KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Kutztown University bolstered its sports medicine staff, Thursday, with the addition of athletic trainer Shelby Hoppis.
 
Hoppis, who has served as the lead athletic trainer for St. Luke's University Health Network in Bethlehem the last two years, brings 15 years of experience in collegiate athletic training to the Golden Bears, which will directly benefit the university's nearly 450 student-athletes.
 
"We're excited to have an athletic trainer of Shelby's caliber, with her knowledge and experience, join our team here at KU," director of sports medicine Rennie Sacco said. "She will help elevate our delivery of sports medicine services to our student-athletes."
 
In addition to stints at the University of Maryland, University of Minnesota, Bloomsburg University and Princeton University, Hoppis plied her craft around the world with the United States' junior and senior men's and women's national wrestling teams and men's and women's national squash teams.
 
"I'm honored and excited to join the Kutztown University sports medicine team," Hoppis said. "The staff's unwavering commitment to the health and welfare of its student-athletes made this a team that I wanted to be a part of. I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve the university and its students through their athletic experience. I can't wait to be a Golden Bear!"
 
Hoppis' past experiences paved the way for her biggest professional opportunity yet. Later this month, she will accompany Team USA women's wrestling to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympic Games, which were postponed last summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a member of the medical team, Hoppis will tend to the wrestlers during competition, training, warm up/cool down and health and safety testing.
 
In her current role at St. Luke's, Hoppis oversaw mentorship and educational support for the network's collegiate athletic trainers, assisting with oversight of sports medicine contacts and relationships in the East Region and working with St. Luke's Infectious Disease and Community Health departments to provide support for network-affiliated school districts during COVID-19.
 
At Kutztown, Hoppis will serve as the primary trainer for the field hockey, women's basketball and women's lacrosse teams. She'll begin her new duties August 16.
 
A 2006 graduate of Azusa Pacific University with a degree in athletic training, Hoppis jumped into the world of collegiate athletic training at the University of Maryland, where she was an intern athletic trainer during the 2006-07 school year, working closely with the men's and women's cross country/track & field teams.
 
Hoppis was elevated to assistant athletic trainer at Maryland after one season, providing care for the Terrapins' wrestling and golf teams from 2007-10. She returned to school at the University of Minnesota in 2010 and earned her Master of Arts in kinesiology emphasis sport and exercise psychology in 2012.
 
Hoppis was a graduate assistant athletic trainer during her time in Minneapolis. She served as the primary trainer for the co-ed and women's cheerleading squads, while also working with the football team.
 
Following her graduate work, Hoppis joined Bloomsburg as an assistant athletic trainer for the 2012-13 school year. She transitioned to Division I Princeton in 2013-14, spending the next six seasons with the Ivy League's Tigers before moving into her current position with St. Luke's. Between Bloomsburg and Princeton, Hoppis had the opportunity to work with numerous sports, including crew, field hockey, football, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, water polo and wrestling.
 
Hoppis, who resides in Bethlehem, is a Licensed Athletic Trainer (LAT) and Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC).