Our Members & Occupational Opportunities

Lauren Bradburn – Sports Therapist, Slough Jets

Section 1: About You

Name: Lauren Bradburn

Current role / job title: Sports Therapist for the Slough Jets

Primary winter sport(s) you work in: Ice Hockey

Current work setting: National Ice Hockey League 1

Years working in winter sports: 2

Section 2: Training and Clinical Background

Core professional qualification: BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy

Additional qualifications or certifications relevant to winter sports: Trauma and Medical Emergency First Aid

What areas of clinical practice are most important in your winter sports role? Trauma care and return to sport

Are there any specific skills you feel winter sports work has particularly developed for you as a clinician?
Working in ice hockey has developed my ability to manage high-contact injuries in a fast-paced environment. The frequency of collisions, rapid changes of direction, and exposure to equipment such as sticks, pucks, and boards has sharpened my on-ice assessment skills, particularly for head, shoulder, and knee injuries.

The demands of the sport have strengthened my clinical reasoning around return-to-play decisions, where time pressure and athlete expectations must be balanced with player welfare. Being able to make confident, evidence-based decisions between shifts or periods has been a key area of professional growth.

Additionally, my communication skills within a multidisciplinary team have been enhanced. Clear and concise communication with coaches, parents, and players is essential in an environment where decisions often need to be made quickly and under scrutiny.

Section 3: Your Journey into Winter Sports

How did you first get into working in winter sports?
I grew up as a figure skater from the age of 4–11, after transitioning to an ice hockey player myself at 11 years old and have followed the Slough Jets since I was young.

Was this a planned career move or something that developed organically?
I have been a fan of the Slough Jets since I was a baby, going to games week in and week out, playing for the junior system growing up. I kept in contact with the head coach once I left for university and was approached by him once I had graduated.

Section 4: Advice for Society Members

My key piece of guidance would be to develop confidence in your clinical reasoning and be prepared to stand by your decisions, even when they are challenged. Working in winter sports often means making difficult calls under pressure, and these decisions may not always be popular with players or coaches in the moment.

I have learned that maintaining professionalism, clear communication, and consistency is essential when facing pushback or scrutiny. Explaining decisions calmly, grounding them in evidence, and prioritising athlete welfare helps build long-term trust, even when there is short-term resistance.

Social:
Instagram: @nextshiftsportstherapy
Facebook: Next Shift Sports Therapy

Mark Greaves-Lord – Lecturer & Match Day Medic

Section 1: About You

Name: Mark Greaves-Lord

Current role / job title: Lecturer – Southampton Solent University, Match day medic – lite Ice Hockey League, Affiliate medical tutor – The FA

Primary winter sport(s) you work in: Ice Hockey

Current work setting: Match-day medic for travelling teams – rink based with elite squad

Years working in winter sports: 18 months

Section 2: Training and Clinical Background

Core professional qualification: BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy from University of Chichester

Additional qualifications or certifications relevant to winter sports: MSc Strength and Conditioning from Southampton Solent University; Level 4 ITMMiF

What areas of clinical practice are most important in your winter sports role?
Acute injury management, trauma scenario recognition and management, emergency action planning, athlete preparation

Are there any specific skills you feel winter sports work has particularly developed for you as a clinician?
Recognition of acute traumatic injuries, in particular the recognition and management of high-velocity trauma. Ice hockey is an intense, physical sport played at high speed where physical robustness and aggression play a key role in performance. This therefore can contribute to a range of musculoskeletal injuries such as fractures, dislocations and contusions, as well as functional neurological injuries like concussion and haematological injuries like cuts and lacerations.

Section 3: Your Journey into Winter Sports

How did you first get into working in winter sports?
I have been interested in winter sports for as long as I can remember. I am a keen snowboarder and try to get away every year into The Alps or up to Aviemore in Scotland. I have lots of family in the USA so have always been interested in Ice Hockey and have been following the New York Islanders since I was 7 or 8 years old.

After moving house a couple of years ago, a colleague of mine contacted me asking if I would like to register with the EIHL medical teams to provide match day cover to the teams travelling from all over the British isles when they visited the Guildford Flames at the Spectrum centre a few miles from me. This seemed like a great way to continue working in elite sport, while continuing to contribute to enhancing player safety in these games.

It’s something I am really pleased I have been involved in and get to work alongside great athletes, coaches, team staff and as part of a wider medical MDT.

Was this a planned career move or something that developed organically?
Developed organically for sure. It is an area I had some experience in having spent lots of time gathering placement hours with athletes from the Guildford Lightning who play in the women’s elite league as part of my strength and conditioning masters, so being able to use my skills as a sports therapist as well as a strength coach in this sport was really exciting.

Section 4: Advice for Society Members

Ensure that you have completed a relevant trauma qualification at an appropriate level. Courses such as the PHICIS Level 2 course, one of which has been designed by and specifically for medics working in ice hockey. Other courses such as the level 4 ITMMiF from The FA also provide comprehensive practical education for working in sport.