Athletic Trainers, A Day in the Life
Author: Kristin Oropeza
Athletic trainers are often the unsung heroes of many professional sports teams - whether at the national level with organizations such as the National Football League or on a more local level with high school and college teams. We were reminded of how important athletic trainers are when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during a Monday Night Football game. The quick thinking and intuitive actions of assistant athletic trainer Denny Kellington and his team were instrumental in saving the life of Hamlin, according to head coach Sean McDermott.
But an athletic trainer’s life isn’t always a life in the spotlight.
What are athletic trainers? Athletic trainers are healthcare professionals specializing in preventing, recognizing, and treating injuries related to physical activity. They often work with athletes as well as non-athletes to help active individuals perform at their best while also minimizing the risk of injury.
The Role of An Athletic Trainer
According to the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), athletic trainers are "healthcare professionals who collaborate with physicians to optimize activity and participation of patients and clients." Athletic trainers work alongside doctors and other medical professionals to help active individuals stay healthy and perform at their best.
Some of the key responsibilities of an athletic trainer might include:
Injury Prevention: Athletic trainers work to prevent injuries from occurring in the first place. This might involve educating athletes on proper techniques for exercises and activities, as well as recommending equipment or other measures to reduce the risk of injury.
Injury Assessment: If an athlete does get injured, the athletic trainer will assess the injury and determine the best course of action. This might involve providing immediate care, such as first aid, or referring the athlete to a physician or other healthcare professional for further treatment.
Rehabilitation: Once an athlete has been injured, the athletic trainer will develop a rehabilitation plan. This might include therapeutic exercises and modalities designed to help the athlete regain strength, range of motion and flexibility, as well as techniques to help prevent future injuries.
Performance Enhancement: Athletic trainers also work to enhance athletic performance by providing guidance on nutrition, strength and conditioning, and other factors that can affect performance.
The education of a certified athletic trainer
Athletic trainers must earn a Bachelors degree as well as a masters degree in Kinesiology/Athletic training. Only after over 1,500 hours of experience hours under a certified athletic trainer may a candidate sit for the NATABOC certification exam.
A Day in the Life of an Athletic Trainer
A typical day for an athletic trainer might involve a variety of activities, depending on their workplace and the needs of their patients/clients. The Athletic Trainer is often the first to arrive and the last to leave. For example, an athletic trainer who works in a high school setting might spend their day:
Conducting pre-season physicals for student-athletes
Arriving at the athletic training facility to organize and prep for practices and games that day
Taping athletes for practice
Guiding student-athletes through rehabilitation exercises
Evaluating and treating injuries that occur during practice or games
Developing rehabilitation plans for injured athletes
Providing guidance on nutrition and other factors that can affect athletic performance
Supervising on site practices and/or games
Contacting and communicating with emergency services when necessary
Communicating with coaches, parents and other medical professionals to ensure that athletes receive appropriate and efficient care
Providing post practice/game care to student-athletes
Ensuring that the athletic training facility is clean, sanitized and well stocked for the following days’ events.
An athletic trainer who works in a hospital or clinical setting might spend their day:
Assessing and treating patients of all ages who have been injured.
Rehabilitating post-operative patients
Assessing the progress or regression of a patients’ rehabilitation plan.
Developing treatment plans in collaboration with physicians, physical therapists and other medical professionals
Conducting research on injury prevention and treatment techniques
Educating patients on proper gait, lifting patterns, and other movements associated with their activities of daily living.
Athletic Trainers in a hospital or clinical setting often work with non-athletes, inactive patient and the geriatric community
Regardless of their workplace, athletic trainers play a critical role in helping athletes and other active individuals stay healthy, perform at their best, and rehabilitate injuries quickly and efficiently. It’s because of athletic trainers like Julie Frymyer, Kansas City Chiefs athletic trainer, that helped quarterback Patrick Mahomes through a high ankle sprain and rehabilitated him in time for Super Bowl LVII. This feat was so noteworthy that Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance, Rick Burkholder, took to Twitter to sing Frymyer’s praises.
Athletic training is an exciting, fast paced profession that often demands long hours and the ability to adapt to many different scenarios. Athletic trainers remain essential first responders to the needs of athletes and active individuals.
To learn more about the role of athletic trainers, check out our procedure courses that help students train for roles in the medical field, and stay tuned for our next Blog featuring one of our course instructors, Kam Weller, A.T.,C.
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Sources:
National Athletic Trainers' Association. (2021). Athletic Training. Retrieved from https://www.nata.org/about/athletic-training
American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. (2018). What is a Sports Medicine Physician? Retrieved fromhttps://www.sportsmedtoday.com/what-is-a-sports-medicine-physician.htm