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For many Americans, the profession of athletic training is rather unfamiliar. Aren't these people the ones who "train athletes"? Well, not exactly. Certified Athletic Trainers (ATCs) are health care professionals who specialize in the prevention, recognition, management and rehabilitation of injuries that result from physical activity. Although athletic trainers are often seen tending to an injured athlete, this is only one portion of their daily responsibilities.
A little history: The early athletic trainers evolved in the 1950's, and were often college football coaches who were given the responsibility of caring for injuries sustained by team members. Many of these athletic trainers had no formal education in how to manage injuries, but may have learned some "tricks of the trade" from physicians or other colleagues. These athletic training pioneers relied on trial and error in their use of protective padding and athletic tape, and eventually laid the foundation for many of today's common practices.
The profession of athletic training has come along way in the past 50 years. The academic preparation for athletic trainers has become quite regimented, requiring a diverse science foundation similar to that of pre-medical students.
Although athletic training began in college football, athletic trainers are now found in a wide variety of work settings - including secondary schools, colleges and universities, physical therapy clinics, professional sports programs, hospitals, industrial settings, and the military.
- Secondary schools: Parents and administrators are discovering the benefits a certified athletic trainer can offer in preventing and caring for injuries. Many certified athletic trainers also teach classes at the high school level. The American Medical Association recognizes athletic training as an allied health care profession, and recommends certified athletic trainers be in every high school.
- Colleges and universities: Certified athletic trainers' jobs in colleges generally fall into two categories: Athletic department and staff assignment. Athletic department positions involve working with sports teams on a daily basis, while staff assignments may be geared more towards the education of student athletic trainers.
- Professional sports: In this setting, certified athletic trainers work year-round with only one sport, such as football, baseball, basketball, hockey or soccer
- Physical Therapy clinics: This setting provides certified athletic trainers with the opportunity to work with a number of different health care professionals and a diverse patient population. In addition to athletic injury rehabilitation, many clinics provide athletic training services for secondary schools via outreach programs.
- Military: ATCs can be found as part of the health care team for active-duty injured service people, on- and off-base fitness and wellness centers, new recruit readiness programs, in addition to established military school sports teams.
- Industrial: Athletic trainers in this setting often function in the prevention and management of injuries that occur in the workplace.
- Hospital: Much like physical therapy clinics, some hospitals employ athletic trainers to provide services for secondary schools via outreach programs.
HealthWorks employs Certified Athletic Trainers in its physical therapy clinics, as well as in 8 high schools in West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania. These ATCs are also instrumental in providing outreach coverage for middle school football games, the Betty Puskar Future's Golf tournament, and many other local sporting events.
If you would like to learn more about the profession of athletic training, visit the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) website at www.nata.org.
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