March: National Athletic Training Month

National Athletic Training
Month
“Every Body Needs an
Athletic Trainer”
March is National Athletic Training Month. Athletic
trainers utilize this opportunity to educate the public about their profession
and what exactly they do as certified athletic trainers.
Athletic trainer
not trainer
Athletic trainers, ATs, are health care professionals
that work under the direction of a physician according to their state
license. ATs are not personal or fitness trainers and do not train people for
the sole purpose of fitness and/or weight loss. Athletic training involves the
prevention, evaluation and diagnosis, immediate and emergency care, treatment
and rehabilitation, and organizational and professional health and well-being
of physically active people.
Education
An athletic trainer must obtain a bachelor’s or master’s
degree from an accredited program and pass a board of certification exam before
beginning practice. Athletic trainers must also maintain their knowledge and
skill by participating in continuing education, approximately 25 hours a year.
Not all athletes
wear jerseys
Athletic trainers work with a variety of patients and in
many different settings. Some of these setting include:
·        
Physician extender
·        
Performing arts
·        
Clinics and hospitals
·        
Law enforcement
·        
Military
·        
High schools, colleges and universities
·        
Professional and Olympic sports
·        
Industrial
In the video below a collection of surgeons, athletic
directors, and physicians tell why an athletic trainer is critical to keeping
physically active people safe.
                Unsung Heroes of Sports Medicine on NATA page
Associations and
publications
The National Athletic Trainers’ Association, NATA, is the
professional membership association for athletic training and has over 35,000
members strong. These members are certified athletic trainers and other
professional who help support the profession. The NATA has established a
professional code of ethics that athletic trainers must abide by.
The Journal of Athletic Training publishes cutting edge
research to allow for health care professionals to continue growing in their
practice. The Journal of Athletic Training is among the top five sport science
journals offering tremendous impact and influence to the world of sports
medicine.
For more information please visit the following websites:
www.nata.org
(Informational materials tab)
www.bocatc.org
(Public tab)