Happy National Athletic Training Month!! The month of March is the time to recognize the athletic training profession and gain a better understanding of what athletic trainers do and how they can help you. Athletic Trainers (ATs) are health care professionals who collaborate with physicians, and other health care professionals to provided services under the five domains of athletic training; injury/illness prevention & wellness protection, clinical evaluation & diagnosis, immediate & emergency care, treatment & rehabilitation, and organizational & professional health and well-being. In the state of Minnesota, ATs are required to be certified by the Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer (BOC) and licensed by the MN Board of Medical Practice.
The knowledge and skill set Athletic Trainers attain makes them an integral part of any health care team. This year’s National Athletic Training Month’s (NATM) slogan is “Providing Health Care Everywhere”. At OSI, Athletic Trainers have a variety of roles. They are an asset to their clinic as they assist in patient engagement, patient treatment, customer service satisfaction, front desk secretarial work and cleaning and sanitation. Along with their clinic duties, OSI Athletic Trainers each have their own high school where they provide athletic training services. They are there to provide medical coverage on a daily basis, during sporting events, assist in prehab, educate patients/coaches on injury prevention, and be the liaison between medical staff/OSI, parents and coaches.
It’s not all about taping, giving water or sideline watching. There’s a whole lot more that is “unseen” in the athletic training world.
Injury prevention, triage specialist, first aid provider, listener, rehabilitation, healthcare advocate, encourager, educator, emergency care, moral support, mental health advocate, injury evaluation, injury treatments, concussion management, medical care coordinator, and a role model for kids to look up to. In many cases, Athletic Trainers help support young student-athletes in the lowest times and assist them on the road to recovery.