Emily DeGroot is entering her sixth year as Head Athletic Trainer and ninth overall at the University of Sioux Falls in 2026-27. In her role, she oversees all aspects of sports medicine operations for Cougar Athletics.
As Head Athletic Trainer, DeGroot is responsible for organizing injury prevention programs, conducting injury evaluations, and overseeing the management, treatment, and rehabilitation of student-athletes. She coordinates athletic training coverage for home and road events, manages staffing for the department's sports medicine services, and oversees the administration of physical examinations, medical referrals, and return-to-play assessments. Additionally, DeGroot develops and enforces infectious disease protocols, oversees concussion management procedures, and assists with the implementation of conditioning, rehabilitation, strength, and endurance programs designed to support the health and performance of Cougar student-athletes. She also serves as the department's designated Athletics Healthcare Administrator, overseeing the policies and procedures that support the overall health and safety of Cougar student-athletes.
In 2026, DeGroot played a leading role in helping the University of Sioux Falls become the first higher education institution in South Dakota to earn the state's Cardiac Ready Campus designation through the South Dakota Cardiac Ready Communities program. She spearheaded the formation of USF's "Heart Safe" team, which expanded CPR education opportunities, mapped and monitored Automated External Defibrillator (AED) locations, increased access to naloxone (Narcan), and established comprehensive emergency response protocols across campus. Under her leadership, nearly 50 percent of USF faculty and staff became CPR certified, while more than 130 students completed CPR training, creating a safer and more prepared environment for the entire campus community.
Beyond her responsibilities in athletics, DeGroot serves as an adjunct professor in the University of Sioux Falls Exercise Science program and is a certified CPR instructor through the American Red Cross, combining her passion for education and healthcare by preparing future professionals in the fields of athletic training and human performance.
A native of Raymond, Minnesota, DeGroot graduated from MACCRAY High School in 2011 before earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, in 2015. She later completed a Master of Science degree in Kinesiology and Sport Psychology from A.T. Still University in Kirksville, Missouri, in 2017.
Prior to joining the USF staff, DeGroot served as an assistant athletic trainer and head dance coach at Northwestern College from 2015-17. She joined the athletic training staff at Avera Health in Sioux Falls in 2017, first serving as the head athletic trainer at Canton High School from 2017-18 before becoming an assistant athletic trainer at the University of Sioux Falls from 2018-21. In 2021, she was elevated to Head Athletic Trainer, where she has continued to lead and enhance the sports medicine services provided to Cougar student-athletes.
DeGroot is a Board of Certification (BOC) Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC), licensed in the state of South Dakota (LAT), and a member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA).
Emily and her husband, Dan, reside in Sioux Falls with their dog, Maple.
Updated 6/18/2026
