Barbara H. Long, Asst. Professor of
Health & Exercise Science

Barbara H. Long Chair, Dept. of Health & Exercise Science Director of Athletic Training Barbara H. Long joined the Bridgewater College faculty in 1999 and, in 2000, became director of the athletic training program. She knows what each athletic training graduate has done or is currently doing. For Long, that is important. Teaching in a professional program provides Long with an opportunity to learn to know each student in the major very well. Small classes allow for her to make a difference in the life of each student. She enjoys the "light bulb" moments when students realize they have the knowledge for their chosen profession. While the athletic training major is heavily science-based, students are encouraged to be creative in the application of techniques and skills at the right time and for the right reason in a given circumstance. "If you place 10 athletic trainers in a room and ask them to provide the optimal healing environment of a person with an ankle sprain," says Long, "most would go about the process in different ways. Who's right -- they all might be!" Long is constantly looking for opportunities for students to test their skills. The "chance of a lifetime"� came in January 2006 when seven senior athletic training students and three staff members, including Long, traveled to Honolulu, to provide healthcare for the East squad at the Hula Bowl. For Long, it was important that BC students came away from the experience knowing that the skills and experiences received at Bridgewater prepared them as well or better than students from larger colleges and universities. "Small doesn't mean inferior," says Long. As a licensed and certified athletic trainer, Long has worked professionally with elite athletes at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and the World University Games. With nearly 17 years of clinical practice, she provides pragmatic examples of how clinical practice often does not fit the mold of standardized textbook scenarios learned in the classroom. A 1988 graduate of Bridgewater College with a BS in biology, Long earned master of sport science degrees in both sports medicine and fitness management from the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, Ala. An outstanding educator, Long has been named to Who's Who Among America's Teachers in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006.