INPERSON
SUPER DREAMS
Shaler alum Steve Labate experienced Super Bowl 50
as an athletic trainer for the Carolina Panthers.
BY NICOLE TAFE
S
haler alum Steve Labate has dreamed about going to the Super
Bowl since he was a freshman in college, and this year, that
dream came true when he attended Super Bowl 50 as an athletic
trainer for the Carolina Panthers.
The son of Frank and Susan Labate, he was born and raised in
Shaler, attended Shaler Area School District and graduated from
Shaler High School in 2008. Following graduation he attended
California University of Pennsylvania, majored in Athletic Training
and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 2012. He then furthered
his education at South Dakota State University and received his
master’s degree in Exercise Science in 2014.
“It was at Shaler Area High School that I knew I wanted to be an
athletic trainer,” says Labate. While there, he played junior varsity and
varsity basketball. It was Bill Couts, Shaler’s head athletic trainer, who
first introduced him to the athletic training profession. “During my
junior and senior year I would stay after school and shadow him,” says
Labate. “This is where I fell in love with athletic training and I knew
that I wanted to pursue the career for the rest of my life.”
Following his time at Shaler High School, Labate knew he wanted
to major in athletic training but was not sure if he should pursue a
larger, Division I university or a smaller school. Couts advised him to
choose a smaller school so he would get a better hands-on experience
in the field.
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Couts’ advice definitely paid off and Labate’s experiences began to
blossom, one after another. During the summer of 2010 he completed
an internship with the Cleveland Browns, and then another internship
with the Buffalo Bills during the following summer. When Jamie
Weary, Cal U’s head athle