With a Focus on Athletic Training, Jackson Smidt Assists Students with Athletic Success

In high school, Jackson Smidt played football and ran track, dealing with sports injuries and becoming familiar with athletic training. Wanting to pursue this interest further, he began a professional journey that included extensive education and certifications, enriched by dedicated mentors.

Now in his seventh year on staff at UC Santa Barbara, Jackson feels fortunate to be connected to people who are passionate about their work. “It’s been interesting going from the hot, humid summers and freezing cold winters of my home town in South Dakota to the beautiful climate of Santa Barbara,” said Jackson. “I came for the opportunity to pursue athletic training and feel fortunate to be working with people who love what they do.”

His role with Intercollegiate Athletics is extensive – as he is the associate athletic director, associate head athletic trainer (specifically working with the men’s basketball and women’s tennis programs but also overseeing the other sports teams), the COVID lead, and health and wellness liaison. He wears a lot of hats while also making sure student athletes have the resources they need for health and wellness support. “As an athletic trainer, I am a generalist. I’ve studied a variety of subjects so that I have a good understanding of everything on a base level,” said Jackson. “I have developed many great relationships with the specialists on campus – individuals who have put their life’s work into a specific area. Because of them, I can do my job even better as I direct student athletes to specific resources when they are most needed.”

Jackson holds several certifications including being a Red Cross basic life support instructor. His training is not just beneficial to the campus community but has also provided life-saving support. When an official collapsed at a conference tennis tournament, and went into cardiac arrest, Jackson and a few other athletic trainers jumped into action. They performed CPR immediately, as well as using an AED defibrillator. As the official regained consciousness, the paramedics arrived, taking the man to the hospital where he had emergency quadruple bypass heart surgery. “It’s an amazing story because of the result,” said Jackson. “I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time with the training I had among a team of athletic trainers. I always emphasize to people the importance of having CPR training because if an emergency happens you could save a life. Whether it is a family member or a random person on the street – you just never know.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread across the globe, Jackson’s work shifted to finding solutions so that athletics could safely restart. Along with Athletics Director Kelly Barsky, Jackson started meeting with the NCAA, campus partners such as the COVID-19 Response Team and Student Health, and public health and safety organizations. As a team, they were able to compose policies and procedures to get athletics back up and running. “We developed many strategies to maintain a safe environment – everything from purchasing mobile basketball hoops so we could play on the tennis courts to constantly cleaning the balls and making players wear masks during outdoor practices,” said Jackson. “Working with so many individuals on campus made me realize we are not in our separate bubbles, but instead, are all in this together.”

With so many balls in the air, Jackson remains committed to his work and the health and wellness of the campus community so that he can better impact the lives of student athletes. “The people are truly special here at UCSB,” said Jackson. “Especially in this department – from the athletes to the coaches to the staff – it is such a family environment. It is fulfilling for me to focus on the health and wellbeing of our student athletes while watching them succeed in what they love to do most.”

Favorite Spot on Campus

When I am leaving work for the day, I like driving through Henley Gate on the way to Santa Barbara – seeing the ocean on the right and the mountains on the left. Regardless of how the workday went, you leave campus with a gorgeous view.