The University’s head team physician, Dr. James Robinson, has been appointed the first Endowed Chair of Sports Medicine for Family Physicians at the University’s College of Community Health Sciences.

Lori Upton, the administrative secretary for the College of Community Health Sciences at the University, has worked with Robinson for two years.

“[Robinson] has a very dynamic personality,” said Upton, who is heavily involved in the selection process for new fellows coming in to the program. “He will be the one person who can make this program the best in the country.”

Since moving back to Tuscaloosa in 1999, Robinson opened a private practice, West Alabama Family Practice and Sports Medicine, and became the director of the college’s sports medicine center.

“We work very closely with the Student Health Center, and we encourage anyone that has any kind of athletic injury to come by any time,” Robinson said.

Robinson’s newest title as the first endowed chair is an addition to his accomplishments.  The chair is sponsored by various alumni and other organizations, and helps to provide salaries for the fellows in the program Robinson leads.

Robinson said UA athletics is a high-pressure environment and takes time to become comfortable.

“My days tend to be a bit long,” Robinson said. “I would suggest finding a high school or college to work with first, for medical students looking to follow a similar path.”

Robinson has worked with many different sports teams throughout his career, including the New Orleans Saints and U.S. soccer teams during the 2000 Summer Olympics. He completed his residency in Tuscaloosa, with Dr. Bill deShazo, the former head team physician, and the namesake of the college’s sports medicine center.

When deShazo retired, Robinson was offered a position as a team physician. From there, Robinson made a name for himself as a prominent figure in the UA community, as well as helped to pass a bill that helps protect athletes from concussions.

“With the new position, we have a sports medicine fellowship and my job is to recruit the fellows for the program,” Upton said.

The program has been approved for three fellows, one more than most programs around the country, but at present only one fellow is involved at one time.

Robinson said he is looking to add another fellow to the program in the near future, but will most likely not go to three, because it “takes away from the experience level.”

“One of my biggest goals is to educate the fellows that I will be training and teaching how to care for non-operative injuries in the medical department, as well as training family physicians to go out into rural areas of Alabama and work as team physicians,” Robinson said.