Ashley Kuntz
HHP 291
Semester Analysis
Over this this semester I have learned many in depth things about human performance. The spectrum reaches from the physiological aspect of human performance to the basic reasons as to why people participate in physical, and the history of human performance itself.
We discussed the heritage of physical education, sport, and fitness in the United States. Different influences that had a major impact on human performance were the Greeks and the Romans. Much later then than sport soon became a religion to some and a sin to others.
Also throughout the semester many statistics stuck out to me. The main ones was the availability and access different cultures, races, genders, and age groups have to fitness centers or number of opportunities to participate in sport. The other statistic that seemed to come up frequently was the morality of athletes as their career progresses. It came up in ethics discussion and character development through sport.
I also made a basic career plan in human performance that focuses on caring for athletes and helping them perform to the best of their ability and at optimal health, also known as athletic training. I learned about many different career paths that could be taken through the basic category of human performance, all of them important in impacting society.
Sport and physical activity has a way to influence children and adults. The basic education of physical activity motivates kids to be social beings, develop healthy habits, and learn basic skills. Physical activity influences adults because it helps their bodies stay healthy and they have probably learned many life lessons by participating in sport. I enjoyed looking back to my childhood and thinking about the reasons why I did sports and why I have continued to keep doing them. The class discussions were fun too, getting everybody’s input on certain topics was interesting.
Right now my philosophy for athletic training would be to prevent and care for injuries of athletes and other individuals. I need to provide proper diagnosis of the injury whether it be physical, mental, psychological, or emotional and be able to inform the patient of additional medical team. While doing that I need to maintain proper ethics and maintain my Christian values.
I have a very positive attitude when it comes to my professional plans. I am looking forward to learning about how to care for injuries and also prevent them. There is a lot of interesting research that I am looking forward to studying as well. There are always new ideas and information coming forward in the health field and that is why I think this field is exciting and I cannot wait to dive in. My love for sports has driven me to this career path and being able to stay involved in athletics is why my attitude is positive toward looking down the road when I have reached my professional goals.
A skill I have relating to my profession is my ability to relate to athletes. Being one myself I have a high chance of knowing what my patients would be going through, which is a plus in my eyes. I know the different physical and emotional struggles it takes to be an athlete where athletic training is needed.
To accomplish my career goals I will need to get a degree from an accredited athletic training program at a university after I have finished getting my Bachelors of Science degree here at Concordia. Right now I am thinking the University of Nebraska in Omaha or Lincoln. I need to make sure that I have all the classes taken care of here that I need to get into those programs. Both have very good athletic training programs. Also I will need to study very hard to be able to memorize all the functions of the body and particular ways to treat injuries.
I will have to be able to work under pressure situations where everyone one on the scene will be very stressed. Which also highlights another skill of mine and that is keeping my cool. I try to be a calm person so other people do not have to worry about me. Many people tell me that they appreciate my calming personality and it helps them stay calm as well. I also will need to join certain associations to be able to serve as an athletic trainer in certain states. Over all I will need good organization skills, focus, decent study skills, and a positive attitude to be successful in my career.
My Health and Human Performance interview was done by Professor Janousek. It was in the first week of December. The interview went well and I am happy I chose her to be my advisor while I am at Concordia.