Kris Nava

This week on The Saddle Up Podcast, G Garza and Matt Palmquist welcome Kris Nava, a UTRGV professor and medical trainer at St. Joseph’s Academy, for a conversation about sports medicine, education, athlete care, and preparing the next generation for careers in health and athletics.Kris brings together two worlds that rarely get discussed in the same conversation: the classroom and the sideline. At UTRGV, athletic training and kinesiology education focus on the prevention, recognition, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports-related injuries, while also preparing students for careers in athletic training and sports medicine.At St. Joseph’s Academy, athletic training plays an important role in student-athlete wellness, including injury evaluation and treatment, game coverage, rehabilitation, emergency procedures, nutrition, anatomy, and sports psychology education.In this episode, Kris discusses what it really takes to care for athletes beyond game day, the importance of injury prevention and recovery, the responsibility that comes with helping young athletes return to competition safely, and how teaching can shape the future of sports medicine in the Rio Grande Valley.The conversation also explores the relationship between coaches, trainers, athletes, parents, and medical professionals, along with the growing opportunities available for students interested in athletic training, kinesiology, rehabilitation, and other healthcare careers.More than anything, this episode gives viewers a look at the people behind the scenes who help keep athletes healthy, prepared, and able to compete.------Follow G IG / @gghoops Follow Matt IG / @ptwist610 Welcome to **The Saddle Up Podcast**, the unscripted RGV show where real stories, sports, culture, community, and Vaquero pride all meet at the same table.Hosted by **G Garza and Matt Palmquist**, Saddle Up brings you conversations with former athletes, coaches, alumni, community leaders, entertainers, business owners, and difference-makers connected to **UTPA, UTB, UTRGV, and the Rio Grande Valley**. Every episode is built around honest conversation, good laughs, untold stories, and the people who continue to shape the Valley’s past, present, and future.Whether you are a UTPA alum, UTB alum, UTRGV supporter, Vaquero fan, RGV native, sports fan, or someone who loves authentic conversations, this episode is for you.Subscribe to **The Saddle Up Podcast** for more conversations with the people who represent the Rio Grande Valley with pride.**Find Saddle Up Podcast on:**YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and Apple Podcasts.**Follow us:**Facebook: www.facebook.com/saddleuppodcast?mibextid=LQQJ4dInstagram: www.instagram.com/saddle_up_pod?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Spotify: https:// open.spotify.com/show/79B4Gl7miBWwpD4kM1tKIVApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saddle-up-podcast/id1666138276Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/04f3f96f-9dcb-4c42-a91c-a87dfc38655b/saddle-up-podcastiHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-saddle-up-podcast-107415364/**Keywords:**Saddle Up Podcast, G Garza, Matt Palmquist, UTRGV, UTPA, UTB, UTRGV Athletics, Vaquero Athletics, Rio Grande Valley, RGV podcast, best podcast in the RGV, funniest podcast in the RGV, UTRGV alumni, UTPA alumni, UTB alumni, RGV sports, South Texas podcast, college sports podcast, Valley stories, RGV community, UTRGV football, UTRGV basketball, UTRGV baseball, UTRGV athletics podcast#SaddleUpPodcast #UTRGV #UTPA #UTB #RGV #RioGrandeValley #VaqueroPride