This first week in the strength and conditioning internship program has been educational on many levels. To start, we learned a lot about the testing protocol for Northeastern University’s athletes, as well as proper technique with exercises. On a more subtle level, I think we learned a lot about the factors that contribute to how strength and conditioning coaches can positively influence an athlete’s exercise performance on a session by session basis.
We were given excellent exercise programs by Mike Zawilinski and Sarah Cahill to complete during our internship. For the most part, I completed the assigned exercises with my fellow interns (Mark, Brian, Joe, and Tom); for the times that I was unable to join them, I did my workouts at the Marino Center (Northeastern’s campus recreation site). What I learned in doing this, is the fact that peer motivation is so helpful in perceiving exercise as achievable and enjoyable. Not having the guys around to encourage me or motivate me by yelling out, “good job! 2 more” when doing cleans, made the workouts seem that much harder.
This first week also further instilled why strength and conditioning coaches are necessary. Being a senior athletic training student, I am well aware how important proper form and mechanics are in completing exercise, whether they be for rehab or recreational purposes. In completing the exercises in the strength and conditioning center, there were moments when I would lose my form; yet, it felt as though I couldn’t fix it. It wasn’t until I heard a verbal cue from Sarah or one of the guys that I actually corrected my form. Having coaches around to help with those verbal cues (or visual, kinesthetic, etc. depending on how each athlete learns best) is important to keep athletes safe and performing at their best.