Athletic trainers are some of the most essential workers in the world of sports. From injury prevention programming to providing first aid and rehabilitation, they are vital to both the development and experience of a student-athlete.
 
In the UW-Superior Athletic Hall of Fame, the Dr. Lydia Thering Meritorious Service Award recognizes an individual who has made substantial and innovative contributions to the principles of wellness in any society, embracing personal responsibility, sensitivity to the environment, nutritional awareness, stress management and physical fitness.
 
For nearly 20 years, Alice (Loebsack) Brecht has been working in the field of athletic training and has left her mark at each stop. She is the recipient of the prestigious award and will be inducted into the UW-Superior Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 18.
 
Her interest in the field came in high school, where she enrolled in a sports medicine program for three years.
 
"The program offered the combination of medical care and ability to work with athletes," Brecht said. "That was my perfect combination. I got to work closely with patients on a day-to-day level and watch them pursue their highest levels of success."
 
Brecht, a cross country and track and field athlete, wanted to continue competing while also building on her career path.
 
"I remember during my time in community college how I really wanted to continue competing when I transferred," Brecht said. "I had a coach call me to talk about running for him. When he got the job at Superior, I was excited as there was an opportunity to compete and complete my degree in four years, which was not easy at that time as a transfer student."
 
"The combination of them having my degree I needed, a place to continue racing, and the opportunity to work as an athletic training student was hard to find at that time, but it was exactly what I was looking for."
 
Exercise science, a popular major at UW-Superior, prepares students with a strong foundation in fitness, health and movement. The degree structure is flexible and can be tailored towards a specific career interest.
 
"I was excited for the opportunity to have a broad degree like exercise science when I was pursuing athletic training as a degree," Brecht said. "It offered a real career-ready path. Something that wasn't done in a lot of schools. There were so many certifications and practical opportunities that made me so marketable heading out into my career path." 
 
While at UWS, Brecht worked in the athletic training room under David Kroll, a fellow member of UW-Superior's Hall of Fame, who knew a thing or two about athletic training.
 
"Dave helped foster my knowledge and challenged me to understand how to become a versatile athletic trainer. I was lucky to work for him my whole time at UWS. It was such a great experience. We don't have a lot of hockey out west, so working with that sport was one of the coolest opportunities."
 
As an upperclassman, she was preparing to take the exam to become a nationally certified athletic trainer. While going through the application process, Brecht would have to act quickly as the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) was going through changes.
 
"The organization was going through a major overhaul," Brecht said. "I loved the internship route that was offered, but it was going away by the winter of my senior year. Dave Kroll was integral with helping me get all those requirements completed beforehand. It was so helpful to have people around me that understood this process and help me study and prepare for the exam. The test itself was in-person and took all day, testing practical, scenario and academic knowledge."
 
After passing the exam on the first try and graduating from UW-Superior, Brecht made the decision to further her education at San Jose State University.
 
"I wanted to expand my depth of knowledge in the athletic training field, and San Jose State offered a specific program dedicated to it," Brecht said. "I was also excited for some warm California seasons. I was able to work with some amazing Division I athletes and even work with our team as they traveled to a bowl game."
 
From there, she obtained her master's degree and began her first full-time role with Vanguard University in 2007, working with men's and women's soccer and baseball. In 2009 she served in the same role at Pacific Lutheran University for three years, working with men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, football, and track and field.
 
Brecht also spent time working at a pair of United States Olympic Training Centers. While there, she worked with the women's rugby team, the Paralympic men's soccer team, both groups Olympic and Paralympic track athletes, as well as Olympic trials for BMX.
 
When asked about the unique opportunity, she credits her old mentor, Dave Kroll.
 
"He was the first person to tell me about this opportunity. The moment I had the years of experience, I applied. There was a detailed background application process and selection criteria. I was very lucky to have been selected twice to work here."
 
Her most prominent work came at Saint Martin's University in Lacey, Washington. Starting her time with the Saints in 2012, she was the assistant athletic director of sports medicine and wellness, along with being the department's senior woman administrator.
 
"I was able to expand my administrative skills and had both an athletics director and dean of students that helped foster that growth," Brecht said. "I served on countless university committees, completed our Title IX report and provided yearly trainings, worked through all the medical policies and compliance for our student-athletes, and of course, handled the day-to-day care and management of our student-athletes' health and wellness, along with traditional game coverage."
 
However in 2020, her role would change, and her administrative skills were going to expand even further.
 
"When COVID-19 hit, I was called upon to be on the primary university team to develop and implement policies and protocols to reopen school. We met almost every day via zoom to share what we researched and what we could be doing. I also was on our athletic conference team developing our conference protocols."
 
With the goal of having student-athletes return to campus and competition, Brecht spent countless hours researching what Saint Martin's could implement for a safe return.
 
"We discovered a program that was using a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine and saliva. During a time when testing was so expensive and out of reach for most schools, this was a game changer. The biology department was able to support us with staffing and management, and after pitching this to the Board of Directors, they approved the investment and a comprehensive program that included the entire student body was created."
 
"When students came back, I facilitated the testing, isolation and protocols related to traveling and practices. I was even the one doing meal drop offs when students had to isolate."
 
Brecht worked with the Saints for 10 years before transitioning to Wenatchee High School, where she has worked since 2022.
 
While reflecting on her career, she thinks back to the mentors that shaped her journey, as well as her time at UW-Superior.
 
"I was lucky to have strong females as athletic trainers to show me what we could be capable of," Brecht said. "Dena Halle, my high school athletic trainer, was a very personable athletic trainer that managed student needs with kindness and compassion. Phoebe Duke gave me a grit to create structure. Dave Kroll gave me administrative prowess and the ability to think creatively. The dean of students at Saint Martin's showed me how to be a leader and think through conflict management."
 
"My time at UWS was so helpful to help me become a well-rounded athletic trainer. My roommates and I were so supportive of each other, cheering each other on in our different adventures. Not only was I allowed to continue competing, but I was also given a strong and diverse education with the exercise science department."
 
The 2026 UW-Superior Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, July 18 in the Great Room of the Yellowjacket Union. For more information on the ceremony, including purchasing tickets, visit our Hall of Fame page.