NEW LONDON, Conn. — 

The U.S. Coast Guard Academy Athletics Department welcomes Derek Rafeldt to the Sports Medicine staff as an Athletic Trainer

Hailing fro Voluntown, Connecticut, Rafeldt graduated from Boston University in 2013, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Athletic Training while participating on the school's men's lacrosse club team during all four of his undergrad years. He later acquired his Master's in Athletic Training & Health Administration from the University of Kentucky. Prior to his college days, Rafeldt played for the Finland U19 National Boy's Lacrosse Team from 2007 to 2009.

Rafeldt balanced the pursuit of his Master's degree with his duties as Head Athletic Trainer of the Continential Indoor Football League's (CIFL) Bluegrass Warhorses and Assistant Athletic Trainer for Scott County High School in Georgetown, Kentucky. He was with the Warhorses from 2013 to 2014 and Scott Country from 2013 to 2015, during the latter of which he was also Head Boy's Lacrosse Coach for the Scott County School District.

From January to September of 2015, Rafeldt served as an Athletic Trainer within the Boston Red Sox organization, working with the franchise's Gulf Coast League (GCL) team based in Fort Myers, Florida, which he followed with a stint at Eastern Connecticut State University from 2015 to 2016. Since then, Rafeldt has held further roles in sports medicine, customer service, medical education, and content creation across a variety of industries.

"It's an honor to join the sports medicine team at The United States Coast Guard Academy," says Rafeldt. "I look forward to serving the cadets with high quality evidence based healthcare to help them accomplish their goals both on and off the field."