Athletic Training Summer Experiences

While the Athletic Training major does not have a formal summer internship, many of the students sought out these learning opportunities. The following are some of the athletic training students sharing their experiences.

Paige Clawson, Senior

“I spent the summer working for JRobinson Intensive Wrestling Camps. I traveled to Forest City, IA; Edinboro, PA; Riverfalls, WI; and LaGrande OR, to work with high school wrestlers attending camps. The camps range from 10-28 days and involve 4 practices a day. I was able to treat over 900 athletes in the entirety of the summer. With the experiences of seeing and treating injuries from skin infections to broken bones and dislocations, it was a great experience working with so many different athletes and health care professionals. I had the experience of traveling across the country.”

Aaron Patterson, Senior

“My summer experience was with the professional women’s soccer team, FCKC, in Kansas City. They play in the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League). Through this experience I was able to learn how to apply my knowledge of athletic training to help professional athletes. Several things I was able to learn about the most were kinesiotaping, cupping, massage techniques and joint mobilizations. I was educated on many rehab exercises for different injuries such as a strained UCL, numerous ankle sprains, and LBP. I gained experience using a Kestrel WBGT. Most importantly I was introduced to all of the work and time it takes to be a professional athletic trainer and decided at the end of the summer that being a professional athletic trainer isn’t someone I want be. Overall, the internship was exactly what I needed. It boosted my confidence, helped me with my critical thinking, and learning how to use everything I have been taught to keep athletes as healthy as possible.”

 

Kailee Calvin, Sophomore

“This summer I got to work the Bridge the Gap To Health Marathon in Quincy, Illinois under a certified athletic trainer. I arrived at 7:00 am, and before the race, we made sure we had everything packed like the AED, tape, pre-wrap, gauze, and other important items. During the race, we worked the medical tent. Towards the end of the marathon is when things got exciting. Jackie Joyner-Kersee (an olympic athlete) handed everyone their participation medals. All medical staff stood at the end of the finish line and kept an eye on each runner as they finished. We handed runners waters and made sure they were hydrated and felt okay. Luckily, the only thing that happened was someone threw up. I got to observe 2 evals for athletes with runner’s knee.”