Britney Brosius grew up in western Nebraska.
The Hyannis native loves that rural lifestyle – the small towns, the people, the close connections.
“I was very fortunate to be raised in such a supportive environment,” she says.
Brosius participated in basketball, volleyball and rodeo during high school, then came to UNK to pursue a career that combines her passion for sports and health care.
She enrolled in the athletic training 3+2 pathway program, which allows students to complete both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in just five years. Brosius graduated summa cum laude in spring 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and she’ll receive her Master of Athletic Training next week.
In less than a month, she’ll start a Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Montana in Missoula. Ultimately, she wants to work in sports medicine as a dual-credentialed athletic trainer/physical therapist.
“I hope to someday use the knowledge and skills that I have gained to give back to a community similar to the one that gave me so much,” Brosius says.
Why did you choose UNK?
I chose UNK for the individualized academic opportunities it provides for students. Along with that, I was drawn to its connections with rural Nebraska and the community of Kearney.
What stands out about UNK’s athletic training program?
One of the great things about our athletic training program is that students can complete a master’s degree in five years if they choose to complete their undergraduate degree here and enroll in the 3+2 program. During clinical rotations throughout the program students get the chance to have a considerable amount of hands-on experience with athletes of all ages.
My clinical rotations assigned to me during the MAT program included UNK women’s soccer, UNK men’s and women’s basketball, UNK softball, Kearney Legion baseball, Kearney Catholic High School, New West Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, ultimate bullfighting, high school rodeo and professional rodeo. I had a wide variety of experiences throughout my clinicals and each allowed me to develop my skills as an athletic trainer in a different way. From the days in a clinic progressing patients to their rehab goals to nights in the rodeo arena ready to perform emergency care, I was able to learn so much from so many intelligent people.
Are there other opportunities available?
I was involved in the undergraduate research fellowship where I worked on two research projects with Dr. Kazuma Akehi, “Analyzing Rodeo Injuries and their Corresponding Risk Factors” and “Effects of Blood Flow Restriction on Motor Unit Recruitment.” I was a UNK Department of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences ambassador and a member of the exercise science and athletic training clubs. I was vice president of UNK Cornerstone as an undergraduate student. I also worked as a graduate assistant for the MAT program.
What advice do you have for other students interested in athletic training?
My advice to incoming students would be to get as much hands-on experience as you can. Not only will that help you decide if you are passionate about athletic training, but also the knowledge you gain from those experiences is something you can carry throughout the entirety of your professional career.
