Certified Athletic Trainer

The Certified Athletic Trainer (AT) is an allied				the human anatomy and health and human
health care professional that is certified by the				performance, and strong decision making skills
Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC). Certified Athletic				through education and training.
Trainers are also sometimes referred to as				Places of Employment
sports therapists or sports medicine practitioners				Certified Athletic Trainers can be found almost
and are the centerpiece of the sports medicine				anywhere people are active. Whether it's on the
team. They serve as a liasson to the athlete,				playing field or in the industrial setting, Certified
coach, physician and other supplemental personnel				Athletic Trainers are in place to help active people
providing care to athletes sustaining physical or				avoid injuries, embrace health and wellness, and
emotional trauma. Specifically, the Certified				perform to the best of their abilities. Certified
Athletic Trainer's role delineation encompasses six				Athletic Trainers are employed in secondary
domains:				schools, intercollegiate athletics, professional
Athletic Injury Prevention and Risk Management				athletics, sports medicine clinics, the military, or
Recognition, Evaluation and Assessment of				industrial and commercial settings. Hospitals and
Injuries and Illnesses				health clubs are also venues that create job
Immediate Care of Injuries				opportunities for Certified Athletic Trainers.
Treatment, Rehabilitation and Reconditioning				Athletic Training Education
Health Care Organization and Administration				Athletic Training Education Programs are
Professional Development and Responsibility				accredited by the [Commission on Accreditation
As a part of the complete sports medicine team,				of Athletic Training Education] (CAATE). Entry
the Certified Athletic Trainer works under the				level athletic training education uses a
direction of a licensed physician and in cooperation				competency-based approach in both the
with other health care professionals, athletics				classroom and clinical settings. Using a medical
administrators, coaches and parents.				based education model, athletic training students
A day in the life of a Certified Athletic Trainer				are educated to serve in the role of physician
Certified Athletic Trainers are highly involved in				extenders, with an emphasis on clincal reasoning
the day to day processes of professional,				skills. Educational competencies are bases on
intercollegiate, or high school athletics. They are				cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skill),
responsible for the preparation and maintenance				affective competencies (professional behavior),
of athletes that are poised for competition. Some				and clinical proficiencies (practice oriented
duties of a Certified Athletic Trainer will include:				outcomes). Students must receive instruction in
Prepping athletes for practice or competition				the foundational courses of human physiology,
including taping, bandaging, bracing or applying				human anatomy, exercise physiology, kinesiology
other forms of risk management				biomechanics, nutrition, acute care of injury and
Evaluating injuries to determine the best course				illness, statistics and research design, and strength
of action in regard to the health and welfare of				training and reconditioning. The student must be
the athlete				introduced to professional coursework that
Developing and implementing conditioning				encompasses the following domains:
programs				Risk management
Implementing treatment and rehabilitation				Pathology of injury/illness
programs				Assessment of injury/illness
Certified Athletic Trainers that are not integrated				General medical conditions and disabilities
in the athletics community may function as a				Therapeutic modalities
sports rehabilitation specialist. The sports				Therapeutic exercise
rehabilitation specialist spends their days in a				Health care administration
private, corporate or hospital based rehabilitation				Weight management and body composition
clinic constructing rehabilation protocols, monitoring				Psychosocial intervention and referral
therapeutic exercise regimens and performing				Medical ethics and legal issues
treatments with the various therapeutic modalities				Pharmacology
that may be offered for patient care. A Certified				Professional development and responsibilities.
Athletic Trainer must have a strong knowledge of

Cc Rehab

Certified Athletic Trainer