Florida
Florida Tech Panthers Hires Melissa Wieand as Associate Athletic Trainer – Space Coast Daily
spent time with Green Bay packers, LA Chargers
Wieand comes to Florida Tech after working for the Green Bay Packers as a Fellow Athletic Trainer since 2023.
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Florida Tech Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine and Performance Luis Velez has announced the hiring of Melissa Wieand as Associate Athletic Trainer.
“I am excited for Melissa to be joining our team and for her to come back to the Space Coast where she grew up.” Said Velez. “Her professional background as an athletic trainer will bring another perspective that will further round out our sports medicine staff.”
Wieand comes to Florida Tech after working for the Green Bay Packers as a Fellow Athletic Trainer since 2023.
“I am very excited about this opportunity at Florida Tech and being back in my hometown community,” said Wieand. “I’m looking forward to working with the talented sports medicine staff and scholar-athletes at Florida Tech in this next journey of my career.”
While working with the Packers, she developed rehabilitation plans that coincided with the team’s weight room program and managed pregame locker room setup during away games. Additionally, she conducted comprehensive weekly inspections on all emergency equipment to ensure functionality and reliability.
Before working in Green Bay, Wieand spent the 2022-2023 season at Florida Atlantic University as an Athletic Training Fellow, where she was with the Owls Football and Track programs.
There, she was the primary source of communication between athletes and physicians, working with hospital schedulers to order imaging and coordinating insurance while supervising student interns.
Earlier that year, she also gained experience working as a training camp intern for the Los Angeles Chargers. She assisted with sweat and hydration testing, maintained inventory, and coordinated pregame equipment for the team’s travel.
In 2021-2022, Wieand attended the University of Connecticut (UCONN) as a graduate student, working with the Recreational Sports teams. Her duties included performing on-field evaluations of injuries while also working with physicians regarding concussion management protocols.
Throughout graduate school, Wieand worked at the Korey Stringer Institute as an Assistant Director of Sports Safety, Westminster School, University of Florida Football Camps, and Valdosta High School.
As an undergraduate at the University of Florida, she worked with the Gators women’s basketball, swim and dive team, and football programs. Other experiences while in school include working with the Philadelphia Flyers during rookie training camp, at Eastside High School, and held a Patrick South End Zone Internship at the University of Florida.
She holds certifications in Basic Life Support (CPR) through the American Heart Association.
Wieand received her Bachelor of Science in athletic training from the University of Florida in May 2020. In 2022, she earned her Master of Science in Kinesiology from UCONN.
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Video: Injured Florida manatee rescued by authorities, receiving medical care at ZooTampa
FORT MYERS, Fla. – An injured manatee and her calf are recovering after authorities on a boat rescued them from the Orange River near Fort Myers on Thursday.
What we know:
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said its Marine Unit, Advanced Technology Support Unit, drone pilots and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped in saving the pair after the mother was found hurt in the water and in need of medical attention.
READ: Missing Florida man found stuck in mud without food or water for days: PFD
Video shows authorities pulling the frantic manatees safely onto the boat in netting before taking them to shore.
Courtesy: Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Both animals will be taken to ZooTampa for evaluation and medical care.
What we don’t know:
LCSO did not say the extent of the mother’s injuries.
By the numbers:
As of Feb. 20, there have been 85 manatee deaths across Florida in 2026, according to the FWC. Last year reportedly saw a total of 632 manatee deaths.
Dig deeper:
Earlier this month, the FWC began investigating a spike in manatee deaths, specifically in Lee County, where officials say 25 were found dead within a week.
READ: FWC investigating spike in manatee deaths over the past week
The FWC believes these manatee deaths could be from several factors: cold stress, a lack of seagrass and polluted waterways.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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