Jadan Nabor interned at Tucson Ford Aquatics Club and gained experience in athlete development and business management.
How did you get your internship and what type of work did you do?
I found the internship by approaching the head coach of the local Ford Aquatics Swim Club and making a pitch to take on an internship role at his club. I chose this internship because I know the importance of role models at a young age and I wanted to show these kids how impactful our sport can be.
As a part of the Ford Aquatics staff, I was responsible for creating weekly practices, instructing the athletes during practice times, and assisting other coaches during club swim competitions.
What is something unique about your internship experience?
Something unique about my internship is that I have been a swimmer since I was six years old. It has always been a passion of mine, but when reflecting on my experience, I realized that coaches have the most impact on an athlete's career.
Even though I have fifteen years of swim experience, I didn't fully understand the many measurements that were used to calculate improvement of swim skills. I have since learned how to identify swim tempo, athlete pace/rhythm, and the rate of deceleration all while only using a stopwatch. My mentors also taught me that the kids are the most important part of their job. It is to ensure that they get what they need out of the sport and thrive in their next phases of life.
In what way is your internship related to your Applied Humanities degree?
My internship relates to my degree in the sense that it is entirely built on relationship building and considering others’ perspectives. Every humanities course encourages the exploration of new and exciting cultures. I'm thankful for those experiences because it has taught me how to empathize with the world around me.
What was your favorite part of your internship?
My favorite part of my internship was seeing the look of amazement and accomplishment on my athletes faces after completing a race they never knew they could finish or achieving a new personal best in a race that they struggled in. These moments are so important to these kids and I'm grateful that I had the chance to positively impact their lives.