Softball
Cunningham, Mercedes
Mercedes Cunningham
- Title:
- Staff Athletic Trainer (Softball)
- Email:
- cunninme@email.unc.edu
- Phone:
- 919-962-2067
Mercedes Cunningham joined the UNC Sports Medicine staff in August 2022 with primary sport coverage of softball.
Since joining the staff, Cunningham has added Dry Needling and Myofascial decompression certifications to her repertoire. She is also heavily integrated in teaching suicide prevention to the athletics staff and student-athletes after becoming a QPR instructor and earning her Mental Health First Aid certification.
Beyond her interest in advocating for the mental health of student-athletes, Cunningham has been diving into the biomechanics world, where much of her professional interests lie. She has been able to integrate motion capture analysis, along with her graduate assistant Charlie Runstrom, with her softball pitchers as well as working with the UNC EXSS Human Movement lab for more movement data on the softball student-athletes to try to decrease risk of injury.
Cunningham worked at Seton Hall University from 2017-2022, her alma mater, as an assistant athletic trainer for the women’s volleyball team and baseball team. While at Seton Hall, she became involved in concussion research as well as starting her journey with motion capture analysis and biomechanics assessments.
Prior to Seton Hall, Cunningham was a resident athletic trainer from 2014-17 at Boston College working with women’s volleyball, field hockey and women’s lacrosse. During this time and into her time at SHU, Cunningham completed a few international tours with the USA U19 women’s field hockey teams.
Cunningham is a graduate of Seton Hall University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in social and behavioral sciences as well as her master’s degree in athletic training.
Cunningham originally hails from Bethlehem, N.H., and resides in Durham.
Since joining the staff, Cunningham has added Dry Needling and Myofascial decompression certifications to her repertoire. She is also heavily integrated in teaching suicide prevention to the athletics staff and student-athletes after becoming a QPR instructor and earning her Mental Health First Aid certification.
Beyond her interest in advocating for the mental health of student-athletes, Cunningham has been diving into the biomechanics world, where much of her professional interests lie. She has been able to integrate motion capture analysis, along with her graduate assistant Charlie Runstrom, with her softball pitchers as well as working with the UNC EXSS Human Movement lab for more movement data on the softball student-athletes to try to decrease risk of injury.
Cunningham worked at Seton Hall University from 2017-2022, her alma mater, as an assistant athletic trainer for the women’s volleyball team and baseball team. While at Seton Hall, she became involved in concussion research as well as starting her journey with motion capture analysis and biomechanics assessments.
Prior to Seton Hall, Cunningham was a resident athletic trainer from 2014-17 at Boston College working with women’s volleyball, field hockey and women’s lacrosse. During this time and into her time at SHU, Cunningham completed a few international tours with the USA U19 women’s field hockey teams.
Cunningham is a graduate of Seton Hall University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in social and behavioral sciences as well as her master’s degree in athletic training.
Cunningham originally hails from Bethlehem, N.H., and resides in Durham.
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