Clarksville, Ark. -- University of the Ozarks has hired Lauren Ford as an assistant athletic trainer and David Beck '21 as the strength and conditioning coach, athletics director Jimmy Clark announced Tuesday (May 23).
Both employees will begin in July.
"These are great hires for us," said Clark. "Lauren and David have the skillset and enthusiasm to make a positive impact on our athletic department and athletic programs. They are the type of individuals that can build a great rapport with the student-athletes. Athletic Training and Strength and Conditioning are such key positions for our student-athletes and we are grateful to have them on staff."
Ford worked the 2023 spring semester with NCAA I Oral Roberts University serving as the athletic trainer for the basketball and golf programs. At ORU, she assisted with injury assessment, treatment, therapy, practice coverage and game day coverage. During the 2022 spring semester, Ford traveled with the Northeastern State University softball and baseball teams as the athletic trainer.
"I am thankful and excited to get to be a part of the U of O's athletic training department," said Ford. "I'm originally from Arkansas so I'm excited to be coming home. Go Eagles!"
In 2021, Ford worked in the Pryor, Oklahoma, school district as an athletic trainer for basketball, football and wrestling. In each of her stops, Ford assisted with injury assessment and management, treatment plans with therapeutic modalities, manual therapy and therapeutic exercise, practice coverage and game day coverage.
A native of Hartford, Ark., Ford worked at Advanced Orthopedics and at five different departments at the Oklahoma State University Medical Center in 2022. In March, Ford worked the Big XII Men's Wrestling Championships in Tulsa. Her volunteer work includes Neighbors Along the Line for the disadvantaged, Operation Orange for high school students and the Oklahoma City Marathon.
Ford received her bachelor's degree in sports and coaching science from Oklahoma State University in 2020. She earned her master's of athletic training from OSU in 2023.
Beck served as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach during the 2022-23 academic year for Ozarks.
During his time as a graduate assistant, Beck created and delivered training programs dedicated to optimizing strength, speed, endurance, and reduction of injury risk. Additionally, he monitored chosen KPIs for individual sports and athletes, reporting results to the head coach. For the student-athletes, he provided education of nutritional strategies to optimize strength, power, and recovery.
"I am incredibly excited to come back to the University that I know and love, both as a student and as a graduate assistant," said Beck. "One thing, that I love above all else, are the student athletes and their willingness to work as hard as they can to reach their potential. Strength and Conditioning is not all sets and reps, cool new exercises, or periodization schemes, it is being able to develop the student-athlete physically, mentally and spiritually, which is and will always be the goal."
A native of Conway, Ark., Beck was a three-year letterman on the baseball team. As a pitcher, Beck finished his career with 99.1 innings and 98 strikeouts. In 2019, he led the team with 56.2 innings pitched and finished second in strikeouts (51). In a COVID-shortened season in 2020, Beck displayed his best stuff posting a 4-0 record and striking out 37.
He is a NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.
Beck earned his bachelor's degree in physical education. He received his master's degree in strength and conditioning studies from Arkansas Tech University in 2023. Beck and his wife, Rachel, were married in 2021.
