March is National Athletic Training Month! The Department of Athletic Training at High Point University offers unique research experiences by working collaboratively with athletic training faculty in the Department of Physical Therapy’s Human Biomechanics and Physiology Laboratory. This state-of-the-art facility allows students the opportunity to use cutting edge technology to analyze human movement patterns that may lead to athletic-related injuries. Students involved in undergraduate research experiences have presented their projects at major national conferences of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the American College of Sports Medicine. As a result, HPU graduates have been accepted into top graduate programs in athletic training.
Learn more about student success in Athletic Training at HPU
What is Athletic Training?
Athletic Trainers (ATs) are health care professionals who collaborate with physicians. The services provided by ATs comprise prevention, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. ATs work under the direction of physicians, as prescribed by state licensure statutes.
- Many athletic trainers work outside of athletic settings; they provide physical medicine and rehabilitation and other services to people of all ages.
- ATs work in:
- Public and private secondary schools, colleges and universities, professional and Olympic sports.
- Physician offices as physician extenders, similar to nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists and other professional clinical personnel.
- Clinics with specialties in sports medicine, cardiac rehab, medical fitness, wellness and physical therapy.
- Performing arts with dancers, musicians, and other artists.
- Rural and urban hospitals, hospital emergency rooms, urgent and ambulatory care centers.
- Youth leagues, municipal and independently owned youth sports facilities.
- Occupational health departments in commercial settings, which include manufacturing, distribution and offices to assist with ergonomics.
- Police and fire departments and academies, municipal departments, branches of the military.
Athletic trainers are experts
Working to prevent and treat musculoskeletal injuries and sports-related illnesses, athletic trainers offer a continuum of care unparalleled in health care. ATs are part of a team of health care professionals – they practice under the direction of and in collaboration with physicians. ATs work with those individuals who are physically active or involved in sports participation through all stages of life to prevent, treat and rehabilitate injuries and medical conditions. Athletic trainers should not be confused with personal trainers or “trainers” who focus solely on fitness and conditioning. Always refer to an “athletic trainer” or “AT” to ensure clarify of profession and quality of care.
Athletic trainers save lives
Sports injuries can be serious. Brain and spinal cord injuries and conditions such as heat illness can be life threatening if not recognized and properly handled. ATs are there to treat acute injuries on the spot. Athletes have chronic illnesses, too. People with diabetes and asthma can and do safely work and exercise, and the athletic trainer can help manage these critical health issues as they relate to physical exertion.
Not all athletes wear jerseys
The duties of many workers – such as baggage handlers, dancers, soldiers and police officers – require range of motion and strength and stamina, and hold the potential for musculoskeletal injuries. ATs work with individuals in various settings to help with the prevention and treatment.
The athletic trainer is a key player in the health care system for athletes and others
Athletic trainers are on site. They work with patients to avoid injuries; they’re there when injuries happen and they provide immediate care; and they rehabilitate patients after injuries or surgery. It’s a continuum of care. They know their patients well because they are at the school, in the theater or on the factory floor every day.
Athletic trainers take responsibility and lower risk
School administrators, athletics directors and coaches have their own jobs, which may pose a conflict of interest with athlete safety; they are not experts in managing injuries or sports-related illnesses, nor should they be responsible to do so. Handling injuries at school or at work, rather than sending the patient to the emergency department, saves money and time loss – and gets them back to their activity faster. Just as professional and collegiate athletes do, recreational athletes should have access to athletic trainers.