Redskins Training Camp Welcomes Back Massage Therapy Students

For 5 Years Straight ECPI University Students Have Been Assisting these Athletes

Evan Reyes is about to graduate from ECPI University with a degree in Massage Therapy.  When he does, he would like to work with athletes. That’s a specialized area where students often find it difficult to gain experience, which is why Evan was so happy when he was selected to work with the Washington Redskins during the team’s summer training camp in Richmond, Virginia. “It’s a different level of experience; it’s a lot more specific,” says Evan. “The things we learn, you get to actually apply it. They come in and say, ‘this is tight, this is hurting,’ and you can actually break down what’s going on and what’s wrong.”

[Tweet “It’s a really, really rare, special opportunity.”]

Evan is one of 17 Massage Therapy students from the Richmond/Moorefield and Newport News campuses who took part in the three-week training camp. “The really amazing thing about this is the chance to work with professional athletes that even a lot of licensed therapists who have been in the field for years don’t get this opportunity,” says Newport News Campus Massage Therapy Program Director Michele Rose. “So that’s really something that you can’t just graduate, get your license, and go out and do. It’s a really, really rare, special opportunity.”

So, what makes athletes so different? “Obviously, their muscles are well-defined and tend to be large,” says Richmond/Moorefield Campus President Ashley Richards. “Our students have the opportunity to make connections between their work and the body parts they are trying to address visually and kinesthetically.”

“I think it says a lot about the quality of our program. Our students are not only skilled, but also discreet. They’ve demonstrated that they are professionals and that anything they see or hear at camp remains confidential.”

~Richmond/Moorefield Massage Therapy Program Director Edward Simpson, III

Of course, many of them are Redskins fans themselves, so being around their favorite athletes is a thrill unto itself. “It’s a lot of fun and a cool environment,” says Madison Clodius, a student at the Richmond/Moorefield campus. “One second, there won’t be any players in the training room, and then all of a sudden, the players are coming in, excited to get worked on, they’ve getting on the tables, and they’re all joking with each other – and joking with us sometimes too!”

[Tweet “This marks the fifth straight year the Redskins have invited ECPI University to participate in training camp.”]

This marks the fifth straight year the Redskins have invited ECPI University to participate in training camp. “I think it says a lot about the quality of our program,” says Richmond/Moorefield Massage Therapy Program Director Edward Simpson, III, who sought out this opportunity for his students five years ago. “Our students are not only skilled, but also discreet. They’ve demonstrated that they are professionals and that anything they see or hear at camp remains confidential.”