Sport: Softball
Major: Athletic Training
Career: Athletic Trainer at Soul Physical Therapy
Hometown: Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Then & Now Feature: Colleen Martin '13 & Courtney Blake
| What made you choose Endicott? |
| I chose Endicott for a variety of reasons including the amazing internship opportunities and the ability to continue playing softball at a competitive level. The location also played a huge factor as well. |
| How did the Endicott Experience contribute to your life today? |
| Being an Athletic Training student and a student-athlete required extreme time management skills and organization and I feel as if that transferred into my professional career. There were some crazy days that I would have classes all morning and continue my day bouncing between clinical and softball practice. Time management was necessary in order to complete classwork, especially while in-season. I was also able to develop effective communication skills in order to collaborate with others (coaches, athletic directors, doctors, parents). |
| What is your favorite memory as a student-athlete at Endicott? |
| It's hard to choose just one favorite moment during my four years as a student-athlete. There were so many memorable games and experiences including winning the CCC championship my first two years. Probably one of the best moments was winning the ECAC Championship my junior year. There was also that one time where Coach Kula almost drove away in the wrong car after a volunteer walk thinking it was his... but you'll have to ask him for more details on that story (sorry coach!). |
| How has being an athlete at Endicott contributed to your career? |
| There have been numerous times in which being an athlete at Endicott has contributed to my career. Working with athletes, you are able to develop that relationship and empathize with them in many ways. I also have had the reputation of being very competitive so this motivates me to learn something new every day and become a better athletic trainer. |
| Where did you complete internships/clinicals while at Endicott and how did that affect your career goals? |
| I completed internships at Saco Bay Physical Therapy in Maine, Marblehead High School, Partners in Rehab Physical Therapy, and the women's soccer team at Endicott my senior year. I loved that you were able to use what you learned in the classroom and apply it in a clinical experience. The variety of these internships allowed me to decide what type of environment I wanted to continue my career in. I worked at a high school in Maine for the first two years after graduation before moving back down to Mass. Now that I work at a physical therapy clinic, I have had the opportunity to help others get better through their rehabilitation and this inspired me to go back to school for PTA starting next fall. |
| What is the most rewarding aspect of your career? |
| The most rewarding aspect of my career is being able to help others when they're sometimes at their lowest in their athletic careers. Working with athletes from the acute phases of their injury to when they finally return to play gives you a sense of pride in that you helped get them back to the sport they love playing. |
| What advice would you give to current Endicott student-athletes for when they graduate? |
| Never take a game for granted because one day it will be your last. Work hard and be competitive in everything that you do. Take what you have learned on the field and transfer it into your professional lives and you will thrive. |
| What advice do you have for players looking at becoming Endicott student-athletes? |
| Don't be intimidated. There are times in which you may think you can no longer balance the demands of being an athlete and a college student but know that there are always members of the Endicott community surrounding you with support. |
| What members of the Endicott community had the greatest impact on you? |
| The combination of the Athletic Training staff and my softball coaches had the greatest impact on me at Endicott. As an AT student, you spend a majority of your time with the AT staff and they really help shape you into the athletic trainer you will be after graduating and passing the BOC. My coaches were unbelievably supportive as well and were always understanding about the stress and frustrations of being both an AT student and an athlete. |
| What do you miss most about Endicott? |
| I miss being surrounded my friends that turned into your second family and being able to put on that Gulls jersey and step onto the field every day. I am fortunate enough that I am able to visit Endicott often by helping out the Athletic Training staff with coverage and staying in touch with my coaches and teammates. |
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