COLUMBUS, Ohio - Jason R. Mathews has been named the Crew's new head athletic trainer, General Manager Mark McCullers announced today.
Mathews spent four seasons as head athletic trainer for the Chicago Fire (2002-05) and was recognized following the 2003 campaign as the MLS Athletic Trainer of the Year. He has been the athletic trainer of choice for several U.S. Soccer national team camps and is a founding member and current treasurer/secretary for the Professional Soccer Athletic Trainers' Society (PSATS). Prior to MLS, Jason was the head athletic trainer for the Chicago Steel of the Junior A United States Hockey League.
"I am very excited to be joining one of the pioneering teams in Major League Soccer," Mathews said. "I believe that Sigi is bringing a level of excellence to the team that will spread throughout the organization. I was honored that the Crew, Sigi and Dr. (Pete) Edwards contacted me and that they appreciated and respected the work I had previously done in MLS. I am not only excited about being a member of the Crew family, but also being a member of the Ohio Orthopedic Center of Excellence."
Mathews earned his Master's Degree in Exercise Science from California University of Pennsylvania in 2006, having received his undergraduate degree in Kinesiology at the University of Illinois-Chicago in 1999. He also holds an advanced certification as a performance enhancement specialist (PES) through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
"We are very fortunate to have found a trainer of Jason's background and abilities to bring in," said Crew Head Coach Sigi Schmid. "He has MLS and U.S. National Team experience and is a welcome addition to our staff."
A native of Maryland, Mathews is a veteran of the US Army and has run the Chicago Marathon twice. He and his wife, Trang, have two children, Ethan and Emily.
The Columbus Crew is Ohio's Major League Soccer club, anchoring a diverse sports and entertainment enterprise. One of the league's Charter Members, it will open its 12th season overall and ninth in first-of-its-kind Columbus Crew Stadium on Saturday, April 7, when it plays host to the Eastern Conference-rival New York Red Bulls.
