About the Internship

Expectations

The candidate will be expected to be prompt and readily participate in direct athlete care and use evaluative tools and critical thinking measures to ensure experiential exposure to the athletic training field. The experiences provided through the UW Sports Medicine Athletic Training Internship with Forward Madison FC are not designed to be shadowing opportunities.

As a student in this internship, you will be expected to use critical thinking skills, evaluate and have a hands-on approach to athlete care. You will be given the opportunities to hone your skills, develop educational programs for athletes and maintain professional working relationships with other health care professionals.

Requirements

  • Must be enrolled in a CAATE-accredited athletic training program taking a course for credit in order to have liability coverage provided through your program.
  • Punctual
  • Good organizational skills
  • Good team player with great attitude
  • Ability to work in fast-paced environment

Evaluation

At the beginning of the internship, candidates will be provided with a list of specific goals and objectives that he/she will be required to meet throughout the course of their internship experience.

Staff will be expected to provide ongoing feedback throughout the internship.

Candidates will be provided formal feedback at the mid-point and at the end of their internship. If the candidate is not meeting required or expected skill proficiencies, we reserve the right, at any time during the program, to discontinue the candidate’s internship.

Curriculum

The candidate will have the opportunity to participate in the following activities or settings throughout the course of his/her internship:

  • Day-to-day athletic training duties (including, but not limited to: taping, treatments, documentation and first aid)
  • Training and in-game care of athletes
  • Rehabilitation
  • Side-by-side interaction with team physicians

Through this internship we seek to provide the candidate with educational experiences that are committed to the growth and development of critical thinking skills. This opportunity is not a shadowing experience.

Time Period

The internship starts the last Tuesday of May and runs through the second week of August, with games roughly once/twice per week; however, dates can vary based on team schedule and availability of the interns.

The Athletic Training Intern will arrive one hour before the team arrives for weekday training for treatments (training typically begins at 9 a.m. or 10 a.m., with team arrival 45 minutes before training). Training sessions will last between 1-2 hours, followed by recovery treatments and athletic training room upkeep.

Possible exceptions will be taken under consideration regarding the internship time period. The Forward Madison FC regular season spans from April to early October)

Arrival for games will vary based on the time needed to set up the field. Home games typically start at 7 p.m., with team arrival at 5:15 p.m.

Internship Philosophy

The UW Health Sports Medicine Athletic Training Forward Madison FC Internship is designed to improve the quality of professional development and to provide the athletic training students with an experience of a fast-paced professional soccer experience.

This internship program is intended to provide an understanding of the physical demands placed on soccer players from all positions and importance of preventative and recovery measures.

We aim to offer an elite program that emphasizes a proactive approach to injury prevention/management and athlete recovery, while simultaneously challenging critical thinking and clinical skill advancement.

Dress Code

  • Training: Team-issued clothes
  • Matches: Team-issued clothes and/or khakis