“Dean” of the Training Room

March is National Athletic Trainer Month. It is a time to celebrate athletic trainers and the positive impact they have on work, life, and sport. Read more about NYIT’s head athletic trainer, Dean Kamvakis.

NEED A BAND-AID? Go to the athletic training room. Need post-practice ice? Go to the athletic training room. When Head Athletic Trainer Dean Kamvakis began working at NYIT in 1993, the athletic training “room” was two offices with basic equipment. Since then, he has helped it grow into a robust facility with several treatment and taping tables, whirlpools, an ice machine, staff offices, and more.

Kamvakis always wanted to work as a college athletic trainer. As the son of a volunteer firefighter and fire chief, he was inspired to help others at an early age. Later, mentors like Ron Waske, athletic trainer for St. Lawrence University and the New York Islanders, and Mike Matheny, head athletic trainer at Ithaca College, helped him get his start.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in physical education, he began working at a sports medicine clinic in Syracuse, N.Y. When he received the offer to join NYIT as head athletic trainer, he looked at it as a good opportunity to develop a career. And as a native of Long Island he felt it was a good fit. That early job offer turned into a multidecade career.

In the 23 years since Kamvakis has donned the blue and gold, there have been significant improvements to the resources that benefit the student-athletes. “We are doing more for our student-athletes and providing improved care, particularly with assistance from NYITCOM and the new Center for Sports Medicine,” he says. “Having on campus access to our team physician [Assistant Professor and Director of Sports Medicine Hallie Zwibel (D.O. ’11)] is also a tremendous resource.”

Working in conjunction with Christine Barcavage and Nicole Moreno, the assistant athletic trainers, and the team physician, Kamvakis oversees the athletic health of nearly 250 student-athletes at NYIT. “We work closely with the athletes on a daily basis and are on the sidelines prepared to deal with emergency situations as well,” says Kamvakis. “Quite often we will travel with athletic teams to away contests to be able to provide these same services on the road.”

Kamvakis is an integral part of the athletic department. “His even temperament when interacting with all the student-athletes and prioritizing their injuries and rehabilitation has been a big part of our success over the years,” notes Head Lacrosse Coach Bill Dunn, who has worked with NYIT athletics for the past 17 years. Alumni also frequently check in with Kamvakis when they visit campus and ask about the progress of athletic training and sports medicine at NYIT.

When Kamvakis isn’t in the training room, he spends time in his garden, hunts, and fishes—activities he considers “much more relaxing than the front lines of NYIT athletics.” Kamvakis has even competed in bass club tournaments, though he has no plans to go pro: “I’ll stick to being head athletic trainer.”

So, after 20-plus years in the training room, what does he enjoy most? “The daily interactions with our student-athletes and the relationships that develop through the time we spend working together,” he says. “We have very talented student-athletes at NYIT. They excel not only athletically, but also in the classroom. To play a role in their development and success is extremely satisfying.”

This article was originally published in NYIT Magazine.