During the summer, athletic trainers are still at work. Some athletic trainers stick around Charleston to help the athletes who stay over the summer, and other trainers get internships with high-profiled National Football League teams.

According to Associate Athletic Director Mark Bonnstetter, about four to five students have gotten internships with NFL teams over the last several years.

“We have established relationships with several teams over the past years,” Bonnstetter said.

This summer there are six athletic trainers who have received internships with the NFL, Major League Soccer, a women’s professional softball team, and the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida.

Soon-to-be seniors Ray Lysinger and Eric DePorter have both received internships with NFL teams this summer.

Lysinger landed a spot with the New Orleans Saints, whose head coach happens to be former Panther quarterback Sean Payton. The Saints are holding their summer training camp at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss., while playing their home games at the Louisiana Superdome.

Lysinger sent his resume to all the NFL teams.

“I got a call from the (Saints) head athletic trainer,” Lysinger said. “He knew Mark and saw his name on my reference list and offered me a position.”

Almost the same scenario happened for DePorter, when he received his position at the St. Louis Rams.

“I sent my resume out to other teams,” DePorter said. “Mark actually knew the head athletic trainer for the Rams, and he sent an email for me.”

DePorter is headed for Wisconsin as the Rams hold their summer training camp at Concordia University in Mequon, Wis.

The process

The first step in finding an internship is making a resume and cover letter to send to all of the teams.

“I think it’s important to send out a professional resume and cover letter,” Bonnstetter said. “In December or January, I tell the students to bring in a resume for review.”

Bonnstetter said he then critiques the resumes and has his administration staff critique it as well.

“When we feel like its ready, we go ahead and send the resume to every team,” Bonnstetter said. “Sometimes teams will call or we will call to see if we can get the students placed.”

There aren’t any age requirements for the internships, but upper classmen have been the preference.

“It seems like the preference is for kids in their junior year,” Bonnstetter said. “However, we have sent a couple of graduate assistants, and some actually stayed on for a whole year.”

Not about money

Bonnstetter said the internships are paid, but he likes to encourage the students to look at other aspects of the job.

“I try to encourage them not to worry about the pay,” Bonnstetter said. “This experience is for good exposure and contacts.”

Bonnstetter also encourages a good work ethic in the students.

“I tell them to have a good attitude, do a good job, and work hard,” Bonnstetter said.

Another thing that Bonnstetter tells his students before they go to their internships is representation.

“They are representing the university,” Bonnstetter said. “I tell them ‘it’s not about you, it’s about all of us.'”

He stresses to the students that if they have a good experience, then that makes a good name for our university which could mean good things for future students trying to get an internship.

Great opportunity

Lysinger hopes to take a lot away from his experience.

“Basically, it’s a different setting than what I’m used to,” Lysinger said. “It’s a professional setting that is high tech. There are more tools I get to use.”

DePorter looks for growth in his experience.

“I want to grow in the profession,” DePorter said. “It’s also a good experience for new opportunities.”

Bonnstetter said that the internships at this kind of level opens the students’ eyes to different ways of doing things.

“They learn to put in 18 hours a day,” Bonnstetter said. “At the same time, they get to work with the highest caliber of athlete and medical staff.”

This kind of opportunity is also to help open doors for the future.

“This kind of experience is a way to get their foot in the door,” Bonnstetter said. “If one of these students does a great job and if a team needs a position, one of these students get to fill that position.”

Molly Clutter can be reached at 581-7944 or at mkclutter@eiu.edu.