Athletic Training Internships
Benefits of Athletic Training Internships
Athletic training internships are for students who have knowledge in health, diet, and fitness combined with a love for sports. Students who are interested in a career in athletic training major in a field related to health and nutrition while in school. Athletic training internships are tough to come by, so it is very important that students begin their search early.
Athletic training is a very difficult field to get into. Professionals typically have years of experience under their belts and are also knowledgeable in health, nutrition, and fitness. With that said, doing athletic training internships will help you get your foot in the door. This will allow students to build a network, which is key to success in this career.
Example of Athletic Training Internships
While there are many organizations offering athletic training internships, we will focus on one. That is America’s pass-time, the National Football League (NFL).
Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS) is a community of Professional Athletic Trainers that serves the athletes of National Football League (NFL) and keeping them on the field. They also serve other members of the NFL community. The society started during the early 1960’s when NFL Athletic Trainers shared knowledge and techniques on injury prevention and rehabilitation at the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) Annual Meeting. Its main goal is to provide a quality health care to NFL. Becoming an NFL intern is a great stepping stone and a great way to network with Athletic Trainers.
NFL Internship Benefits
NFL internships give students a chance to intern as part of the PFATS staff. Interns are exposed to various responsibilities along with gaining experience in a professional sport. The NFL offers two forms of internships for students:
- Seasonal Internships
- Training CampInternships
Seasonal Internships will usually have one to two athletic training internships for each team and it may vary throughout every league. Seasonal interns are required to have either graduated from an accredited undergraduate or graduate Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP) and are certified athletic trainers. Applicants can apply in the fall for any open positions for each team and they often start in spring and can last through the NFL season. Roles for seasonal interns may vary from team to team. Seasonal intern’s role is an extension of the athletic training staff which gives interns a true taste of day-to-day athletic training. Interns gain more responsibilities related to field setup and breakdown for practice and game days, stretching and taping duties.
Training Camp Internships only starts in summer where applicants who are enrolled in ATEP can apply in the fall for open positions on each team. For NFL teams, summer time is such a busy time that they rely a lot on interns. Training camp interns are of much help for teams due to a larger number of players present every summer.
In addition, NFL offers paid internships for students and a chance to get a real job in the league when for a well done performance. Becoming an NFL Athletic Training Intern is just the first step towards achieving this great career.
Other Information about Athletic Training Internships
NFL internships involved duties on a daily basis which means a continual demonstration of intern’s abilities as a productive member of the athletic training staff. Interns will be exposed to various practices such as rehabilitation protocols, providing support during practices, player hydration, and treatment of player injuries. These opportunities are great stepping stones for young students to enhance their knowledge on Athletic Training in a professional sports setting.
Athletic training internships also give students a chance to get up close to their favorite athletes and begin to know players on a more personal level.
You may also be interested in these internships:
By Diane Barlow