffins' 29-year history, the Red Wings have employed several females in locker room positions. For instance, Britta Ottoboni has been Detroit's massage therapist for the past four years, and Lisa McDowell has been the Red Wings' dietitian since 2011.

        Their presence made Berglund feel more comfortable at her first training camp in 2023, when she was stepping into a whole new situation.

        "It was a massive change," she said, "I had never even been to Michigan before I moved out here. The day that I came here was the first time that I had ever been in Michigan. The first day that I worked was in Detroit for a preseason game."

        Coming from out west, she admits that being largely unfamiliar with the players was a little disconcerting.

        "I didn't know who was a Griffins or a Red Wings player or who was fighting for a spot in Detroit. But everybody, from the moment I was hired, offered to help me figure things out, so that helped make things easier."

        Her transition to pro hockey took some time, but once indoctrinated, she couldn't help developing a rooting interest in the team. Her resistance to work in soccer because she cared too much has been supplanted by a new appreciation for hockey.

        When Griffins players get called to Detroit, she admits to feeling "proud mom moments" regarding their success. "Everybody in this organization is just so good," she said. "On a human level, they're just awesome people to be around."

        She suggests that being the first female in her role with the Griffins is not a big deal. "In almost every position I've had since I was hired for the baseball team, I've been the first woman in those positions," she said. "I chose this setting. I want to be here. I'm not here to make anyone uncomfortable."

        And so Berglund goes about her job like anyone else in her position. On game days, she sets up the visitors' dressing room, ensuring it's stocked with all the supplies that opposing athletic trainers might require. She sets up the benches with water bottles, Gatorade, towels, and the rest, then sticks around as long as necessary to provide treatments to help the players prepare to perform at their peak.

        Treatments vary, from those associated with rehabilitation to others that may be more preventive. "Some guys want the same type of treatment before every game because that's their routine to get loose as part of their warmup," she said. "Some guys are looking to manage little complaints so they're not bothered by them later."

        Berglund stands ready next to the bench near the team tunnel during most games; she's behind the bench during practices, always prepared to lend a hand while working alongside Frank.

        In her free time, Berglund is working virtually toward her doctorate in athletic training from A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona. Specifically, she is working on an advanced practice degree focusing more on clinical skills.

        She is interested in pursuing research in her field. Her primary interest is concussions. She would like to investigate concussion policy design as it relates to high schools.

        "Being from Idaho, where not a lot of high schools have athletic trainers or access to any sports medicine professional at all, I'm particularly interested in what it means for schools and youth sports," she said.

       "Unintentionally, my specific focus means there's no conflict of interest for me while working in professional sports. There are highly qualified people on the concussion committee for the NHL – they're people I cite in my research.

        "Every state in the U.S. has laws about youth concussion management, but they're not all the same, and they're pretty vague because not every school has the same resources. I'm interested in learning about the challenges that people in the field face and how we can help them make the most of whatever resources they might have."

        In the meantime, she is continuing to advance her skills. She obtained certifications as a function-trained dry needle provider in 2023 and as an ImPACT-trained athletic trainer in 2022.

        Dry needling is a technique similar to acupuncture that involves inserting thin, sterile needles into specific points in the body to relieve pain and improve muscle function. Dry needling is considered safe, minimally painful, and often very effective, but it is not approved in every state.

        "One of my baseball players asked if I could do it, and I couldn't, so during a small gap in the offseason, I took a course in Arizona to learn the fundamentals," she said. "There are more advanced techniques that I don't do, that I might never do because they're considered riskier, but dry needling is a treatment I use with the players."

        Berglund is also versed in Graston's technique, a form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization that treats injuries in a deeper and more targeted manner than possible with hands alone. She uses specially designed stainless steel instruments with rounded edges that manipulate muscle tissue under the skin.

        "You can use it for bruising or swelling, so it's a technique that has very broad uses, which is why I like it," she said. "At this level, most guys usually like it, although some don't want it because it can cause some soreness.

       "Communication is the key to figuring out their needs and understanding their personal history. If they have had one issue with something, knowing their history can be invaluable to understanding how we can best address their present concerns."

        Away from the rink, Berglund enjoys spending time with her dogs, Ginny Weasley and Leia, whose names are references to characters in Harry Potter and Star Wars, respectively. She also enjoys visiting family during the offseason.

        Two summers ago, Berglund returned to Idaho to spend a little time with her mom, who still lives there. "I was able to get in all of my mountains, my hiking, and family time," she said.

        Grand Rapids now feels like home to Berglund, who admits that she feels emotionally invested and a full team member.

        "I think Austin and I work well together. He's an awesome boss, very good at managing situations, and delegating tasks. He's good at keeping me in the loop of everything," Berglund said.

        "You hate seeing players get hurt, but it's always gratifying to see them return from potentially one of the worst points in their life or career. Watching their first game back, or their first goal or first point after an injury, it makes you proud knowing all the work they put into the process."