Sport and Exercise Psychology student Abby Reid is using her minor in strength and conditioning and internships at Division 1 universities to pave the route of her career path.
This past summer, Reid interned for the strength staff of Georgetown University’s football team. “It was my first time working with football and the strength staff let me have a lot of coaching time with the guys. That really helped me decide that I would want to pursue a possible career as a football strength coach in the future,” explained Reid.
In addition to the football team, she worked as head intern with the women’s basketball team at Georgetown, which was one of her favorite groups to gain more experience. “I was very involved with the development of the incoming freshman so it was an awesome learning experience to grow and learn with the girls,” explained Reid.
Reid advises College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences students to be persistent. “Do not be afraid to put yourself out there. I can't even tell you how many emails I have sent out to coaches looking for possible internships or even just observing time,” Reid continued.
“Some won't respond as easy as others and sometimes you might end up sending them three or four emails before they answer you. That shows that you really care and that you are serious about getting experience in the field,” she said.
According to Reid, familiarity in the field is an invaluable asset because it opens doors that did not appear to exist. “The worst thing that could happen is a coach says no. Even with that response you still got your name out there, and in this field, networking is so important,” said Reid.
Dr. Guy Hornsby, Athletic Coaching Education teaching assistant professor and Reid’s mentor, affirms her dedication. “Abby is someone who is clearly passionate about strength and conditioning,” said Hornsby. “She is very willing to go beyond the classroom walls to gain valuable applied knowledge and experience.”
Reid reflected on Hornsby’s mentorship. “He is probably one of the smartest professors I've ever met and knows so many people. I'm very lucky and thankful that I have a mentor like him to help me go after my goals,” she described.
Reid explains why mentors are important. “Being a young intern in the field can be very intimidating and that's why it's so important to have mentors. They will be honest with you and reassure you that you deserve to be in the spot you are in,” Reid added.
Reid was always sure that she wanted to pursue strength and conditioning. “I knew I wanted to be involved in strength and conditioning since I was a senior in high school. Declaring the minor was already decided before I even got to college.”
Since then she has continuously worked to set herself apart from the norm. “Abby recently became a member of WVU Weightlifting, another great example of Abby taking an advantage of hands on learning,” said Hornsby.
Reid plans to remain in Morgantown over the summer to take additional strength and conditioning classes. “I'm staying on campus this summer to take two S&C classes. They seem to be very hands on and have a reputation of being taught by very knowledgeable professors/coaches. I'm looking forward to learning a lot and taking in as much as possible,” she added.