Springfield, Mass. – February 17, 2026 – Springfield College's Director of Athletic Healthcare Kelsey Rynkiewicz was recently selected as this year's recipient of the Athletic Trainers of Massachusetts (ATOM) Rising Leader Award.

The ATOM Rising Leader Award aims to recognize an athletic training professional who is early in their career—12 years certified or less—who is a member of ATOM and has made outstanding contributions to their patients, community and the profession of athletic training. Evidence of leadership and service to the profession—particularly at the state level—will be considered. The ideal candidate is professional, dedicated and held in high regard by their peers for their qualities and contributions as an athletic trainer.

"I am truly honored to receive this award, and being nominated by my colleagues makes it even more meaningful. I'd like to give special thanks to Dr. Matt Mills for writing the nomination letter," said Rynkiewicz. "I feel so fortunate to work alongside the best people here at Springfield College, and I'm grateful for our culture of collaboration, excellence, and service. Together, we provide the strongest support to our students and student-athletes, and I am proud to be part of such a wonderful community and institution."

Rynkiewicz has been at Springfield College since the fall of 2022 and prior to the 2024-25 academic year was promoted to the Director of Athletic Healthcare. She also serves as an assistant professor of Athletic Training at Springfield.

In her role, Rynkiewicz oversees the provision of athletic healthcare services to Springfield student-athletes, leading an athletic training team comprised of two other full-time faculty athletic trainers, two resident athletic trainers, and a pair of graduate teaching fellow athletic trainers. She teaches courses in the athletic training, exercise science, and physical therapy programs and also serves as a preceptor to provide clinical experience opportunities for athletic training students.

When asked about Rynkiewicz's contributions to the department, Executive Director of Athletics Dr. Craig Poisson said, "I've always said that student-athlete welfare begins with our athletic trainers as health and safety in paramount. We are fortunate to have her as an integral part of our athletics community. This recognition speaks to her dedication, professionalism, and the positive impact she has on our student-athletes every day and her commitment to excellence in athletic training.  Her passion for serving others truly embodies what this award represents, and I congratulate her on the recognition!"

Prior to coming to Springfield, Rynkiewicz worked at Eastern Connecticut State University from 2016-2022 while completing her graduate work at University of Connecticut. In addition to her graduate degrees, Rynkiewicz earned graduate certificates in college instruction, public health, and healthcare innovation. At Eastern Connecticut State University, she worked with the 2022 Division III national champion baseball team.

Rynkiewicz is passionate about sports medicine and educating the public on the vital role athletic trainers play in the health care system. She has served on a number of professional committees and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Board of Certification (BOC) for the Athletic Trainer. She is also engaged in service at Springfield College and is a member of the Student of Concern (SOC) Team. Her dissertation focused on longitudinally investigating work-family conflict and work-family guilt among collegiate athletic trainers.

Rynkiewicz received her bachelor's degree in athletic training and master's degree in healthcare administration from King's College (Pa.). She also received a second master's in kinesiology and her doctorate in kinesiology from the University of Connecticut.

Sign up for free today to receive the latest news about your favorite Springfield College Athletics program directly to your email here. 

For the latest on Springfield College Athletics, follow the Pride on social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Be sure to tune into all Springfield College Athletic events by subscribing to FloSports.