Who Is The (Athletic) Trainer, Anyway?

By Jason Crivello, ATC

When a wide-receiver gets drilled by a defensive-back coming across the middle and ends up lying on the ground, writhing in pain, you'll see someone come out onto the field to help the injured player. That someone is the athletic trainer. Certified Athletic Trainers are an integral part of the sports medicine team. If sports medicine is looked at as a wheel, athletic trainers are regarded as the hub - the central part of the team that extends to all other people involved: the athlete, physician, coaches, parents, athletic director, etc.

As allied health professionals, athletic trainers specialize in the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of athletic injuries. Certified Athletic Trainers are governed by the National Athletic Trainers' Association and in most states, fall under some form of state practice act. To achieve this, individuals must complete a curriculum-based course of study at an accredited university or college, work a minimum of 1,500 hours under the supervision of a certified trainer and then pass the NATA Board of Certification exam. Curriculum courses focus on anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, nutrition, athletic injuries and rehab. In addition to having a college degree and becoming certified, many athletic trainers get further education, usually a master's degree or higher, or additional certifications in related fields, such as strength and conditioning.

While referred to as "trainers" for many years, the NATA is hoping that more people will use the title, athletic trainer, so as not to be confused with other types of "trainers" like personal trainers. Athletic trainers are extremely diverse professionals. Sometimes making the best of limited resources, they must be creative in their work. Making splints out of football pads or tongue depressors, or using a soccer ball as a rehab tool are just a couple of examples. As a "Jack of all trades," an athletic trainer sometimes also helps equipment managers and even coaches. Athletic trainers see a wide variety of injuries and must be prepared to handle any worst-case scenario. Usually the first person to assist with an injury, they must be able to quickly determine the severity and make the appropriate decision of how to handle the situation. In an emergency, athletic trainers will help stabilize an athlete, administering CPR and first aid, if necessary, until EMS arrives.

Athletic trainers are employed in a variety of settings, including high schools, colleges and professional sports. Hospitals, physical therapy clinics, orthopedic offices and fitness clubs are other venues where athletic trainers work.

HIGH SCHOOL TRAINERS

While all professional and collegiate sports programs employ athletic trainers, high school administrators are quickly realizing the benefits of having them on staff to look after their athletes. A high school athletic trainer can speed up the recovery time of an injured athlete by being there when the injury occurs, immediately providing treatment and helping direct the athlete and parents with the appropriate course of action.

Parents benefit by knowing that if their child is injured during practice or a game, there is a trained professional onsite to help them. Team physicians at high schools enjoy having athletic trainers cover events, acting as the direct link between the player/parents and the physician. Often, the information a trainer can provide to a physician can help speed up recovery time.

In most cases, high school athletic trainers are employed by a sports medicine group and then contracted to a particular high school. The school benefits from this relationship by having access to a clinic that can treat their players in a timely manner. Having a certified athletic trainer on staff also decreases the liability of having an unqualified person handling injuries.

CLINICAL SETTINGS

In the clinical setting, athletic trainers assist physical therapists in the treatment of patients. Trainers are a great help due to their background in anatomy, rehab and orthopedic injuries. The orthopedic office is another venue in which athletic trainers are becoming employed more frequently. As physician extenders, athletic trainers help improve productivity, patient outcomes and satisfaction by performing certain services that would otherwise be performed by the physician, such as taking patient histories, brace fitting, casting, removing sutures and providing rehabilitation services.

NONTRADITIONAL SETTINGS

Other non-traditional venues where athletic trainers are used include ballet companies, rodeos, armed forces, NASCAR, professional wrestling, police academies and some occupational rehab settings.

DEMANDS VS. PERKS

The job of an athletic trainer is demanding. A typical workday can begin with hours in the training room, followed by treatments and paperwork. Then it's out to practice for a few hours and back to the training room for the end of the day's work. Other athletic trainers might work at an outpatient clinic for 4 to 5 hours, then head to after-school practices for 2 to 3 hours and finish up by covering a game until 9:30 p.m.

However, there are perks that come with the job. Helping people is the biggest perk and motivator. The true reward of being an athletic trainer is the opportunity to help athletes recover from injuries and see them back on the playing field, knowing you had a hand in accomplishing that. Additionally, if you enjoy sports, you can enjoy seats right on the sideline. However, most athletic trainers will tell you they rarely see much of a game, because they're too busy helping people. A lot of trainers work outside most of the time, at practices and games. This is great when the weather is nice, but there are plenty of days spent in the rain, cold and even snow. Working in the collegiate and professional ranks gets you into great sporting events. Athletic trainers are behind the scenes at any major sporting event: the Olympics, Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, you name it.

I work with Ohio Valley Wrestling, which is the development school for the WWE. This has given me the opportunity to help at WWE events, such as RAW and Smackdown. Other athletic trainers spend their summers working professional football camps as interns. They usually aren't paid much, but they gain valuable experience working with NFL trainers and elite athletes.

Most athletes who have worked with athletic trainers are grateful for what they did for them . whether it was rehabilitating an injury, conditioning or just providing moral support during a down time. For athletic trainers, doing the job is the reward.

For more information on athletic training, visit www.nata.org.

Jason Crivello, ATC, is the athletic trainer for Ohio Valley Wrestling and Ballard High School . He is on staff at KORT-Springhurst Physical Therapy and can be reached at jcrivello@kort.com.