From Reading Royals
The Reading Royals, proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, announced that Alyson Vecchia-Spooner, MS, LAT, ATC, will serve as the team’s athletic trainer. She becomes the first female athletic trainer in the franchise’s 24-season history.
Vecchia-Spooner, a native of Danbury, Connecticut, will manage all matters related to the athletic training and medical treatment of the team’s players. Vecchia-Spooner’s services are provided through St. Luke’s University Health Network and will begin immediately.
“We’re excited to bring Alyson Vecchia-Spooner on as a member of the team’s hockey operations staff and the first female athletic trainer in our franchise’s history,” stated David Farrar, Team President. “It was imperative that we brought on an athletic trainer who holds the experience and skills necessary to properly manage the physical conditioning and medical treatment for our team. We have full confidence in Alyson’s ability to meet these measures and extend our sincere thanks to St. Luke’s University Health Network for being an important partner with our team.”
“I want to thank the entire Reading Royals organization and the St. Luke’s Sports Medicine Relations department for giving me the opportunity to make my childhood dreams come true,” stated Vecchia-Spooner. “I also want to show my appreciation for the Springfield College Athletic Training program and the Florida Everblades for believing in me and giving me incredible experience that has paved the way for my job with the Royals. I couldn’t have done this without my family and friends’ unwavering support, never doubting my hopes to work in professional hockey. I hope I can show all the little girls here in Reading and beyond that they, too, can be on the bench and build a career in men’s professional sports, to never let anyone get in the way of it. I value my position and am going to try my hardest to get your favorite players back on the ice as soon as possible after injury, so we can hoist a Kelly Cup!”
A graduate of Springfield College with a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Exercise Science, as well as a Master of Science Degree in Athletic Training, Vecchia-Spooner served as the athletic training student for the university’s football, soccer, and volleyball teams.
Additionally, Vecchia-Spooner gained a plethora of experience through numerous athletic training internships, including stints at Williston Northampton School in 2023, College of Holy Cross, and UMass-Amherst’s football program in 2024, as well as the Florida Everblades in 2025, where she was efficient in injury prevention, immediate injury care, assisting team physicians, and administration responsibilities, along with other skills.
Vecchia-Spooner will be one of the current four female athletic trainers in the ECHL this coming season, as she joins Kailey Warren of the Idaho Steelheads, Julia Phillips of the South Carolina Stingrays, and Sarah Wieck of the Wichita Thunder.
Vecchia-Spooner also joins Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ head athletic trainer Kedryn Orrison-Pilgrim as two head athletic trainers within the Philadelphia Flyers organization.
Season tickets for the upcoming 2025-26 season are available by visiting the Royals’ box office at Santander Arena or by calling 610-898-7825.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.bctv.org ’
