A fourth-year Kinesiology student and varsity athlete with the Excalibur Women’s Lacrosse team got the learning experience of a lifetime. For their fourth-year work placement, Jocelyn Whent was a member of the athletic training program for the Peterborough Petes, a team now in the running for the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) championship.  

Passionate about hockey, elite competition, and strength training, Jocelyn got to work alongside the team's esteemed strength and conditioning coach, Brodie Birkhof, and shadow the athletic therapist and chiropractor. 

“The Peterborough Petes team environment has been very welcoming,” said Jocelyn. “Every day has been a learning experience with value. It’s given me real-life, practical, hands-on experience to help me determine a future career path and the opportunity to work with individuals eager to share their knowledge.” 

Applying her knowledge in the field (or arena) 

Through this placement, Jocelyn has been able to apply the knowledge acquired in the classroom to real-life scenarios, strengthening her skills and expertise in a professional setting.  She has been involved in designing and implementing exercise programs and assisting with game preparations. Her work played a pivotal role in guiding the team’s pre-game warmups and post-game cool-downs.  

“I’m so grateful that I had this opportunity through Trent,” said Jocelyn. “Everyone on this team, the players, coaches, trainers and my supervisor; head strength and condition coach, has significantly contributed to my experience here.” 

The Experience and Perspective of Champions  

Drawing from her experiences as an athlete, Jocelyn emphasizes that her time at Trent has not only equipped her with the necessary knowledge for her daily work but has also instilled her a great understanding of the importance of a team mindset. 

With multiple OUA medals in Women’s Lacrosse among her athletic accomplishments, the driven Excalibur student-athlete eagerly seeks opportunities to support the Petes in achieving success in any way she can. 

“I understand what it takes in order to succeed,” she said. “I know the effort, passion, commitment and dedication needed during a championship run and I hope to be a small part of what they do each day to help them win the Memorial Cup.” 

Learn more about experiential learning and the Kinesiology program at Trent University.