.png)
Head Athletic Trainer, A&M Consolidated High School
"It is my passion to take care of people."
Jon Bon Jovi once said, “Nothing is as important as passion. No matter what you want to do with your life, be passionate.” Growing up and watching her family friend, Britt Brown care for athletes on the sidelines for the Dallas Cowboys, Elli Dinkmeyer gained a passion for athletic training.
Born and raised in Flower Mound, Texas, Dinkmeyer had always been deeply involved in sports and knew from an early age that she wanted to pursue a career in athletic training. “I watched from the sidelines as a little girl, and I would get to experience Britt run out from the sidelines and care for athletes,” Dinkmeyer said, “After that, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
She medically retired from sports during her sophomore year in high school, she found a new passion in athletic training and started getting involved earlier than she imagined. Dinkmeyer was determined to support her high school teams in any way she could, and quickly became an essential part of the athletic community as a student athletic trainer. Her commitment to the role was evident even in middle school, where she approached the boys’ 8th grade football coach and asked to be the athletic trainer for the team. Dinkmeyer spent her 7th and 8th-grade years carrying water bottles, band-aids, and towels, and providing crucial support to the team. Her early involvement in athletic training is a testament to her dedication and passion for helping athletes achieve their best.
After high school, Dinkmeyer went on to complete her undergrad studies at Texas A&M where she received her Bachelors in in Kinesiology, with a concentration in Applied Exercise Physiology. She then completed Graduate School at The University of Arkansas, where she became an ATC (Athletic Trainer Certified). After the completion of grad school, Dinkmeyer started as an associate athletic trainer at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, Texas offered from former Head Athletic Trainer, Karl Kapchinski. Dinkmeyer met Kapchinski her senior year of high school at Texas A&M’s Athletic Training Camp. After she completed grad school, Kapchinski reached out to Dinkmeyer over LinkedIn and offered her an athletic training position.
In a job that ultimately functions as a first responder, Dinkmeyer had seen her fair share of injuries. When Kapchinski retired, Dinkmeyer was promoted to Head Athletic Trainer. On her first day as Head Athletic Trainer at A&M Consolidated, Dinkmeyer witnessed an athlete suffer a heat stroke during practice. Dinkmeyer describes the moment as a lasting impact for her because it helped her gain confidence in her skills as an athletic trainer, “I knew in that moment after I saw the athlete was okay, that no matter what comes next, I can do this, and I’m prepared for this job,” Dinkmeyer says.
Dinkmeyer pours her heart and soul into caring for her athletes. Dinkmeyer says the most rewarding part of her is “being able to help student athletes, coaches and student athletic trainers. Taking care of student athletes physically and emotionally is the jack of all trades. I love to instill a passion into student athletic trainers to help others, along with teaching them medical skills and life skills; I think it’s really special.” Dinkmeyer is also a preceptor for Texas A&M’s Athletic Training Graduate Program, and she describes that as “a rewarding opportunity to have the ability to foster in the next generation of athletic trainers.”
In a field laced with so much emotion and intensity, Kinematic Company understands the pressure that athletic trainers face daily. We design our products to make people like Dinkmeyer’s job easier, even in the simplest way, as we've done with the AT Table, the ultra-light and ultra-functional table that compacts into a dolly to help transport your gear. “It is absolutely paramount that we have our AT Tables on the sidelines.
The fact is doubles up as a dolly is second to none. It is so light and portable and helps out so much when it comes to caring for our athletes. We don’t go anywhere without them,” Dinkmeyer said. Dinkmeyer also loves the privacy that SidelinER provides. She said, “We love having the ability to provide a private space to use when evaluating our kids in what might otherwise be a very public spectacle. I have found that being able to take a student-athlete into the tent away from onlooking fans and teammates allows them to gather themselves and for me to conduct a higher quality evaluation.”
Dinkmeyer’s passion for sports and helping athletes achieve their best has led her to become a highly respected and skilled trainer. She is a true asset to the athletic community and an inspiration to young athletes everywhere.
Learn more about SidelinER PRO: https://www.kinematiccompany.com/sidelinerpro
Learn more about AT Table: https://www.kinematiccompany.com/attable
Written by Allison Ragland