Nat LaPlante, a Student Athletic Therapist, performs taping duties for a Reds student-athlete. LaPlante has worked as a Student Athletic Therapist with UNB's women's and men's soccer teams, and the Reds women's hockey team. (Photo: Submitted)
Nat LaPlante, a Student Athletic Therapist, performs taping duties for a Reds student-athlete. LaPlante has worked as a Student Athletic Therapist with UNB's women's and men's soccer teams, and the Reds women's hockey team. (Photo: Submitted)

UNB REDS STUDENT TRAINER/THERAPIST PROGRAM

UNB Reds Athletics offers a Student Therapist Practicum through the Kinesiology Faculty (KIN 3950) for credit program. It provides students with the opportunity to examine and experience the prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of sports injuries in “hands on” situations. The program requires time outside of class schedules.

 

Students interested in Athletic Therapy, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Chiropractic, Medicine or Exercise Therapy can explore these careers while volunteering under a Certified Athletic Therapist. Students are given the opportunity to assist with athlete injury prevention and rehabilitation in the Max Health Institute & Physiotherapy Clinic, in the Richard J. Currie Centre.

 

Each student will be assigned to a University sports team, at UNB or St. Thomas, for a season and will cover practices and games at home and away. Students will attend bi-weekly classes that cover injury prevention, acute injury management, assessment of sports injuries, rehabilitation principles, exercise prescription and current issues in sport science.

Knowledge acquired in the Student Therapist Program will be of value to future therapists, educators, coaches and other professionals.

BECOMING AN ATHLETIC THERAPIST
To become a Certified Athletic Therapist, you must receive a degree from an accredited institution. The following post-secondary institutions offer programs accredited by the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association: University of Winnipeg, University of Manitoba, Concordia University, York University and Mount Royal University, Camosun College and Sheridan College. Once you’re enrolled in an accredited institution, you may become a Certification Candidate with the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association. For more information on becoming a Certified Athletic Therapist, please visit www.athletictherapy.org.
 

BECOMING A PHYSIOTHERAPIST & SPORTS PHYSIOTHERAPIST

An undergraduate degree in Kinesiology (Sports Science) will allow students to apply to an MPT program. Once graduated from an MPT program, you can accumulate practical field experience hours while working towards your Sports Physiotherapist designation. For more information on Sport Physiotherapy, visit www.sportphysio.ca.

 

BECOMING A CHIROPRACTOR

An undergraduate degree in Kinesiology (Sports Science) will allow a student to apply to enter Chiropractic studies in Canada or abroad. https://www.chiropractic.ca/

 

STUDENT THERAPIST PROGRAM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Minimum program requirements:

  • UNB Kinesiology Student
  • Valid CPR (First Aid recommended, but not required)
  • Completed KIN 2051 (Prevention and Care of Athletic Injury or equivalent program) 


You must have completed CPR courses by September of the upcoming season, and provide proof of completion. You must have taken a CPR course, or recertification course, within the last year, and your certification must be valid until the end of the present school year.
 
Students may also wish to have the following:

  • Experience as a trainer in high school or college
  • Athletic Taping Experience
  • Canadian Hockey Safety Program
  • Aquatics Lifesaving (life guarding certification)

 

Selection to the program will be based on the following criteria: 

  • Related certificates and/or experience
  • Volunteer experience
  • Demonstrated leadership skills
  • Academic achievement

 
ADMISSION TO KIN 4950 AND ADVANCE ATHLETIC THERAPY PRACTICUM REQUIREMENTS:
Current Student Therapist Program participants must meet certain requirements in order to continue on to KIN 4950.

Those requirements are:

  1. Continued enrolment as a ‘regular’ student in UNB Kinesiology
  2. Regular attendance at and participation in the previous year’s seminars
  3. Successful Completion of KIN 3950

MANDATORY INFORMATION SESSIONS:
There will be a mandatory information session at the beginning of April, each academic year, for the following September.

Please contact Geoff Mabey, Head Athletic Therapist at the Max Health Clinic in the Currie Center for more information.
E-Mail: gmabey@unb.ca