A Personal Calling to Athletic Training

Dr. Woebke’s professional journey toward earning a doctoral degree, awarded in Summer 2024, was deeply shaped by a personal experience during her senior year of college. While watching her compete in a softball game, her father suffered a heart attack 950 miles from home, where she witnessed firsthand the power of expert emergency care. Thanks to the athletic trainer’s calm and skillful response, the crisis was managed so seamlessly that she did not even realize it had occurred until after the game.

“While I was already planning to enter the field, that experience solidified my conviction that I was meant to be the person who capably handles those critical, emergency situations.”

Her early commitment to care evolved into a larger purpose: teaching and equipping others to respond effectively in moments of crisis. Following personal losses related to mental health challenges, Dr. Woebke re-envisioned her purpose in higher education.

“I realized I could create a greater positive impact by training those on the front lines and amplifying my expertise across a generation of students, rather than limiting it to being a single practitioner.”

This led her to pursue CSP Global’s kinesiology doctoral program, as it formally validated her expertise and secured her current position as an educator.

“My specific focus in kinesiology allows me to teach a field that provides direct access to numerous pre-healthcare students. By training this broad audience, I can now ensure that a vast network of future healthcare professionals are all effectively equipped to identify and intervene with student-athletes facing a mental health crisis.”

Transitioning to Higher Education at CSP Global

Dr. Woebke selected CSP Global because of her professional goals and strong family tradition of academic excellence. She is a third-generation alumna and educator, as her mother and brother are middle school teachers and proud Concordia University, St. Paul alumni.

Dr. Claire Woebke (left center) teaches a functional rehabilitation course in which graduate students learn how to safely return injured athletes to the weight room.

“What made CSP the definitive choice, however, was its consistent and powerful reputation for training exceptional educators. We share the fundamental belief that if you can effectively teach something, you truly know it. The success of my family’s educational careers is a testament to the strong pedagogical foundation CSP provides. Although our fields of expertise and levels of instruction differ greatly, the CSP Kinesiology doctoral program equipped me with the same core skills and background in educational excellence that allowed my family to succeed as teachers. This common commitment to quality instruction, regardless of the subject, is ultimately what gave me the confidence to choose CSP for my advanced degree.”

She also acknowledges the degree’s flexible online format:

“The key benefit was the ability to maintain professional momentum. The asynchronous online format ensured I could immediately apply the advanced pedagogical and content knowledge from my studies to my classes, all while earning the doctoral degree necessary for career advancement and securing my current position as an Assistant Professor and Research Coordinator.”

Advancing Cultural Competence in Healthcare

Her dissertation research examined the gap between pre-healthcare students’ self-perceived and actual levels of cultural competence, a topic that remains central to her professional mission.

“I was primarily motivated to pursue this topic because a critical pillar of evidence-based practice is integrating patient values and experiences with the best available evidence and clinical expertise. If future athletic trainers and other healthcare providers lack the cultural competence to truly understand and incorporate a patient’s values, they cannot practice true evidence-based practice. I wanted to ensure that my students, and future generations of healthcare providers, are equipped not only with technical skill but also with the cultural humility necessary to care effectively and ethically for diverse patient populations.”

In her current role at Gustavus Adolphus College, Dr. Woebke teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in athletic training and exercise physiology. As the Research Coordinator, she oversees the graduate program’s research curriculum and mentors second-year athletic training students through their research projects, while maintaining an active research agenda of her own.

Applying the pedagogical strategies learned at CSP Global, Dr. Woebke’s proudest recent achievement has been developing a three-semester graduate research project sequence for the new Master of Athletic Training program. As the first graduate program at Gustavus, this initiative integrates evidence-based practice into every stage of the curriculum.

“This process ensures our graduates are not just practitioners, but critical consumers and producers of knowledge. By embedding the principles of evidence-based practice deeply within our program, we empower students to become advanced, evidence-informed athletic trainers who are better equipped to serve and advance the health of their communities.”

Advice for Future Kinesiology Scholars

Reflecting on her experience, Dr. Woebke offers two key pieces of advice for future doctoral students: “Approach your program with flexibility and grit.”

While she acknowledges the online program provides flexibility, it also requires superior self-discipline and time management.

“The CSP Kinesiology doctoral program is a marathon, not a sprint. Focus on consistency over intensity.”

She also encourages students to identify their ‘why’ early in the program:

“Your purpose is the ultimate source of motivation when the workload gets heavy. Once you find that purpose, use it to drive your research. Do not wait until dissertation time to start thinking about your research interests. Use your coursework to explore how your passion intersects with your field. CSP is filled with faculty who are leaders in their disciplines; reach out to them, leverage their expertise, and let your personal story become the foundation of your professional impact.”

Going forward, Dr. Claire Woebke remains committed to expanding her influence in healthcare education and training the next generation of care providers: “I see my primary role as preparing the path and providing the essential tools and expertise. Ultimately, my professional goal is to be the sidekick to my students’ heroics, providing them with the foundation, knowledge, and ethical framework they need to become highly competent, compassionate, and solution-driven leaders in their fields.”

Ready to Multiply Your Impact?

Dr. Woebke used her doctoral journey to transition from clinician to educator, empowering the next generation of healthcare providers. If you are ready to find your “why” and elevate your career in higher education or clinical research, explore the online EdD and PhD in Kinesiology at CSP Global.

Customize your path with specializations in Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, Exercise and Sports Nutrition, or Strength & Conditioning.