Athletic Trainers

Meet Our Team

Bethany Coovert is a Certified Athletic Trainer who has been with IBJI in Glenview since 2010.  While at IBJI, Bethany has completed her Active Release Technique (ART) certification.  She utilizes this while working in conjunction with the physical therapists to enhance treatment for chronic soft tissue conditions.  Bethany also organizes community outreach events for the athletic training staff.  She graduated from Eastern Illinois University, where she received her B.S. in Non-Teaching Physical Education/Athletic Training.  Bethany also received her Master’s degree in Athletic Training from Western Michigan University in 2002.  Prior to coming to IBJI, Bethany completed a Sports Medicine Fellowship at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY, having the opportunity to work and travel with a variety of Olympic teams and as a high school ATC for the past 8 years.

Julianne Peacock  is a Physical Therapist/Athletic Trainer at the IBJI Highland Park facility, and has been with IBJI since 2009.  She received her Bachelors of Arts in Athletic Training from Purdue University and her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis.  Julianne has a passion for sports and enjoys helping her patients progress back to their favorite sport or activity by incorporating sport-specific exercises into their rehabilitation programs.  Most recently, Julianne has taken over the responsibility of leading the Sports Medicine Special Interest Group for IBJI.

Matt Repa is a Certified Athletic Trainer and NASM Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist, who has been with the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute since 2007.  Matt is a graduate of Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA where he earned his bachelors degree in Athletic Training and Physical Education.  He also was a four year member of the collegiate baseball team, winning a conference title in 2006, and a member of the Kohawk basketball team during his freshman year.  As a senior he received the prestigious “Wallace Award” for excellence in Athletic Training and Sports Medicine.

During his time with IBJI, Matt has worked with DI & DII NCAA Collegiate Athletics, Major League Baseball, USA Rugby, AND1 Basketball, Olympic Development Soccer, and various local club baseball, soccer, hockey, lacrosse, and rugby teams.  In 2007, Matt presented at the Central Suburban League’s Sports Medicine Symposium on the Correlations of Special Test to predict injuries in swimmers, and again in 2011 on Functional Evaluations of the Overhead Thrower.  As a Dartfish video software expert, Matt created an interactive presentation for the 2010 & 2011 Illinois Bone & Joint Institute Sports Medicine Symposiums on Proper Pitching Mechanics and Functional Movements Screen.

Annika Safstrom is a Certified Athletic Trainer and has been with Illinois Bone and Joint Rehabilitation in Glenview since 2011.  She completed her Bachelor’s in Athletic Training at North Park University, Chicago in 2007.  Before coming to IBJI, Annika was an athletic trainer at New Trier High School for 4 years.  Her athletic training experience includes a wide variety of sports at a competitive high school level as well as DI and DIII athletes.  She has a passion for working with high school students.  She developed a sports medicine program at New Trier and among other projects now coordinates student internships at IBJI.

Paul Schmidt is a Physical Therapist/Athletic Trainer and the facility manager at the IBJI Highland Park location.  He attended Northern Illinois University where he obtained a bachelors degree in Physical Education/Sports Medicine in 1995.  He completed the Athletic Training Licensing exam upon graduation and immediately began Physical Therapy School at Hogeschool Enschede in the Netherlands.  After graduating in 1998, Paul worked at Lutheran General Hospital in the Outpatient Sports Medicine Clinic as a physical therapist from 1999-2005, leading the department from 2001-2005.  In 2005, Paul began working for IBJI, where he has worked with local high school teams in injury prevention programs, and given numerous presentations including lectures for Rosalind Franklin University and presentations at the International Shoulder and Elbow Rehabilitation Specialists in Brazil.

Stephen Weidner is a Certified Athletic Trainer, and NASM Certified Performance Enhancement Specialist working with IBJI at our Buffalo Grove and Highland Park locations.  Currently, Stephen’s main role is with Impact Sports Performance where he develops and implements sports performance training programs with an emphasis on injury prevention.  Stephen also is the coordinating Athletic Trainer for Greater Libertyville Soccer Association (GLSA), and an assistant Athletic Trainer at Lake Forest High School.  He attended Illinois State University where he received his Bachelors of Science in Athletic Training.  His previous experiences include serving as a Physician Extender with highly experienced sports medicine orthopedic surgeons, ATC at Marian Central High School, and providing advanced rehabilitation to athletes of all ages.