National Athletic Training Month

National Athletic Training Month March 2020

The National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) membership celebrates the Athletic Training profession each March to spread awareness of the vital work Athletic Trainers (AT’s) do. This year’s slogan is “AT’s Impact Health Care Through Action.”

Athletic Trainers are licensed/certified experts who work to prevent and treat musculoskeletal injuries and sports-related illnesses, and athletic trainers offer an unparalleled continuum of care. AT’s are part of a team of health care professionals; they practice under the direction of and in collaboration with physicians. Athletic Trainers work with individuals who are physically active or involved in sports participation through all the stages of life to prevent, treat, and rehabilitate injuries and medical conditions. Athletic Trainers should not be confused with personal trainers or “trainers” who focus solely on fitness and conditioning.

Sports injuries can be severe. Brain and spinal cord injuries and conditions such as heat illness can be life-threatening if not recognized and properly managed. Educational training for ATs allows them to treat acute injuries on the spot. Athletic Trainers mitigate risk for school administrators, athletic directors, and coaches who have their jobs, which could pose a conflict of interest with athlete safety. They are not experts in managing injuries or sport-related illnesses, nor should they be responsible for doing so. Treating injuries at school or at work, rather than sending the patient to the emergency department, saves money and time loss and gets the patient back to activity faster.

Northeast Texas Community College would like to recognize our Athletic Training staff, Justin Hargrove, Head Athletic Trainer, and Erica Austin, Student Athletic Trainer, along with the athletic trainers of Mount Pleasant ISD, Alex Fellows and Amber Strong, Daingerfield ISD AT Averi Nelson, and Pittsburg ISD AT KaTerria Epps for all their hard work in taking care of our area athletes.

For more information about athletic training, you can visit the NATA website at www.nata.org or for more information on how to get an athletic trainer at your school, visit www.atyourownrisk.org.