You know the people that run out onto the field when athletes go down during a game? Those people are called athletic trainers. Athletic trainers are trained medical professionals who provide services in primary care, injury and illness prevention, wellness promotion and education, emergent care, examination and clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries (NATA).

Most athletic trainers work with sport athletes on a daily basis at different levels of competition. Daily responsibilities include tending to each of the athletes on the team you are training for using different techniques such as: massage, taping, ice therapy, heat therapy, and rehabilitation exercises.

Athletic trainers are important because they prevent athletes from getting injured, help them rehabilitate injuries, help them perform at their peak, and keep them safe and healthy. Daily trips to an athletic trainer may seem insufficient, but those visits add up to create a big impact.

References

• “Athletic Training”. National Athletic Training Association. National Athletic Training Association (NATA).
• “Athletic Training: By the Numbers”. UPMC Sports Medicine. upmc.com/sportsmedicine