The Field of Athletic Training

"The Field of Athletic Training"
By Franklin D. Heintz, Jr.
Contributing Writer

There is probably no field of endeavor that can provide more excitement, variety of tasks and personal satisfaction than athletic training. A person thinking about going into this field must love sports and enjoy the world of competition, in which there is a level of intensity seldom matched in any other area.

The job requires a unique blend of professional skills and "people skills."

Athletic trainers are highly educated and well-trained professionals. The person filling this position must have an understanding of medicine and science along with an understanding of medicine and science, with a detailed knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, physics, nutrition and first aid.

Also required of an athletic trainer are organizational, counseling and leadership skills, along with the willingness to give unselfishly of one's time. In fact, whoever holds this position must be a true professional on several different levels.

The job of an athletic trainer has come to be recognized as an essential part of the athletic staff. An increasing number of sports programs and of male and female participants has been accompanied with a growth in athletic injuries.

Also growing is the awareness that conditioning and proper preventive measures will help keep injuries down and that prompt care of injuries will speed recovery. That is where the athletic trainer fits in: being a specialist at preventing and treating injuries.

Unlike a coach who may work with only one or two sports, an athletic trainer works with athletes in all sports. Therefore, trainers must possess a general working knowledge with a familiarity in each sport. Wherever they work, trainers will find themselves playing many roles and taking on a wide variety of duties.

Of all the tasks performed by athletic trainers, the one most commonly recognized involve injury care: the application of protective taping, padding and bandaging and the fitting of braces, guards and other devices. These are unique duties not carried out by most other health-care professionals.

In addition, trainers will likely assist in the proper selection, fitting and care of protective equipment,

They also check the safety of all playing areas, making sure that undue hazards are eliminated. But despite their high visibility, these responsibilities are only the beginning of this job.

For instance, trainers will often work cooperatively with the coaches in establishing physical conditioning programs for athletes to follow. Conditioning programs primarily include proper warm-up activities, designed to improve strength, endurance, flexibility and speed.

Usually the first to arrive at the site of an injury, athletic trainers will also handle emergency care. They must be able to deal with cases of shock, severe hemorrhage, heat illness and severe neck or back injury. They may have to administer cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), perform emergency splinting or supervise the transportation of the injured athlete. It takes much practice and preparation to be able to react quickly, properly and calmly in such situations.

Athletic trainers also take care of minor injuries; First aid in these less serious cases includes cleaning and dressing of minor wounds.

Additional duties for a trainer involve follow-up treatments and rehabilitation. Work in these two areas, done under the direction of the team physician, is designed specifically to return an injured athlete to competition quickly and without the risk of further injury.

Other roles belong to the athletic trainer further removed from injury care. The role of nutritionist is one of these. The trainer can set up diets to help athletes gain or lose weight or to keep them at their proper playing weight. However, athletes in different sports will likely have different nutritional needs. The endurance runner and the swimmer, for instance, may not have the same dietary requirements as a wrestler.

Yet another role, one that can be especially difficult and very time-consuming for the athletic trainer, is the role of administrator and supervisor of the athletic training program. Important duties in this area include maintaining an inventory of supplies and equipment, budgeting of funds and overseeing maintenance of the training room. They also keep adequate and accurate records of injuries, treatments and doctor's visits, and they stay informed about matters of insurance and legal liability.

Trouble areas that a trainer will confront include pre-game tension, problems with motivation and attitude and conflicts between coaches and athletes.

Although the ability to assume all these roles is necessary, an athletic trainer must possess additional qualities to be truly successful in this profession.

Trainers, above all, have to firmly believe in what they are doing and in their own ability to make a valuable contribution. They are looked to as a source of knowledge and encouragement in many areas. And although they have a big role, qualified athletic trainers will be rewarded with a highly challenging an equally rewarding job.