Off the Ice: Building Athletic Programs for the Flyers
In the midst of a busy hockey season at the Nest, you can most likely find Jack Smiley ’24 and Payton Hansen ’25 working out at the Post Center with their teams. The students make their way to the gym and work with athletic trainers on what exercises to complete. But even as exercise science majors, the two admit they have never realized the behind-the-scenes work that goes into developing programs for athletic teams on campus.
“There’s a lot that goes into building a program that I don't think athletes really realize,” said Hansen. “You just show up in the gym and do what you’re told by the strength coaches, but there’s a lot that goes into it.”
This past summer, the two dove into the planning stages of athletic training, working with the Philadelphia Flyers as strength and conditioning interns at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, New Jersey. Both athletes are from Pennsylvania (Smiley is from Bucks County and Hansen is from Spring City), and grew up big fans of the Flyers.
Hansen had previously interned with the team during her freshman year, but she noted the experience was starkly different from this summer.
“It was more a basic role. I was in the gym, helping out where I could. I would sometimes run some guys through their programs,” said Hansen. “But this year, after having established that relationship with the strength coaches, they trusted me a little bit more to have a bigger role and play a bigger part.”
Smiley and Hansen were tasked with creating two workout programs for players; then, they presented them to the strength coaches and solicited their feedback. Hansen said it was challenging, but she drew upon her workouts at Endicott to shape the programs.
“Being an athlete and having experience in the gym was definitely something I could use to my advantage,” said Hansen.
Smiley added that his sport science courses prepared him for various parts of the internship, pulling from presentations by professors about reasoning and what effect certain exercises have on the human body.
He said the overall experience was eye-opening into what goes into sports performance at a professional level like the Flyers.
“It’s not just showing up to the gym and telling the guys do some bicep curls, do some squats, and you’re good,” said Smiley. “They’re prepping the night before, two nights before, rewriting exercises that they had based on guys’ injuries and different things that they see, just minor tweaks throughout the day.”
There is a lot that goes into every single detail, said Smiley, and it was a very beneficial learning experience to see exactly what it takes to not just be a player at that level, but work in a professional organization no matter what the job title is.
Hansen said she noticed that the players and sports performance staff have a unique bond, showing up for each other every single day. The trainers make sure the athletes get what they need, and in return, this makes the staff better.
“They’re always constantly checking in on each other. I think it was super cool to see those relationships and those connections,” said Hansen.
The overall atmosphere and work culture of the organization was optimal. The team welcomed the Gulls and made sure they were constantly learning and expanding their knowledge. While they still have a lot to learn, Hansen noted it was great when players asked for their opinions about their training.
“We were fortunate enough to get first-hand experience working with professional athletes who happen to play the sport that we both love,” said Hansen.
Moving into the upcoming hockey season, “I would like to bring some of the stuff we learned into the Endicott weight room,” said Smiley. “Everyone was really a family there, and that’s something we can bring to any situation we’re in.”
Looking forward in her career, Hansen explained she would possibly like to work in collegiate sports or even work with younger athletes, as it would give her a different perspective.
As for Smiley, the student-athlete has various avenues to pursue, including a potential master’s degree in sport science at Endicott.
“This internship was a cool experience to really get to know the field, and what goes into that exercise science program,” said Smiley. “For me, that’s something I’ll carry forward for sure.”