Luke Schaben

Responsibilities

I was responsible to help and lead sessions that consisted of athletes that ranged from the ages of 11-23 (middle school, high school, and college level). I would make sure that the sessions were prepared for the athletes and clean up after them if needed. I would answer any questions they may have about training and provide them the best knowledge and understanding.

Accomplishments

My greatest accomplishment during my internship is finally getting to display my knowledge/passion I have towards strength and conditioning. I was also able to find my "coaching voice" which involved stepping out of my comfort zone.

Learning experience

My greatest lesson I learned is that you are now a coach. These kids/athletes are now looking up to you as a professional. This took me awhile to wrap my head around. It involved me stepping out of my comfort zone which was not easy. I had to do somethings that I often don't do, but you learn to realize it's a part of the job and you adjust. Building a strong culture with your athletes is the number one priority when it comes to success. If the athletes buy into you, you can take them far.

What advice would you give?

I learned many things from this internship experience. The biggest thing I took away was to never stop learning. I have been learning and been around the strength and conditioning community for nearly 8 years now. The field of Kinesiology and Exercise Science is rapidly moving and there is new information and studies everyday. I quickly learned that some of the information I learned as an undergrad was old and outdated compared to recent information that has came out. You also need to learn from others as well. Don't be a person that thinks their information is the only correct way. Listen to others even though you may not fully agree with them on certain things. You can always take little bits of information away from them.