John Volkamer

Major: Kinesiology and Health
Company/Organization: Urbandale High School
Destination: Urbandale, Iowa
Timeframe: Summer 2021
Advisor/Coordinator Email: dpower

Responsibilities

My responsibilities for this internship were to monitor and teach proper lifting form and technique and lead exercises for large and small groups of high school aged athletes. I also used these responsibilities to help with some middle school and adult age groups as well. It was also my responsibility to help with the cleaning and daily maintenance of the training facility.

Accomplishments

The greatest accomplishment I've had during my internship is breaking my insecurities about how well I can coach athletes in the weight room. I've really developed a lot of confidence in how I go about business in the weight room now and I now know that I am completely capable of leading a weight room on my own.

Learning experience

The most important thing i learned is how to take a leadership role and be able to lead exercise groups with confidence. I learned how to present myself in a strong way that allows me to use my knowledge in the best way possible. Also, I learned a lot about how to operate a weight room in large group settings where you have dozens of people to keep track of.

What advice would you give?

Take advantage of all the real world experience you can get as soon as possible. If you find opportunities to volunteer, intern, or have opportunities presented to you in classes do them. This will help to accelerate your learning even more and build connections with other professionals that can help you in the future.

Career Connections