Athletic Training Student Voices
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"Joining the Athletic Training Program at the University of Illinois was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It was something that changed my whole college career and taught me many things about myself. This program is very difficult, challenging, and time consuming, and is not for everyone. For those that do decide to become a part of it, it will teach you just how hard you can push yourself and all of the responsibility you can handle. This program takes sacrifice because you will miss out on many things that the average college student gets to experience.
But in return, you build great lifelong friendships with the other students you meet and work with, and you open a door to many opportunities. Illinois not only has one of the best programs in the country, but it also has the most students who receive internships with the NFL and other athletic teams. If you love sports, love working with and helping others, are intrigued by the human body, and aren't afraid of taking on a big time commitment, then you will enjoy every aspect that the University of Illinois Athletic Training Program has to offer."
-Matt Kociolek
-Ellie Maglia"I am currently a sophomore at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and in my first semester in the Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP). Although the program requires a lot of time and energy, I have already gained an enormous amount of experience with injuries, rehabilitation, and even the organization and inner workings of Division 1 athletic programs. Before actually getting accepted into the ATEP, all applicants had to complete several hours of directed observation at several different athletic training sites on campus. These directed observation hours were very helpful because they allowed me to see what the average day of an athletic trainer was like and how an athletic training room functioned from day to day. Direct observation was also a unique experience because I was able to observe several different sports in a very short amount of time. This was a valuable experience because I became much more comfortable with the certified athletic trainers and athletes and was even able to get to know and talk to the current athletic training students. I am so excited to see what else the ATEP has to offer me and to apply what I am learning in my classes to the clinical sites. The ATEP is such a unique program because it allows me to experience all of the different sports’ environments and be exposed to so many different injuries before I even go into the work force."
-Jake Naas"As Athletic Training Students at the University of Illinois, we are given great resources to gain the necessary skills needed to become entry level Athletic Trainers. The work done in the classroom is challenging, engaging, and interesting, while the clinical experiences are time-intensive, demanding, and hands-on. The faculty and staff go above and beyond to educate us in all areasof Sports Medicine, and our fellow classmates become a close knit group of friends that the majority of our college years are spent with."
"Athletic training at the University of Illinois is a good way to stay connected to collegiate sports. It’s enjoyable because there are a lot of successful teams here and the athletic atmosphere, in general, is exciting. University of Illinois’ ATEP is a challenging but rewarding program, and one will learn an enormous amount of information. It is a considerable time commitment however, it is well worth it. A student can be in the program and still do things outside of it.
-Jenny LudwigBefore applying to the program, a student is required to attend Direct Observation (DO) at various athletic training room locations with some of the university’s sports teams. I, personally, had a great experience with DO. I observed at many different locations and saw the wide spectrum of settings. The experience was fascinating and I learned a ton about each team and their athletic training room dynamics. After being a athletic training student in high school, it was interesting to see the difference between the high school and collegiate setting. Directed observation experience is a great time to learn the inner workings of the athletic training room. It is a great opportunity to talk with athletic training students in the program and ask questions about time commitments, duties, and what a typical day would be like."
"I am currently in my third semester of the ATEP Program and am enjoying it tremendously. I have had some wonderful experiences in the past two and a half semesters and met some truly wonderful people. As far as my experiences are concerned, this past fall was definitely something to remember. I had the opportunity to go to Camp Rantoul with the football team as they prepared for the 2008 season. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. I learned a lot about what a team goes through to prepare for a season. It was grueling, intense, and a lot of work but it was something I thoroughly enjoyed. In those two and a half weeks, I learned a lot about myself and areas that I will continue to work on during my next few semesters in the program and I got to develop what I already know and get better each day.
-Lauren CarranoAnother fabulous experience I had this past fall was getting to work the first round of the NCAA Volleyball tournament that was hosted at the University of Illinois. That was something completely different from my football experience not only in the sport itself, but it was towards the end of a wonderful season and in a tournament situation. NCAA tournaments are awesome to work because schools don't always get a chance to host a tournament such as this so it was very unique. With four different teams present for the tournament, I got the opportunity to meet other athletic trainers and see some of the differences between schools that deal with the same sport. The day of the tournament was slightly overwhelming but the end result, watching the U of I girls win, was wonderful and it was exciting to see them do so well after watching their progress for an entire season. I am looking forward to see what my last two semesters have to offer me especially after three wonderful semesters thus far!"
"Coming to University of Illinois all the way from Maryland has often raised the question, "Why U of I?" My answer is simple - Athletic Training. Coming out of high school I knew I was interested in studying athletic training and ever since my first visit to Champaign I haven't looked back. The Athletic Training Education Program has given me the education and clinical experience necessary to be able to excel as a Certified Athletic Trainer. What we learn in the classroom directly relates to our work in the athletic training rooms with the varsity teams. The relationships built with our professors, ACIs (Certified Instructor) and classmates are truly invaluable and will remain with me even after graduation."
-Leah Tanen
