Incorporating Prayer into Athletic Training
When you're in college, you know that the internship is the start of seeing the light of graduation. Some people tend to not like their internships, but I LOVED MINE! The power of prayer was the only thing I was missing when going through my undergraduate career clinical hours as an athletic training student. Throughout the athletic training education program at Wright State, I learned how to prevent and heal injuries. But I never learned how to fully heal myself when I gave everything I had to everyone else to heal them. That's when I found that I can incorporate God into my passion of Athletic Training and caring for others.
A portion of my internship, I served as an athletic training student at the AIA Ultimate Training Camp (UTC) in Fort Collins, Colorado. This was when I asked Jesus Christ to come into my life during the 3rd day of the first week of the two weeks. I come from a family with atheism, Islam, alcoholism, addiction, and anything far from Christianity. I went to the church down the street for comfort from troubles. In high school, I used my time as an athletic training aide to escape from bullying. I attended the Athletic Training Camp at Wright State, where I applied for the program and was a direct admit. Three years later, I signed up for the Sports Performance internship at the AIA Ultimate Training Camp to enhance my athletic training skills. I did not expect a life changing opportunity. I was impacted by the environment of praise and by people caring about me & my story. I had a safe place to pray and to learn the power of prayer with people I could trust. The athletes asked to pray for me, and for me to pray for them and help them heal. The respect, acceptance, and thankfulness the athletes showed the athletic trainers and athletic training students was incredible. For the first time, I felt accepted and safe. I found God, myself, and why exactly I am the person I am today. Seeing the athletes at the bottom of their tank at UTC made me think of my own tough times. I have been poor, homeless, bullied, even held hostage, and it didn't stop me - but it wasn't my power. When I saw the athletes celebrating at the finish of the SPECIAL, I realized God was with them through their struggle and brought them to the top of Golgotha. Because I know what it’s like to be at the bottom, I can appreciate & celebrate what is coming at the top. I am at peace with my past & present, and trust God with my future. I now look to Jesus Christ instead of Athletic Training for my comfort and, more importantly, as my Savior! While I took part in this, I have learned to pray over the athletes when I am helping stretch them, heal them, and overall look out for them.
This fall, I am an Athletic Training Student at Greenon High School and I have had several athletes allow me to pray over them in sport. Since some people can be offended by this, I ask the athletes..."Can I pray for you?" The answer is usually a yes. It's in this way that I incorporate prayers everyday into my life. Growing and being guided by God in order to be the best Athletic Training Student that I can be. You never know how much a prayer can mean to someone. I've given chills to athletes just because I ask to pray over them. During my internship, there was this part called the special. Where athletes learn Biblical Principles and then allow them to test those truths in a 20-hour sports marathon known as The S.P.E.C.I.A.L. The goal is to help every athlete in every nation understand how the gospel impacts their sport and life. It's because of this Ultimate Training Camp that I've learned to not only care for my athletes, respect my athletes, find some time for myself, find time for God, but pray for the athletes as well. So, have you prayed today?
A portion of my internship, I served as an athletic training student at the AIA Ultimate Training Camp (UTC) in Fort Collins, Colorado. This was when I asked Jesus Christ to come into my life during the 3rd day of the first week of the two weeks. I come from a family with atheism, Islam, alcoholism, addiction, and anything far from Christianity. I went to the church down the street for comfort from troubles. In high school, I used my time as an athletic training aide to escape from bullying. I attended the Athletic Training Camp at Wright State, where I applied for the program and was a direct admit. Three years later, I signed up for the Sports Performance internship at the AIA Ultimate Training Camp to enhance my athletic training skills. I did not expect a life changing opportunity. I was impacted by the environment of praise and by people caring about me & my story. I had a safe place to pray and to learn the power of prayer with people I could trust. The athletes asked to pray for me, and for me to pray for them and help them heal. The respect, acceptance, and thankfulness the athletes showed the athletic trainers and athletic training students was incredible. For the first time, I felt accepted and safe. I found God, myself, and why exactly I am the person I am today. Seeing the athletes at the bottom of their tank at UTC made me think of my own tough times. I have been poor, homeless, bullied, even held hostage, and it didn't stop me - but it wasn't my power. When I saw the athletes celebrating at the finish of the SPECIAL, I realized God was with them through their struggle and brought them to the top of Golgotha. Because I know what it’s like to be at the bottom, I can appreciate & celebrate what is coming at the top. I am at peace with my past & present, and trust God with my future. I now look to Jesus Christ instead of Athletic Training for my comfort and, more importantly, as my Savior! While I took part in this, I have learned to pray over the athletes when I am helping stretch them, heal them, and overall look out for them.
This fall, I am an Athletic Training Student at Greenon High School and I have had several athletes allow me to pray over them in sport. Since some people can be offended by this, I ask the athletes..."Can I pray for you?" The answer is usually a yes. It's in this way that I incorporate prayers everyday into my life. Growing and being guided by God in order to be the best Athletic Training Student that I can be. You never know how much a prayer can mean to someone. I've given chills to athletes just because I ask to pray over them. During my internship, there was this part called the special. Where athletes learn Biblical Principles and then allow them to test those truths in a 20-hour sports marathon known as The S.P.E.C.I.A.L. The goal is to help every athlete in every nation understand how the gospel impacts their sport and life. It's because of this Ultimate Training Camp that I've learned to not only care for my athletes, respect my athletes, find some time for myself, find time for God, but pray for the athletes as well. So, have you prayed today?
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