Athletic Trainer’s Corner- October 2019

A.T.C. – Athletic Trainer Certified

So, what is an Athletic Trainer? Are they basically a physical therapist? Personal trainer? Trainer of just athletes? Actually, no. We are health care professionals who give treatment, under the direction of or in collaboration with a physician to all physically active individuals. We provide primary care, injury and illness prevention, wellness promotion and education, emergent care, examination and clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions that is all evidence-based.1 We are required to have, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree in athletic training, pass a comprehensive exam provided through the Board of Certification, maintain our knowledge and skills through continuing education, and adhere to standards of practice in our state and national code of ethics.2

Even though our name is “Athletic Trainer”, our job is not to be a personal trainer who makes your child better, faster, stronger. Personal Trainers are professionals who develop, monitor and change an individual’s exercise program in a fitness or sports setting.2 On the other hand, we are not physical therapists who just didn’t finish our degree either. Physical Therapists are focused on helping individuals to maintain, restore, and improve movement, activity, and functioning by preventing, minimizing, or eliminating impairments of body functions and structures, activity limitations, and participation restrictions.3 We differ than them because we focus on immediate care along with return to play and/or activities of daily living. There are some athletic trainers, such as myself, who take continuing education courses and/or have multiple degrees that allows them to also provide more care. What is so great about athletic trainers is that we work right with your athletes, alongside other medical professionals to help to keep our patients happy and healthy.

So, if you are wondering who that medical professional is at your child’s games and practices, they are most likely athletic trainers. Don’t be shy to ask who they are though. Make sure your athlete is being taken care of by an educated and licensed professional! We are all proud of what we do and like to educate others about our unique profession.

Seattle United’s Athletic Trainer

Jasmin Ayala, MS, ATC-L/R

References

1. National Athletic Trainers’ Association: Health Care for Life & Sport. (2017) https://www.nata.org/about/athletic-training/athletic-training-glossary

2. AT Not Trainer. https://www.nata.org/sites/default/files/AT-Not-Trainer.pdf

3. American Physical Therapy Association. (2019) http://www.apta.org/ScopeOfPractice/

4. Washington State Athletic Trainers’ Association. (2019). https://www.wsata.org/