By Emma Bynes
@emma_bynes4
Over the summer, a majority of upperclassmen Athletic Training students participated in internships around New England — gaining hands-on experience in their field with real athletes. Junior field hockey and lacrosse athlete Hailey Gaydos was one of these interns, working over the summer for Sacred Heart University and the school’s football team.
Gaydos is undoubtedly one of the busiest students on campus. She’s a captain of the field hockey team in the fall and a force to be reckoned with during lacrosse season in the spring. In addition to her athletic resume, Gaydos earned Academic All-Conference honors in both of her seasons last year.
Gaydos is also one of the leading voices on the Student Athlete Leadership Team on campus, and is heavily involved in Team IMPACT, a charity that matches children battling illness and disability with college sports teams. She took advantage of the gap in her schedule over the summer by spending time in Fairfield, Conn.
“After seeing the strength and conditioning side of athletics, I understand that I really want to be a part of it, but I would like to work more closely with the ‘medical’ side of it,” Gaydos said. “I loved the weight room, and what the coaches do in the weight room correlates greatly with what I would work with in the AT room, but I think I will be more successful in the athletic training room.”
Gaydos referred to a list from the Applied Exercise Science program of available summer internships and reached out to Chris Fee, the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Sacred Heart. She connected with Fee through Springfield College, and did not require any kind of interview to land the internship.
“My favorite part of the internship was getting to see a Division I side of athletics,” Gaydos said. “From the facility to the faculty to the athletes themselves, it was awesome to see another world of athletics. Being able to use the technology and new equipment was very nice and changed the pace of lifts and workouts.”
“The faculty were very kind and very smart — getting to pick their brains about Strength and Conditioning was a privilege, and I learned a lot,” Gaydos added. “The athletes were also very respectful and open to a new coach coming in and invading their lifts.”
Besides physical injuries, Gaydos’ extensive career as an athlete helps her work with other athletes around her age who balance many responsibilities besides their sport.
“I understand the pain they are in during preseason, I know what it feels like to have to practice and play after a long lift, I understand the aches and pains that come with high-intensity sports,” Gaydos said. “Other than physical injuries, I know the struggle of balancing classes, clubs, sports, family, etc., and I can be a person to talk to or even come to for support.”
Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Athletics