Athletic Training Research Paper

How do you feel about having hundreds of possible job settings? When people hear athletic trainer, most people think about working with athletes or for a team. Athletic trainers are lucky enough to work in any type of setting. Professional sports team, airports, and military are just some of the settings an athletic trainer can work at. “Although there is that option of working in different setting, most athletic trainers work in colleges and universities,” says Annie Martin who used to be an athletic trainer for Washington State University and Los Medanos College. Athletic trainer are fortunate to chose a job setting they prefer the most.
The NATA took a survey of all the ATs and where they work and the result showed that colleges and universities was the top job setting. More settings include secondary schools, hospitals, professional sports, performing arts and military. “Some people think athletic trainers are strictly for sports but someone can get injured in a play, the military and hospitals even have urgent care for those who are injured,” says Alysha Gasowski, a college
student who is studying to become an athletic trainer at Sacramento State University. With such a wide variety of job settings, this means that patients vary in each field. Patients can range from children to teenagers, to adults and even the elderly.
For athletic trainers working for a school, whether it's working in a high school or college, the head athletic trainer may need some help tending the hundreds of athletes that come in for their injury.
Those helpers are called student athletic trainers. Student athletic trainers are students who are studying to become an athletic trainer in the future or just student enrolled in the class of sports medicine. It is crucial that student athletic trainers get field experience because the subject of athletic training is very hands on and need field work. While working alongside the head athletic trainers, student athletic trainers learn skills that cannot be learned in the classroom. Taking notes on rehabilitation for an ACL tear is not the same as actually doing the rehabilitation for an ACL tear with an athlete. Field experience is very important and helpful for aspiring athletic
trainers.
The community for athletic trainers is huge and the NATA includes a information on each of them. On the NATA website, it says that, “Approximately 3% of NATA members work in the professional sports setting. NATA has strong relationships with the professional societies that serve these athletic trainers and works collaboratively with these groups to advance the profession.” There are sites where athletic trainer can get connected to other athletic trainers in their community or their specific field. Examples of some professional sports “communities” are Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers’ Society (PBATS), Professional Football Athletic Trainers’ Society (PFATS) and National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association (NBATA).
“By 2018, the number of physical therapists in the United States is projected to grow by 30.3 percent, but the number of students majoring in kinesiology – a field in which many physical therapists hold a degree -- is growing at an even faster rate” pulled from InsideHigherEd.com. Athletic training is an academic major that is recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). To become an athletic trainer, you must at least have a baccalaureate degree. Many ATs have a degree in kinesiology and then continue to get a Master’s to increase their knowledge. According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association website, “More than 70 percent of athletic trainers hold at least a master’s degree,” and after their completion of the CAATE athletic training education program, students can be eligible for national certification by successfully completing the Board of Education exam. As information continues to change, it is important for athletic trainers to learn the latest about their field. Continuing education is important to expand knowledge on effective athletic training, explore new knowledge in specific areas and possibly master new athletic training related skills and techniques. A master’s degree does not only increase knowledge about athletic training but it can also help you secure a job in certain settings. Annie Martin, head athletic trainer of Clayton Valley Charter High says, “Athletic training degree programs help students gain knowledge in prevention, evaluation, diagnosis and rehabilitation of injuries.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most states require athletic trainers to have a degree in an accredited athletic training college program and be certified and licensed. California is the only state left that does not require licensure for an athletic trainer. “This is bad because anyone can say they are an athletic trainer and get the job without having a license certified by the BOC,” says Amanda Hawkes, the head athletic trainer at Alhambra High School. The governor vetoed a bill that would make it illegal for anyone to claim themselves as an athletic trainer unless they are certified by the BOC. There are states that require trainers to follow standards and meet a certain number of continuing education courses. Some states even require athletic trainers to pass a separate exam especially from the state to get a license.