Jeff Ward named Cal Pac Athletic Trainer of the Year
VALLEJO, Calif. – Assistant Director of Athletics for Sport Performance and Head Men's and Women's Golf Coach Jeff Ward wrapped up his 23rd year at Cal Maritime by receiving one of the California Pacific Conference's top individual honors when league officials announced that he is the recipient of the 2024-25 Athletic Trainer of the Year award.
This is the second time Ward was named Cal Pac Athletic Trainer of the Year during his tenure at Cal Maritime, he also received this conference accolade following the conclusion of the 2010-11 academic year.
One year after the Cal Pac first honored him, Ward earned NAIA Athletic Trainer of the Year distinction.
"It is an honor to receive this from the Cal Pac and my peers, but this award truly recognizes of the hard work and dedication from the entire Sports Medicine staff and spotlights (assistant athletic trainers) Christina Brekelmans and Evelyn Altamirano's tireless commitment to the safety, health and well-being of Cal Maritime's entire student-athlete population," said Ward.
"I am proud to work alongside these phenomenal professionals, this is equally Christina's and Evelyn's award," he added.
Ward, a member of the California Athletic Trainers Association's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, led a multi-department initiative to earn Heart Safe Campus designation for Cal Maritime this past year throughout the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation.
This certification highlight's the university's commitment to cardiac preparedness and response, recognition earned through a joint initiative involving Athletics, Environmental Health & Safety, Health Center, Peer Health Educators, and Campus Police — departments that collaborated to implement key life-saving measures, including widespread CPR and AED training.
In the past four years, Cal Maritime's Sports Medicine staff certified over 150 campus community members.
"This recognition is a direct result of the teamwork and dedication shown by various campus departments," said Craig Dawson, director of the Environmental Health & Safety Office. "By working together, we created a safer environment where anyone on campus can take action during a cardiac emergency, potentially saving lives."
As an advocate for the holistic health of all campus community members — he launched Athletics' campus-wide wellness program, Keelhauler Fit, focusing on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health in January of 2021 — Ward secured mental health training through the JED Foundation this past spring.
Through his efforts, Cal Maritime was one of 11 universities in the nation to receive campus-wide training, involving multiple departments, specifically designed to educate participants on student-athletes' mental health and the unique stressors faced throughout the academic year.
Unlike his athletic training colleagues at other institutions, Ward's role is multifaceted: Not only is he the head athletic trainer and director of strength and conditioning for Cal Maritime's 16 varsity sports programs, he recently completed his third season as head coach for the men's golf team and first as women's golf's head coach.
In addition to his Athletics-related roles, he is a member of the Campus Care Team as a QPR certified instructor.
QPR is an emergency mental health intervention for suicidal persons created in 1995 by Paul Quinnett. An abbreviation for Question, Persuade and Refer, the intent is to identify and interrupt the crisis and direct that person to the proper care.
The Cal Pac's newest Athletic Trainer of the Year recently completed the University of North Carolina at Greensboro's Doctorate in Kinesiology program and will participate in the university's commencement ceremony in early May.