Saint Mary's College (IN)

Karen Holmes DAT, LAT, ATC joined the Saint Mary's College athletic training staff in October 2023.

Holmes comes to Saint Mary's from Beacon Health System, where she has served as the athletic trainer for South Bend John Adams High School. Holmes has been with Adams High School since August 2021 and has worked with a population of more than 600 high school athletes across 13 different sports.

Prior to her time with Beacon Health System, Holmes was an athletic trainer at North Montgomery Community Schools through Franciscan Health Lafayette from 2019 through 2021. Her role with Franciscan Health Lafayette saw her provide health care for middle school and high school student-athletes participating in a wide array of sports. During the COVID-19 crisis, Holmes had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience as an athletic trainer in the NCAA Division III setting at Wabash College while also assisting with their return to play strategy.

Additionally, Holmes served as a certified athletic trainer for the Great Lakes Valley Conference swimming and diving championships in February 2020. She provided patient-centered care for members of 10 women's teams and 11 men's teams competing in the multi-day championship event.

Holmes has been involved in both community and volunteer opportunities which have included assisting with the South Bend Sunburst races, COVID-19 screening and testing with the Montgomery County Health Department, providing first aid and support both the NCAA Division I (2017) and NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships (2018), game day assistance with the Indianapolis Fuel hockey team, and finish line first aid and care with USA Cycling at Marian University.

"I am excited to be a part of Saint Mary's Sports Medicine team," said Holmes. "I would like to thank Athletic Director Julie Schroeder-Biek and the rest of the athletic staff for giving me this opportunity. I am excited to be a part of a program that is supportive and collaborative in providing the best for the student-athletes. Providing care for collegiate athletes has always been a dream of mine. I am beyond blessed that I get to live out my dream at Saint Mary's College."

Holmes earned a bachelor of science in athletic training from the University of Indianapolis in May 2019. During that time, she conducted research relating to techniques on hip flexion range of motion and motor control. She then went on to complete a doctorate in athletic training from Indiana State University in May 2021. Her research focused on access, engagement, and experiences with critical incident response resources.

She is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers Association (GLATA), and the Indiana Athletic Trainers Association (IATA). She has been a member of the Indiana ATs Care Team since May 2020 and has presented at the IATA, GLATA, and NATA annual and winter meetings along with the Canadian Athletic Therapists Annual Meeting.