UHV strikes internship agreement with Dynamic Sports Training
Students in the kinesiology program at the University of Houston-Victoria will have the opportunity to gain real-world experience working in an athletic training facility through a new partnership with Dynamic Sports Training in Houston.
The agreement will provide an opportunity for kinesiology students to apply for an internship with Dynamic Sports Training, a facility that offers custom training for all athletes, including those at the youth, collegiate, professional and Olympic levels. The training company has three locations in Houston as well as facilities in San Antonio and Glendale, Ariz.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for UHV students as they prepare for their careers,” said Rachel Martinez, interim dean of the College of Education & Health Professions. “UHV offers a quality kinesiology program that, through the diligence of our faculty, continues to grow and offer more ways for our students to learn in and outside of the classroom. We look forward to working with Dynamic Sports Training.”
This new internship opportunity will be a great learning experience for students who are interested in a career as a strength and conditioning coach or trainer, said Raymond Tucker, a UHV associate professor of kinesiology. The kinesiology program at UHV has grown since 2015, when the university first started offering the degree. The UHV kinesiology program faculty recently created the internship program, and kinesiology students specializing in sport management, exercise sports science and pre-allied health are required to complete 300 internship work hours before graduating.
“This is a great opportunity for students as Dynamic Sports Training would be great in helping students advance their skills to become a strength and conditioning coach,” Tucker said. “The internship program has been one of the best things we have added to our kinesiology program at UHV. It gives the chance for our students to apply their education under the supervision of an expert and help coach them as well.”
Dynamic Sports Training was founded in 2008 by Lee Fiocchi, who served from 2016 to 2021 as the head strength and conditioning coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. After his time with the Angels, Fiocchi knew he wanted to build relationships with schools and help young professionals gain crucial experience to help launch them in their careers or find clarity in which direction they want to go in their careers. He reached out to Tucker and formed a connection with the UHV kinesiology program.
Fiocchi looks forward to hosting students of various sports science disciplines in his facility. He encourages all UHV kinesiology students who are interested in an internship with Dynamic Sports Training to apply, especially female students as there are opportunities for growth and support for women in the sports industry.
“There’s value for young professionals who are getting an education to have the experience of working with different influences and gaining different perspectives,” Fiocchi said. “An internship will help gain confidence before stepping into your career or the industry you want to pursue. I am looking forward to interviewing candidates and seeing how we can integrate their education with what they can learn here.”
The kinesiology faculty recommends internship sites based on the student’s career interests, said Willie Black Jr., a UHV assistant professor of kinesiology.
For students, internship opportunities like one with Dynamic Sports Training are important for applying what they have learned in the classroom to real-life situations. Internships also offer opportunities for students to meet professionals in their field, which may help them when they are seeking employment after graduation, he said.
“It’s important for our students to make connections outside of the classroom with future professional colleagues and build that social capital and network,” Black said. “We encourage our students to seek out these opportunities and showcase what they have acquired here at UHV and during their internships. We are proud and happy to partner with people in our community.”
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
