Local football team...

I was lucky with my work experience as a student as I arranged with a local football team to be their sports therapist for training and on a match day for free. I found that they supported me fully throughout my year and a half with them, and I got to deal with a great deal of injuries including ankle sprains, knee ligament sprains, concussion, patellofemoral pain, 3 ACL tears, a thumb dislocation and loads of other knocks and bumps..

I found this experience invaluable to assist with my studies and have a much greater confidence in my abilities for it. The players were fantastically supportive and appreciative of what I did for them, especially as the alternative was the manager running on with a bottle of water! I felt I really got accepted in as part of the team, even joining in with training sessions and fitness work.

I would really strongly recommend to all future sports therapists to undertake as much voluntary work experience as you can, if only just to observe a current sports therapist in their work as it will benefit your studies greatly...

And chances are, if you approach a reasonably low-down club, they will jump at the chance of your services!