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Over the years the word “trainer” has taken on
many different meanings. To
some people a trainer is someone who teaches them about
nutrition and fitness. Soccer
players sometimes think of a trainer as a coach.
Others might expect to see a trainer posing for a picture
next to his or her prize winning stallion.
To the athlete, the word trainer has an unmistakable
meaning. Athletic
trainers are the primary providers of day-to-day sports medicine
in a variety of settings. Patients
count on their trainer for everything from nutrition advice to
injury prevention to counseling to injury recognition, treatment
and rehabilitation.
Professional athletic trainers have been around for
years but have been well established the entire last half of
this century. Over
these years, athletic trainers have evolved from coaches with
injury care responsibilities to allied health professionals with
special training in the care of athletic medical problems.
Today, licensed and/or certified athletic trainers
must have a great deal of schooling to become proficient in
their trade. They
must have a college degree, take certain prescribed courses in
sciences, anatomy and physiology, and in sports medicine.
After finishing their required training they must take a
state exam that involves both written and practical tests.
Trainers who take care of athletic teams have the
primary responsibility for the health of the team members.
They take care of the everyday business of sports
medicine by supervising off season, conditioning and practice
sessions to minimize the potential for injury.
A trainer is usually the first person to evaluate a
sports injury and are trained to determine whether the injury is
something that can be handled “in house” or whether a
referral to the team doctor is necessary. And, whether managing an injury primarily or in conjunction
with the team doc, the trainer participates in all phases of
injury recovery and rehabilitation.
Trainers can also work in a clinical setting.
Many athletic trainers are employed in physical therapy
clinics where their unique expertise in injury recognition and
rehabilitation is put to good use.
Often, trainers who work primarily in a therapy clinic
have responsibilities outside of the office assisting a sports
team or at various athletic events.
Athletic trainers also prove useful to orthopaedic
and sports medicine clinics.
There they learn to apply casts, take relevant history of
athletic injuries and provide advice and information for the
injured athlete.
The recent trend is for large corporations and
departments to employ athletic trainers to care for the
employees. For
example, trainers often find work in police and fire departments
supervising the physical conditioning and general health of the
officers in addition to treating their musculoskeletal injuries
acquired on the job.
Also, athletic training has developed into a true
sports medicine science. They
produce professional journals as a forum to share original
research and practical knowledge with everyone in sports
medicine.
People who have access to an athletic trainer are
lucky indeed. Everyone
with access to a trainer should be encouraged to seek his or her
advice on any number of topics from musculoskeletal injury to
nutrition to sports psychology.
Always talk to you trainer early in order to keep small
problems from snowballing.
Any school district who is considering hiring an
athletic trainer should. Not
only do they keep the student athletes as healthy as possible,
they can contribute to the success of the athletic teams by
keeping the talent on the field or court.
Trainers also have the potential to reduce student health
care costs by managing some sports injuries in the training room
and from injury prevention and early recognition.
The bottom line is that athletic trainers are
invaluable members of the sports medicine team and their talents
and expertise should be maximized.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask any trainer
or sports medicine doctor for more information.
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