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In this essay, I reflect on my life and academic career, detailing my childhood, family background, education, and those who influenced me to study physical education and athletic training. My higher education started with a small college experience that had a transformative impact on my intellectual curiosity, leading to graduate degrees and, ultimately, a career in higher education. I chronicle my academic career trajectory as a non-tenure-track faculty member and clinician, tenured faculty member, department chair, dean, and provost. My personal and professional lives have been undergirded by a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, with examples provided in this essay.

This paper reviews the concepts associated with isokinetic open chain assessment and exercise of the quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups. Following a review of the isokinetic concept of exercise, the paper addresses principles of assessment and exercise of the knee, including the importance of musculoskeletal and cardiovascular screening, warm-up, body position, stabilization, and joint alignment. Gravity correction, test and exercise velocity, and duration of exercise are also addressed. Interpretation of an isokinetic evaluation of the knee is also addressed within the context of force-velocity relationships, peak torque relative to body weight, and bilateral and reciprocal muscle group relationships. Joint range of motion and test velocity are also discussed with respect to patellofemoral and tibiofemoral joint forces. Finally, recommended protocols for isokinetic assessment and exercise of the quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups are presented.

Returning athletes to competition following injury often creates a dilemma for athletic trainers and team physicians. Most clinicians gather as much data as possible before deciding whether to return an athlete to competition following injury. The status of the postural control system and balance is important for certain pathologies and therefore should be considered in these clinical decisions. As more high-tech balance systems become available, it is important for clinicians to understand not only what is available but what these devices measure. This paper will review the relationship between the postural control system and the kinetic chain, traditional and contemporary techniques for assessing balance, and ways in which clinicians can bridge the gap between balance research and clinical practice.