softball, which was incredible. It was only a supervising
graduate assistant athletic trainer and me which really gave
me the opportunity to learn a lot and gave me much more
clinical hands-on experience. I traveled all over the country
with softball that year, from California to Florida. All
the professors were willing to work with me and help me
keep up with my school work. I got first-hand experience
knowing how hard it is for the student athletes I will work
with in the future to juggle everything.
My junior year I was assigned to women’s basketball. Our
women’s basketball program is phenomenal. We made it all
the way to the Elite Eight, which we played in Connecticut.
That may have been one of my favorite memories, because
my family got to come watch them play, and got a chance to
see what I do.
My senior year I was assigned to the cheerleading team.
I was pretty nervous about that because I knew very little
about the sport, and the physical requirements. I learned a
lot and was given a lot of autonomy. I traveled with them to
all the football games, and even got to travel with them to
Florida where we won our 20th national championship.
How did your New York Jets internship come about?
Seton Hall has great connections with opportunities all
around New York and New Jersey. One of my professors
pulled me aside and stated that with my previous experience
working at Kentucky and other football experiences I had a
good shot at the Jets position. It’s a huge opportunity that
only a handful of people ever get to experience.
Tell us about your daily responsibilities with the Jets.
I can’t speak highly enough of the entire Jets organization.
My everyday tasks included morning maintenance of the
athletic training room, setting up the fields for practice,
stretching, running athletes through exercises or rehab
protocols, taping, handing out water during practices, and
anything else that may come up during the day. They really
did treat us as an extension of the athletic training staff and
once the athletes get more comfortable with you, they have
no problem asking you for things. I started off working
some organized team activities and mini camps, and then
moved into working training camp. Once school started I
was there almost every day and then worked home games on
Sunday. The first time walking out onto the field at MetLife
Stadium is something I will never forget. It was definitely
a lot of hard work, even more so than people can imagine.
But I’ve learned things that I will carry on with me in my
future career and I know that I’ve done something that most
people will never get to do and that’s pretty cool.
Do you have advice for students who are considering the
Exercise Science major at UK?
My advice to all Exercise Science majors is to take
advantage of all the opportunities offered at Kentucky. At
Seton Hall, I’ve had the opportunity to meet a lot of people
coming from all different undergraduate backgrounds
and I know that what I’ve been able to do at Kentucky is
something that will always make me unique.
Everyone that knows me knows how proud I am to be
an alumnus of the University of Kentucky. Anytime I get
in contact with people about colleges I also recommend
them to check out UK because I’m just that confident in
the fact that regardless of your major or where you come
from, you’ll be able to be successful at UK and gain the
experiences necessary to continue that success throughout
your life.
Human rights through disability sport workshop
COE COMMUNICATOR | APRIL 2016
Dr. Carol Mushett Johnson and Dr.
Ben Johnson are collaborating on
plans for a human rights through
disability sport workshop and festival
in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. They
are partnering with the Tanzanian
Paralympic Committee and working
closely with the Tanzanian Ministry
of Information, Youth, Culture and
Sport and the Tanzanian National
Sports Council. The project is
funded by the U.S. Department
of State Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs through its
SportsUnited Division and the
International Sport Programming
Initiative program. Pictured at left, Dr.
Ben Johnson (far left) with members
of the executive committee during a
planning session in Tanzania.
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