Scotton receives IHSADA sports medicine award

A knee injury set Matt Scotton on the career path of becoming a physical therapist. Scotton suffered an ACL tear in his knee as a freshman growing up near Shenandoah.

“I didn’t have much therapy after surgery, but I was always trying to figure out how I could get stronger to keep playing football and baseball,” Scotton said. “That piqued my interest in physical therapy, which I thought would be a good career for me.”

Scotton moved to Newton in 1994 and has been a physical trainer for Newton High School athletic teams since then. Scotton is recipient of the 2015 Outstanding Sports Medicine Award given by the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association.

“I’ve nominated Matt the past three years for the award. I think he is very deserving of it, and I believe the IHSADA made a great selection this year,” NHS athletic director Scott Garvis said. “He does such a great job working with our kids and communicating with our parents. He makes sure our kids are safe, going above and beyond the basic duties of a trainer.”

Scotton, who is the clinic manager as well as a physical trainer for Kinetic Edge Physical Therapy in Newton, is in his 21st year working with Newton High School athletes. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Central College. His master’s degree is from the University of Iowa, and his doctorate degree is from Des Moines University.

“I was surprised when I was told of the award. It’s humbling, because I know a lot of other deserving people across the state who work with high school athletes on a daily basis also,” Scotton said following a full night of work attending to several injuries wrestlers for Newton and Prairie City-Monroe Thursday night at Newton.

Scotton said he worked as high school athletic trainer for Colfax-Mingo from 1999 to 2009. He said there are always two trainers working at Newton High to cover all the home events, and they travel with the Cardinal football team.

“Over the years, I’ve worked with a lot of other teams because when you’re working an event, you attend the visiting team also. I’ve had contact with 1,000 athletes and coaches over the years. I’ve volunteered to cover football playoff games when my primary team doesn’t advance,” he said.

Scotton has worked as a physical therapist at two hospitals, including Skiff in Newton. He said four months ago he took the position at Kinetic Edge. He worked a year at a hospital in Watertown, Wis., and was the athletic trainer for the high school there, before moving to Newton.

“I have a blast every day I work with the athletes here in the different sports. I love sports, and it’s fun to get to know the athletes, coaches, parents and grandparents. I get to do what I enjoy doing — helping people figure out how to perform better whether there’s an injury or not.”

Scotton said sometimes it is about just talking to athletes about taking care of small problems before they become injuries. He said when an injury does occur he educates athletes and parents about what to do next.

“A lot of the times it’s home self treatment such as ice packs and an exercise or two. Sometimes they need to be referred to a physician or specialist. I just help the athlete and parents sort it all out,” Scotton said.

Scotton and his wife, Sandy, have two daughters — Kora and Hannah — who were swimmers for Newton High. Scotton enjoys participating in biking and running events.

“I end up helping people wherever I am. When I’m participating in the endurance events, I usually have people asking questions once they learn I’m a physical therapist, which is fine,” he said, “I’m doing what I love to do — helping them do what they enjoy doing.”

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
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or jsheets@newtondailynews.com