Mary Vander Heiden serves as UCF's Director of Sports Medicine/Head Football Athletic Trainer. Prior to her current post, she proudly served the department as Head Football Athletic Trainer since 2007. She has been a full-time part of the sports medicine staff since 2001.
Vander Heiden completed her master's of arts degree in exercise physiology in 2001 from UCF while serving as a graduate assistant athletic trainer for the football team.
A 1998 graduate of Wisconsin Eau-Claire, Vander Heiden earned a B.S. degree in kinesiology, with a minor in exercise management and a concentration in sports medicine.
Prior to her graduation, Vander Heiden attended Wisconsin-Stout where she played softball from 1993-97.
As part of her graduation requirements at UW Eau-Claire, Vander Heiden worked with the University of Minnesota football team as a student athletic trainer.
Vander Heiden served as the associate head athletic trainer for the annual Gridiron Classic from 1999-04. She was an instructor in the NATABOC Accredited Athletic Training Program at UCF from 2001-04, teaching Intro to Pharmacology and Field Applications and assisting with Biomechanics and Modalities as a lab instructor. Vander Heiden remains a clinical instructor.
Vander Heiden is a native of Port Washington, Wis.