My gender I believe will be the biggest challenge in my career. I am applying for the PBATS, professional baseball athletic training society, internship for this summer with the Minor League and the MLB players. I know that many guys have a difficult time talking to a woman about injuries, especially injuries near or in the groin, without trust and knowledge that that woman is a good Athletic Training. Before the PBATS internship I am privileged enough to go down to Puerto Rico and work in the Puerto Rico Collegiate League with 250-300 baseball players from 17-22 years of age. I am extremely excited to be able to work with so many players and prove myself to not only the boys but also the coaching staff. My dream is to work in professional baseball because it is a challenge to me and puts me outside of my comfort zone with the shoulder. I have decided when I am put outside of my comfort zone that I am forced to be a better AT and think outside of the box. The shoulder is a very interesting complex to me with so many different muscles that can be involved. This summer while working in Puerto Rico I wish I create a warm-up and cool-down program that when properly done will strengthen and prevent shoulder injuries in the players future careers.
Another challenge I face in the field is my size and age. Most baseball players tower over me so some my doubt that I cannot stretch or properly evaluate them because I cannot hold them. However, some of them may be very large but I can use cheats to be able to properly evaluate and or stretch them. Some people think I am very younger when first looking at me and some cases I may be, professional baseball ATs have spent many years in the field and worked their way up, which I am prepared to do. Lastly, a challenge I face in everyday life, disabilities I have in school work and learning I do not learn as fast and do not grasp many concepts as fast, but I believe that it is not a weakness, it is a strength. I have failed in the past, and it has forced me to come back stronger and work 100 times harder for what I want to accomplish. Some people doubt my knowledge because of how I look or what they know but I am prepared to prove many people wrong. Although I face many challenges, I am prepared to face them head on, just like all the challenges I have faced in the past.
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