Heather Mau always wanted to dig deep into the inner-workings of the human body. That’s why when she was attending Maryknoll High School in Honolulu she decided to pursue a career in athletic training.
“I played volleyball throughout my four years of high school and started playing club volleyball when I was super young, so I’ve always been curious about injuries and how the body works and how to properly train,” Mau said. “So, my interest in athletic training started super early.
“I would say heavy interest, and I started planning everything for college and my Master’s (degree) when I was a freshman in high school.”
Before working the last three seasons with the South Bay Lakers – the NBA G League affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers – Mau spent the 2013-15 seasons working for the University of California-Riverside, and one year working at Cal State University. Now, the 30-year old is in her first season as the assistant athletic trainer for the Dallas Mavericks.
According to Mau, this is virtually the perfect job for her at this point in her career.
“I’ve told this to a lot of people — even my former co-workers with the Lakers’ organization — that I couldn’t have been more blessed for a better transition not only to relocate to Dallas, but relocating to a new organization,” Mau said. “So, it’s been pretty awesome.”
Mau is a meticulous attention-to-detail worker who gets to the arena very early and stays very late.
“I go there (early) to set up and just make sure that everything is ready to go, so that when the guys come in we can hit the ground running,” Mau said. “But I’m used to it. I don’t really like sitting still very much.”
While the Mavs’ players are the obvious major beneficiaries of Mau’s skill-set, owner Mark Cuban also gives her work two thumbs up.
“She’s great,” Cuban said. “She stretches me and works me out. Yeah, she’s a beast. She’s really good at her job, and the guys really like her because she’s good at her job.”
Mau received her Bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Adelphi University in Long Island, N.Y, in 2011, and her Master’s degree in athletic training from California Baptist University in Riverside, CA, in 2013.
For Mau, growing up in arguably the most picturesque state in the United States is always a topic of conversation. But so, too, is Mau’s new job with the Mavs.
“Growing up in Hawaii is amazing,” Mau said. “Obviously, it’s paradise with the world’s most beautiful beaches and amazing hikes.
“But here, I still have so much to learn. I really am in a pretty awesome situation.”
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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