Athletics News

Laham Brings Strong Mix of Knowledge, Experience to Saints



Sept. 25, 2007

During his time as an assistant athletic trainer/instructor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Ron Laham experienced something truly special. As the primary athletic trainer for the men's basketball team, he was a vital part of the greatest season in the program's history in 1996, when the No. 1 ranked Minutemen, led by future NBA start Marcus Camby, tallied up a 26-game win streak and earned a spot in the NCAA tournament's Final Four.

After 14 years in Amherst, the Medford native and Northeastern graduate has returned to Boston looking for another unique undertaking. As the new Head Athletic Trainer at Emmanuel, Laham is excited to see how his knowledge and experience at the Division I level will translate to working with the Saints' athletic programs.

For Laham, there were a number of reasons why he jumped at the opportunity to come serve the College's athletic training needs. After dedicating his time and energy to round-the-clock care for the Minutemen's basketball squad, he admits a big reason had to do with his desire to find a position that offered a bit more variety.

"I wanted to come to a place that was about students and athletes, not just about athletics," he said. "With the UMass men's basketball program it was just a ton of travel and I had to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. At that level it's just very high maintenance. I was looking for a change from what I was doing out there and I liked the idea of coming to Emmanuel to head my own athletic training facility."

The return to the Boston area, where his family still resides, was an added bonus.

"I didn't realize how much I missed the city until I got back here," he said. "When I was at UMass I didn't get to come to Boston as much as I'd like. I'm happy to be back."

After graduating from Northeastern with a degree in athletic training/physical education, Laham spent a year as an assistant athletic trainer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology before heading south to earn his M.Ed. with a concentration in athletic training from the University of Virginia. Over the years he's gained experience through a variety of outlets, such as working in the training room at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, assisting USA Basketball at the 22 and under World Championships, serving as coordinator of sports medicine at the Nike/Hall of Fame Hoop Summit and Buckler Challenge European Basketball Tour, and working as a trainer at the Bay State Games and Boston Marathon.

One of the greatest elements of his craft that he's been able to harness through these experiences is his knowledge of strength and conditioning - something he's especially excited to introduce to the entire Emmanuel community.

"When I originally talked to some of the coaches during the interview process, I was told that they hadn't had anyone with that type of knowledge before and that they were looking to bring that component here," he said. "If you're an athlete and you want to get better you need to get in the weight room and do things outside of practice that will make you better. This is something I'd like to extend to the entire campus. If people want to use me as a resource for strength and conditioning and nutrition, I'd love to help."

While through the years he's noticed a lack of awareness among Division III athletes in comparison to their top-tiered counterparts in terms of strength and conditioning, in most other ways Laham has seen little difference. When it comes to dedication, work ethic and desire, his views about working with student-athletes at any level are simple: Athletes are athletes.

"I don't think there's a difference between the commitment these student-athletes have or their wanting to be successful," he said. "I just love the dynamic you get to have with the athletes. You get a chance to mentor these kids, give them advice, maybe help them through the process of transitioning into college life, and that's something I enjoy.

"I get a lot of satisfaction from being able to take athletes who are injured and help them get healthy and back playing the game," he added. "You hate to see someone get hurt, but there's a great deal of satisfaction in taking them through the process and watching them play again."

Arriving on campus just a week before athletes reported for preseason, so far Laham's time at the College has been full of activity, as he's quickly had to get to know his new group of stars, fellow staff members and his surroundings. One thing he's already recognized about the College is that its great sense of community truly shines through.

"At Emmanuel you really get to know people," he said. "You see everyone that works here all the time. I already know administrators here better than I ever did at UMass.

"In my short time of being in this environment I know it's just a great place to work and people told me that before I arrived. People really enjoy being here and working here and I don't think you can say that everywhere. I'm really looking forward to getting involved here as much as I can."