Smith College Athletics

Rae Barker enters their first season as a Graduate Assistant in Strength and Conditioning while pursuing a Master’s degree in Exercise & Sport Studies.

Before arriving at Smith, Barker gained extensive hands-on experience at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), serving as a Strength and Conditioning Coach Intern (2023–24) and later as a Strength and Conditioning Coach Assistant (2024–25). During that time, Barker worked with a wide variety of NCAA Division I student-athletes, assisting with sport-specific training programs, athlete monitoring, and return-to-play support.

In the summer of 2025, Barker completed a strength and conditioning internship with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Performance Institute, where they contributed to the physical preparation of elite combat athletes and advanced their knowledge of performance monitoring and recovery strategies at the professional level.

A graduate of UNLV, Barker earned a B.S. in Exercise and Human Sciences in 2024. They hold the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) credential from the NSCA.