Philadelphia Flyers’ Summer Internship
By Andrea Auclair- MAT Class of 2014
This summer, I interned with the National Hockey League’s
Philadelphia Flyers. Under the guidance
of Flyers’ head athletic trainer, Jimmy McCrossin, I spent a week learning the
ins and outs of athletic training at the professional hockey level while
helping to provide athletic training services for the Flyers’ annual prospect
camp at the Wells Fargo Center and Flyers Skate Zone.
Philadelphia Flyers Athletic Trainer Jimmy McCrossin ATC with SLU AT Student Andrea Auclair. |
Each day brought a new experience to be learned from.
Whether it was preparticipation medical evaluations or helping with a
rehabilitation protocol for an athlete one day out of a meniscal repair, there
was always something new for me to learn. One of the best parts of interning
with the Flyers’ athletic training staff, comprised of head athletic trainer,
Jimmy, assistant athletic trainer Sal Raffa, and minor league affiliate
Phantom’s head athletic trainer Greg Lowden, was the ability to constantly
learn. Whether it was in the fitness center prescribing rehab exercises, in the
athletic training room using therapeutic modalities, or sitting on the Flyers’
bench, each moment was filled with questions from me as well as explanations
from athletic training staff on all facets of hockey and athletic training.
One of my favorite experiences with the Flyers was not on
the ice, but rather out in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, where the Flyers held
their annual “Trial on the Isle” for prospects. The day was comprised of
athletes going for a mile and a half run on the beach followed by running back
as teams of four carrying a thirty foot rope in which two athletes wore blacked
out goggles and the other two wore earplugs. Every two blocks along the way, a
different physical or mental challenge was given to the teams in order to test
their bodies, minds, and more importantly their ability to work as a team. The
day concluded with a round robin volleyball tournament where members of the
community took on Flyers’ players.
Although I am a Blackhawks fan, I will forever hold a place
in my heart for the Philadelphia Flyers’ organization. From the athletes to the
coaching staff, I couldn’t be more grateful to work with a fantastic group of
guys. An even larger thank you goes out Jimmy, Sal, and Greg who taught me so
much in a small amount of time that I will use in my career as an athletic
training student and future athletic trainer.
Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training
Program have a required internship in the summer between their two professional
years in the program. This blog post
details a student's reflection on their internship experience.
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