June 1, 2017
NSCRO Appoints Its First Medical Director, Dr. Ali El-Kerdi
National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO) Release
Medford, NJ 01 June 2017 – The National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO) has appointed its first Medical Director, Dr. Ali El-Kerdi.
El-Kerdi’s background is in athletic training, biomechanics and exercise science. He is a licensed physical therapist, licensed athletic trainer (USA and Canada) and a certified strength and conditioning specialist. He has extensive sports medicine, orthopedic and manual therapy experience having worked with athletes at all levels – from youth sports clubs to professional teams to the Olympics.
El-Kerdi holds multiple degrees, including: a Ph.D. in Health Science with a focus on Movement Science from Seton Hall University; a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore; a master’s degree from the University of Oregon in Exercise and Movement Science, specializing in Sports Medicine and Exercise Physiology; and, a bachelor’s degree at Concordia University in Exercise Science, specializing in Athletic Therapy.
He has taught courses in the areas of Therapeutic Modalities; Biomechanics; Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation; Tissue Pathology; Spine Assessment and Rehabilitation; Biomechanics; Kinesiology; Anatomy; Physiology; Exercise Physiology; Extremity Assessment and Rehabilitation; Nutrition; and, Manual Therapy, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. El-Kerdi is currently the chairperson of the Master of Science in Athletic Training program at Thomas Jefferson University.
El-Kerdi is a journal reviewer for the Journal of Athletic Training, the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, and Strength and Conditioning Journal. He also serves as the technical director of the MossRehab Community Falls and Injury Prevention Initiative as well as a faculty member of the MossRehab Physical Therapy Orthopedic Residency Program.
Lastly, El-Kerdi played elite rugby in both Canada and the USA as well as an IRB level 2 and USAR level 3 certified coach. He has an extensive coaching resume ranging from being either the head or an assistant coach from D4 club and collegiate men’s and women’s to senior men’s and women’s select sides.
NSCRO President Steve Cohen, who has been at the forefront of rugby safety for over 20 years, remarked that “Dr. El-Kerdi will enable us to enhance our safety policies and procedures. He will also work with clubs to provide leads to locate qualified medical personnel for coverage if their institutions don’t already have arrangements.”
About National Small College Rugby Organization
Since 2007, the National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO) has been at the forefront of fostering and developing small college rugby programs in the United States. NSCRO is comprised of more than 240 men’s and 135 women’s colleges and universities who participate in more than 30 leagues for an opportunity compete on a national level and showcase their abilities to a broader and larger audience.
By focusing on small colleges and universities, we help bring these schools, their teams and players exposure outside of their conference/union while also giving them a chance at a national title and ranking. NSCRO provides a responsive national organization dedicated to small colleges and universities which has helped legitimize rugby in the eyes of school administrators. The increased visibility and recognition from NSCRO has led to better school support, greater on-campus interest in rugby and more alumni involvement.
NSCRO is “The Home of Small College Rugby in America”.
For more information, visit http://www.nscro.org and follow us on facebook.com/nscrorugby, @nscrorugby on Twitter and on @nscrorugby on Instagram.
