The Role and Impact of an Athletic Trainer

During a football playoff game, your is driving down the field to score, when the quarterback’s ankle gets stepped on by another player. The athlete, the player, the coach and the fans are all counting on the athletic trainer to get that player ready to go back into the game. The athletic trainer would need to help get the player back on the field if possible.This is why I would like to be an athletic trainer. Athletic trainers specialize in areas of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, assessment, and rehabilitation. With this degree my choices of employment can be numerous from working with a sports team to in the healthcare field.

Athletic training “specializes in six professional practice areas or domains: prevention; clinical evaluation

and diagnosis; immediate care; treatment, rehabilitation, and reconditioning; organization and administration; and professional responsibility” (Peterson 274). This career is recognized as an allied healthcare profession by the American Medical Association. Athletic trainers work with licensed physicians to help athletes or clients to maximize their activity potential (Kushubar, 7 Sept.). The trainers facilitate the treatment plan with coaches, parents, athletic directors, supervisors, as part of the health care team. They act as a link between the medical team and sports team or agency. Some other related careers: occupational therapists, physician assistants, nurses, and recreational therapists (Kushubar, 7 Sept).

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Athletic training can be traced back to ancient Greece.

According to Connie Peterson, in her book entitled Athletic Training , “The medical gymastae (trainers) were said to posses ideas of the effect of diet, rest, and exercise on the development of the body. Hippocrates, the “father of modern medicine,” and his student Claudius Galen often advised their patients to exercise in the gymnasia as a means of recovering from their ills” (Peterson 275).

Peterson talks about how, the trainers in 1900s were responsible for what a team manager might do today. It was not until 1914 when Samuel E. Bilik was hired as a part time athletic trainer for Illinois University. He published his first book, Athletic Training, two years after his employment as an athletic trainer. He then offered classes on athletic training topics (Peterson 276).

The athletic training profession has evolved from minimal responsibilities to what it is today. The role of an athletic trainer is to help prevent, diagnose, and treat injuries for people of all ages. In sports, work environments, military and any environment that people are active in. Some of the duties of an athletic trainer during a typical day are as follows: recognize and evaluate an injury, apply tape or braces, provide emergency care, help with rehabilitation programs, produce treatment plans and along with other tests

(bis.gov).

Athletic training profession works in many different environments to help with the physical as well the emotional effects that an injury may have with a client. Crust suggests, “that athletes go through a five stage process following an injury denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance and reorganization” (Crust 1). After the initial shock of the injury the athlete tries to

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downplay the significance of the injury. The athlete continues through the other stages until they reach the acceptance of the injury. The goal would be to get the athlete on the right page

and to help with establishing different techniques to help with dealing with the emotions that are a part of healing from the injury (Crust 1). According to Crust, “Goal setting and self talk are two of the most important techniques that have been shown to be positively associated with adherence to rehabilitation programs and with faster healing times” (Crust 3).

Another key requirement is being a good communicator with the client as well as the health care team. Social and communication skills are important for the athletic trainer who are constantly dealing with different types of people. Athletic trainers have to manage difficult situations in which coaches may pressure to get that star player released early in their treatment. This is a stressful situation that the athletic trainer will have to deal with. . Communication is a large part of getting positive results from an injury. The trainer has to be able to balance listening to the patient as well communicating positively. This is why athletic trainers need to enjoy helping their patients it is essential (campusexplorer.com).

For example, when I was injured in my sophomore year in high school. My athletic trainer for my high school worked with my coaches as well as my doctor. Communication was

important to keep everyone updated on my injury and what steps I was working on in the healing process. The trainer helped me with the emotional letdown of not being a play for the whole football season.

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Athletic trainers can be found in any environment where physical activity is found. Athletic trainers work in secondary schools, colleges, professional sports, sports medicine clinics, US Military, corporations, hospitals, health clubs, performing arts and Olympic sports.

According to NATA, more than fifty percent of athletic trainers work outside of school athletic settings; they provide services for people of all ages (nata.org). The hours of an Athletic trainer can vary based on where you are working. If at a school, college or professional team your hours will vary as well as the days. Trainer’s need to be available for practices, treatments and games. The hours that they work can average between

60-70 hours.

Trainers that work at non athletic jobs may have a more set schedule with set hours. These hours can average between 40 and 50 hours per week (nata.org).

According to US Bureau of Labor says, the salary with a bachelor degree is approximately 54,000 and up depending on the location of the employment (bis.gov). Nearly 70 percent of Athletic trainers have either a master’s or a doctoral degree which would influence the salary (nata.org). Most Athletic trainers are full time with benefits. Athletic training is a growing field with increased opportunity to get employment. The projected growth rate for Athletic trainers is 37% . Numerous states are trying to have more accessibility for high schools to have athletic trainers.

Students that are interested in becoming an Athletic trainer must have a degree an accredited athletic training college. The college needs to have an accreditation with the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs-CAAHEP. The school would offer classes like First Aid and Emergency care, Assessment of Injury, Human Anatomy

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and Physiology, Nutrition and Therapeutic Modalities. The candidate that completes the academic requirements must also take a test. The exam has three sections: written, written stimulation and practical (nata.org).

At Averett University, the athletic training program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education(CAATE). The courses can range from

Introduction to Biology, Human Anatomy, Physiology, Nutrition and Sports Performance, Kinesiology, Sports Medicine, Sport Psychology, Therapeutic Modalities, Administration of Athletic Training, Research Methods in Physical Education, Prevention and Acute Care of Athletic Injuries, and Therapeutic Modalities. Also numerous hours of hands on learning is needed, which is done either at the athletic training facility, physical therapy practices, rehabilitation practices and local doctors offices (Averett.edu).

Athletic training degree requires 800 hours of supervised clinical hours in the major and pass the Board for Certification Exam. Averett first time pass rate for all graduates is fifty percent. The university is affiliated with the Mid-Atlantic Trainers Association, Virginia Athletic Training Association and National Athletic Training Association (Averett.edu).

Most Athletic Trainers belong to NATA, National Athletic Trainers’ Association, is a nonprofit agency that works on improving, advancing and encouraging the athletic training profession. NATA was founded in 1950, represents more than 30,000 members. About 85 percent of athletic trainers are members of NATA. Members must agree to abide by the association’s code of ethics (nata.org).

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Athletic training is a career that I would enjoy doing. This is due to working with people, being around different sports teams and helping them to win. Athletic training is a degree that contains prevention, emergency care, diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries of athletes and professionals. As quoted in NATA fact sheet, “Athletic trainers help

enhance a physician's communication with patients by serving as another source of expert information that patients can absorb. Athletic trainers are a key part of our sports medicine delivery model”(nata.org).