Experience at the Maccabiah Games Leads to Professional Development for Presburger

The three-week trip included one week of training camp, followed by two weeks of competition. During the training camp, groups had early mornings in which Presburger joined the U.S. delegation at practices and provided treatments as needed. In the afternoons, the group had sightseeing opportunities which included a visit to Masada, an ancient fortress, and a float in the Dead Sea. They also paid a visit to Jerusalem, viewing religious sites and receiving some valuable history lessons. Finally, the group visited Tel Aviv, taking in the sights and sounds of the modern city that sits along the Mediterranean.

Once the second and third weeks arrived and the Games officially began, Presburger provided athletic training coverage for several events, with the option to explore the nation in the evenings.

“There were hubs and different hotels and sites,” Presburger said. “Our delegation was over 1,000 people, so you can’t put everyone at the same hotel. Also, the training facilities were in different cities. The first week we were in one hub. That week, I got to work with a different team each day. I did tennis, swimming, karate and fencing. At the hotel, we also had softball, weight lifting, wrestling and judo, among other sports. For treatments, I would see those people too. When we moved to the Games, I was mostly providing coverage for tennis, but I got to help out with men’s and women’s soccer a little bit as well. We also had track and field at the hotel, so I got to do some treatments with them. Once the games started, though, I would say I was with tennis 98% of the time.”