Tagged with 'Athletic Trainer'

National Athletic Training Month 2023: ATs are Immediate Responders

As National Athletic Training Month 2023 comes to an end, we want to thank Athletic Trainers for caring for their athletes and keeping them game ready throughout the season. Athletic Trainers are immediate responders, and they are often the first on the field when an athlete falls. 

Throughout March, we asked athletic trainers across the country to share stories about how they stayed prepared for game day, assisted their athletes through injury and recovery, helped them get back in the game, and more.

Below are just some of their answers!

Have you responded to an athletic emergency? Share your story. 

This summer, while I was working a track meet, I had a runner go into heat exhaustion, which triggered an epileptic seizure. I got him covered and cooled as best we could until he was out of the seizure, and then we were able to get fluids in him. He was fine. - La'Tamera F.

Had an athlete collapse and go into cardiac arrest after warmups. Performed CPR and got him quick medical care. He’s doing amazing now! – April Gonzalez

I have responded to multiple emergencies while employed as an AT. One being a female wrestler fractured humerus. She thanked me the next year while participating in the same contest! – Tanner K.

Share a story about how you helped an athlete recover after an injury. 

In 2020 I had a female athlete who tore her ACL tumbling. She had surgery right before the pandemic hit. Because of COVID, PT clinics were closed the first few months, and by the time she was able to go to PT, she was behind in her strength and ROM. I spent the 2020-2021 year working with her in improving her strength and ROM and getting her back to play just in time for track season. – Chelsea H.

I work at a high school, and I have rehabbed an athlete after they tore two of the three ligaments in their ankle. It seemed like it wouldn't get better, but after three months of working together the athlete was back playing basketball and competing in track. – Mercedes Tiger Athletic Training

One of my favorites was a track athlete who came in the Monday before State and could barely lift their arm above their head. Shoulder was just killing them. It appeared to be a muscle strain. JV coach was freaking out as this kid was favored to win State and was a multi-event individual. We came up with a plan and talked sense into both of them. All week, the athlete did exactly what was asked of them, and we followed the plan. They won State in more than one event – new State meet record included – and team State champs. Amazing weekend and a round of high-fives for helping to get that shoulder back to fighting form. – Kelsey D. 

Athletic Trainers are healthcare heroes because…

We usually are the initial responder to injury and involved in every step in a safe return to play. – Beau K. 

My husband (the AT in the house) said, “Because we make a difference in people’s lives.” – Wendy H. 

“We are the first person the athletes see in the morning and the last person they see when they leave. We are here for the tiniest of scratches to the ACL tear and everything in between. All this and we wouldn’t have it any other way.” – Nic T.

“…Because we treat everyone and try to leave people better than we initially met them. We’re freaking awesome!” - Mikki C.

At School Health, we know that the role of the athletic trainer is always changing, and no two days are ever the same! Thank you for everything you do to help athletes of all ages – from high school to elite sports – succeed in their dreams. 

NATM 2022: Why Do You Love Being an Athletic Trainer?

National Athletic Training Month may have come to an end, but we won’t stop celebrating you! We want to give a huge thank you to all the athletic trainers who joined the #SHNATM22 conversation on our Sports Medicine social media pages, showed off their AT spirit, and shared stories about why they love what they do.

We understand that the role of an athletic trainer has changed a lot in the last few years due to the pandemic. Besides providing essential care for athletes, many athletic trainers were also asked to be contact tracers for their schools or districts, help track immunization status among students and school staff, and so much more. Through these changes, many ATs continued to follow their passion to help athletes succeed on and off the field.

We recently asked you to share why you love being an athletic trainer. Check out some of the stories you shared with us on social media during National Athletic Training Month!

“I love being an AT for a lot of reasons, but one thing that never gets old is when an athlete in pain gets excited when something simple fixes their pain. I love being able to teach them easy ways to take care of their bodies that they can then take with them for life.  – wahisportsmed

I love being an athletic trainer when I see my students go on to become ATs… I especially love it when student-athletes come back and say that high school ATs work the hardest compared to the college and professional level ATs, because we cover all the sports and all the athletes – usually working with hundreds of athletes and giving them all the time that they need – heidi.s.bower

There are so many reasons why I love being an athletic trainer. I love when my student-athletes come back to visit me and tell me how I was the biggest mentor in their life while in high school. The most heartwarming memory I have is when my student-athlete’s mom hugged me and was so grateful for me saving her son’s life. I love my profession! – aperow24

A few years after I left grad school, I got a text from the parent of a previous student that said, “Just wanted to check in and see if this number was still yours. We miss you and hope you’re doing well.” We went back and forth catching up, and it was so nice to see the impact I made in my first year as an athletic trainer! – sarahw3317

I love being an AT for several reasons, but the biggest must be watching athletes return to play after sustaining an injury. The rehab process can be difficult and can diminish spirits. However, watching the athletes finally return makes it so special. I think I’m their biggest fan! – megcoughlin.11

Making memories and supporting athletes through their ups and downs is why I love being an athletic trainer. – Peter Sands

I think there are a lot of reasons that we all love being ATs, and that have made us stay in the profession. But I think my favorite part is the connections that I make with the athletes I work with and seeing them grow as they become more mature adults. I truly love helping teach these young adults how to properly take care of their body, both physically and mentally. It’s great knowing that I’m working in a profession that impacts so many young minds that are ready to enter the world. – megz0623

School Health supports athletic trainers across the country by providing the proper equipment and resources, so you can provide your athletes with the best care. As always, thank you for everything you do to help keep athletes safe on and off the field!

The Benefits and Needs of an Athletic Trainer

Every athlete knows that a sports season takes a major toll on your body. No matter how much an athlete tries to power through, their body can hit a wall in the dog days of a season. That wall is tough to push through, but with athletic trainers, it can seem like paper rather than steel.

Injuries are an inevitable part of a sports season. At Your Own Risk reports that 90% of student athletes sustain a sports related injury and 54% of student athletes play while injured. Getting banged up may be part of the thrill of the sport, but it is essential that every athlete is treated in the best way possible so they can continue to put their bodies on the line for their team.

Having an athletic trainer provide consistent aid for your athletes is especially beneficial when they are full-time. The University of Idaho discusses how a full-time athletic trainer can build a strong relationship with the athletes as patients. A full-time athletic trainer will be able to understand their bodies’ tendencies, which helps them understand how to treat them in the best way possible. The article also hits on more benefits of having an athletic trainer, such as being the only form of health care an underprivileged athlete may have, as well as providing risk management for a team’s everyday schedule. It is sometimes forgotten that an athletic trainer is a healthcare professional, meaning their opinions and knowledge are valid.

A properly equipped athletic trainer is also imperative to making sure athletes feel secure. School Health provides athletic trainers with all the equipment needed to keep your athletes safe and healthy all season long.

The Mueller Protégé Athletic Training Kit and Medical Bag  allows athletic trainers to be game ready on the field or court. This medical bag can be purchased stocked with 3”x 3” gauze pads, cold packs, ointments and other items that provide trainers with all the equipment they need to prepare for any mid-game injury.

In case of a more serious medical emergency, emergency response equipment is essential for an athletic trainer to save an athlete’s life. The Zoll AED Pro provides immediate care for an unresponsive athlete by providing shocks and a CPR feedback pad For more options on supplies and more, take a glance at the Sports Medicine Supply List from School Health, to make sure your athletic trainer has what they need to perform.

Along with being medically equipped, keeping athletes hydrated is another main duty for athletic trainers, especially with spring sports right around the corner. The Gatorade G Series Performance Package provides powders, bars and coolers to make sure your high school athletes are always replenished after a break from the action.

Having athletic trainers fully equipped with the proper equipment raise their confidence in providing exceptional care, build trust from their athletes, and put athletes’ parents knowing their child is in good hands, thus making them an essential part of every team and school.