Life in the FAST Lane

During the summer I was able to intern at a physical therapy and athlete training facility called Foothills Acceleration and Sports Training. During my time there I would help Kyle (the head trainer and internship coordinator) as he trained athletes from all types of sports. I would spend 3-4 hours per day leading anywhere from 1 to 6 athletes ranging from middle school to collegiate level through a sports oriented and specific workout program, oftentimes selecting the workouts myself. I primarily gained experience with sports such as football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, and softball. Occasionally, we would also have the opportunity to participate with the athletes. Below is one such example (p.s. it was also superhero day, hence Captain America).

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My project title, Life in the FAST Lane, was intended to not only indicate my project medium, Foothills Acceleration and Sports Training, but also elude to my tendencies toward living a high pace lifestyle. This is one of the main reasons I embarked into the field of fitness and nutrition, and a major driving force for my pursuit of the position at FAST. I grew up in a small town where I played sports throughout high school. My coaches and administrators during this time had minimal education regarding proper fitness and nutrition, and were far from up-to-date on current research. This didn't register to me until I began my own study late in my high school career and on into my first years at college.

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The biggest challenge I faced while at FAST was my own trepidation. I will agree to being book smart, but when it comes to applying the knowledge I have gained into a practical setting, I doubt myself immensely. At first I hated how much Kyle pushed us to step out of our comfort zone, but I grew to expect and even enjoy it. He is a very intelligent individual and obviously had the knowledge, but I came to understand that his motive with hiring interns was not to have extra help, it is to teach the next generation of sport and fitness professionals.

Another obstacle I faced was keeping things simple for the attendees. I have a natural tendency to complicate things, and I find value in looking at things from an overly scientific standpoint. Sometimes its good, sometimes its bad. In this context it was bad. I had to learn very quickly how to dumb things down from what I was thinking and pondering, to what I actually said and conveyed to the athletes.

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I'm not one to tout my own skills or emphasize the impact I've had in other peoples' lives. I understand I am very imperfect and acknowledge that I will always have something new to learn. However, I truly feel that I was able to bless the athletes I worked with. While I may not have the most knowledge, I have enough, and I was able to pass some of that on to those I worked with at FAST.

Though I feel I've blatantly stated it thus far, I will reiterate it - I have grown exponentially from my experiences at FAST. I learned the importance of being put into uncomfortable situations, then trying and failing and learning until you get it right. I learned how to value other peoples' perspectives, opinions, and experiences. Not only did I gain a significant amount of factual knowledge, I also developed my network of influential individuals who can be a positive resource for me in the future.

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Quotes:

"It may have been uncomfortable for me, but one of my favorite quotes says 'get comfortable with uncomfortable'."

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"The bottom line, according to what Kyle has taught us, is; does the movement you're having the athlete do 1) provide benefit for their sport, 2) mimic the conditions and dynamics of their sport, and 3) use muscle synergy to combine movements into beneficial and effective motion"

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