INTERNSHIP INSIGHT: Kayla Brownhill Earns Year-Long Opportunity At Tufts University

BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott College is a pioneer in requiring comprehensive internship experiences in every program of study for undergraduate students. Kayla Brownhill (Clifton Park, N.Y.), who is an exercise science major and captain of the crew team, recently completed her semester-long internship in the strength and conditioning department at Tufts University. Through her hard work, Brownhill has been invited back for the spring semester by Tufts to continue working with the Jumbos. Here's a look into her internship experience.

1) Why Tufts Athletics? 

I chose Tufts because I heard many great things about their athletics department. They also have a good variety of teams at Tufts, and getting to work with so many teams taught me a lot about coaching. I was introduced to a ton of teams and getting to work with them every week was fun, and something I looked forward to, not like a typical job. 

2) What was the process like to obtain your internship? 

I reached out to both strength and conditioning coaches, Dan Kopcso & Alex O'Keefe, about obtaining a possible internship in the weight room. Once they got back to me, we set up an interview where I was asked about my past internships, coaching experiences, and what I hoped to learn while working beside them. 

3) Describe your overall internship experience. 

This internship has truly been the best experience ever. I learned so much, especially since I was working alongside graduate students, I also learned some great advice about how to move forward in my coaching career and grad school. I had some pretty early mornings last semester but I looked forward to being there every day. I was excited to go into the gym and work with my teams. I primarily worked with men's ice hockey, baseball, and men's lacrosse and all of them are amazing athletes. They were fun, hard workers, amazing teammates, and everyone welcomed me into the Tufts family.

I'm going back to Tufts for the spring semester and I will get to stick with my teams, which is exciting because they will be in season now. To get to see the training we put them through in the weight room be shown on the field is really rewarding. It sounds cliché but I really can't describe how much I love it at Tufts. 

DAN KOPCSO: "At the end of last semester we asked Kayla if she had the availability to return this spring. Normally, undergraduate internships are one semester long. When we find candidates, like Kayla, who impress us with their abilities, we always like to invite them back. This helps us have more quality eyes on our athletes and allows them to grow further as coaches. Kayla is prompt, attentive, and passionate about the field. In addition, she formed a bond with our hockey team and has earned their respect during her time with us. It certainly helps that she is a coxswain on the crew team, as we never need to tell her to be louder when she's leading a team."

4) What have you learned from your internship? 

The learning part of Tufts is a great experience too. We sat down every Friday to go over program design, coaching techniques, different phases of strength, and how to work with different teams effectively. The hands-on learning was a bit intimidating at first but the only way to get over that is to get in front of a team and just go for it. I don't want to say I was thrown into the fire because none of this has been a negative experience. Dan and Alex are great coaches and they genuinely take the time to explain things and offer advice.

I think my favorite learning part of Tufts was working with so many different teams. I've mostly only worked with ice hockey and lacrosse, and now I'm working with squash and sailing. I coach my men's lacrosse team very differently than how I coach my squash team and I don't think I ever realized how important it was to adapt your coaching style to effectively coach a team. That was a great first-hand experience to have at Tufts. 

5) How will this internship help you in your career moving forward? 

This internship will help me prepare for grad school and working with other teams. I was exposed to so many different things at Tufts as an undergraduate, I was lucky to find this internship while I did. I want to be a collegiate strength and conditioning coach so this was the perfect environment to be in. I've worked closely with the hockey team at Tufts and it's made me realize, I do want to continue working with hockey teams. I've met a lot of fellow coaches through Tufts and it's really shown me how much is out there. I've made great connections and received some great advice about how to take the next steps in my career. 

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(Photo Credit - Kayla Brownhill)