A love for sports found a ‘new home’

When Madison Posner graduates in May, she’ll leave Ohio State with a wealth of hands-on professional experience as an athletic trainer and physical therapist intern.

The health sciences major not only volunteered with Ohio State’s football team, but had two internships in the pros. Last summer, she was a Sports Performance intern with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The previous summer, during the 2023 training camp, she was an Athletic Training intern with the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I thoroughly enjoyed both experiences and valued the opportunity to be in the training rooms of professional organizations,” Madison says.

Working alongside sports medicine staff in both training rooms, Madison assisted with rehabilitation and hydration during practice with the Eagles. She also worked preseason games on the sidelines. With the Diamondbacks, she assisted with player rehabilitation and learned about the organization’s treatment protocols.

Both opportunities, she says, simply came from networking. To get the Eagles gig, she submitted an application, while the Diamondbacks opportunity came from a relationship on campus.

“I had the opportunity to work with the Diamondbacks through a connection my wonderful research advisor had, and I networked with him to secure the chance to travel to Arizona,” says Posner, who will be attending Duke’s physical therapy school after graduation.

That research advisor and mentor was James Onate, a renowned researcher in the field of human movement assessment with research that has made significant impact nationally and internationally.

Working within Onate’s MOvES research team,Posner oversaw her own research project examining injury patterns in pitchers’ arms, which earned her first place at the recent Denman Undergraduate Research Forum.

“My research focuses on Major League Baseball injury data. With the support of Dr. Onate, he encouraged me to take on an honors thesis on a topic of my choosing,” Posner says. “It has been such an amazing experience working alongside him and being able to complete research that I have such a passion for. This work has allowed me to gain skills as a writer, presenter, and researcher. I’m confident it will help me become a better future clinician.” 

Madison on her Ohio State experience: “Coming from California, I found a new home in Columbus and have made such special connections. I chose Ohio State because I love the Midwest, and I wanted to find a school that had both strong academics and a great athletics department. 

“Being able to volunteer with the Ohio State football team was definitely a highlight. I also enjoyed making connections in organizations on campus, Student-Alumni Council in particular. Also, attending sporting events (she was a member of Ohio State’s Block O club) was always something I enjoyed as a student, especially being able to travel down to Atlanta and attend the National Championship this past January.”

Her advice to students: “Take advantage of the four years you have at Ohio State. Networking is such an important skill to have not only as a student, but as a future professional. There are so many opportunities for students to find their passions on campus, it is about seeking them out. I’ve always been told, ‘the worst they could say is no.’ It’s crucial to put yourself out there and be confident in your capabilities.”