Late July was a rollercoaster for myself considering each “adult” aspect of my life was

not lining up in an ideal way. I had reached a place where I believed I would be able to work

directly for a Men’s college basketball team at my university where I planned to use a mental

health survey and observational study as the main focus of the project aspect of my internship.

However, due to a lack of potential hours I was advised to implement the same program and

objective within the Physical Education and Health and Wellness program at GMC Prep. I was

asked if this opportunity would suit my program and I believed that it could work if afforded the

correct opportunities through the program at GMC Prep. Through Coach Thomas Courson I was

able to a be a part of everyday life for the middle school students. For the project I decided to

focus on the student athlete population and the stressful and anxious aspect of their experiences

while maintaining a healthy balance between school and sports. Throughout the semester I was

able to observe student behaviors while also forming lesson plans, escorting students to and from

class, participating in team building exercises and sports, and become invested in the lives of the

population I was privileged to work with. I believe that this anonymous survey could be a

potential key to understanding the average life of an average middle school student athlete.

Altogether, twenty-four student athletes responded to the survey with a plethora of insights as to

what life could be like for this population. This survey was also necessary in order to begin the

process of implementation of new ideals and social changes within the walls of GMC Prep.

However, I believe that if I had been able to come up with resource materials for the students to

take with them they may be better equipped to handle some of the difficult circumstances they

described in their answers to the survey. After my assessment of the answers provided in the

survey I was able to suggest the implementation of a full-time school counselor for the students,

faculty, and families of GMC Prep. I believe that having a trained individual to speak with about
the concerns that grow within the minds of this younger population could be extremely beneficial

for most difficult circumstances that these students face in their day to day lives. Most students

also believed that the work load of a student athlete is often times too much to handle given the

amount of time spent in practice, games, and working on homework outside of the classroom.

For this specific issue I believe that a study hall class could be an effective tool for finishing

assignments on time while also having adequate time to complete them to the best of their

availability. This would also give students the ability to focus less on potential disappointment

and focus more on self and team improvement. Altogether, I believed that this opportunity would

not be the correct situation for me to be in, however, it turned out better than I expected. These

students were a bright spot for me as they were not only great in every aspect of growth and

development but also character. These students asked me more personal questions than I have

ever been asked by any group of people which means to me that they are also invested and

interested in my professional and personal life. Joy was brought to my everyday life by being

able to influence and teach a younger generation. This is an opportunity that I am now extremely

grateful for and I would not change a single aspect of growth over the past four months. Finally,

I would like to say thank you to Dr. Kaninjing, Coach Thomas Courson, and GMC Prep for

allowing me to be a part of this program. I would also like to extend a recommendation to any

future students looking to intern in a coaching field for their course requirements. The

opportunity to be a positive influence on these student’s lives is not something to be taken

lightly, but has the potential to be one of the most fulfilling things you could do as a coach,

teacher, students, or intern. I am relieved to know this chapter is closing because of the

opportunities this course alone has brought me. I hope you all enjoy the work I have done and I
believe that with the right resources and tools, this survey and observational study could lead to

success in programs such as the one at GMC Prep in the future.