National Athletic Training Month

National Athletic Training Month

March 2022

The National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) membership celebrates the Athletic Training profession each March to spread awareness of the vital work Athletic Trainers (ATs) do. This year’s slogan is “Providing Health Care Everywhere.” As our profession grows and more and more groups recognize our expertise, they employ Athletic Trainers in many settings outside of the traditional school and professional sports team settings. You can find Athletic Trainers working in corporations, First Responder Organizations, Physical Therapy Clinics, and Hospitals, with our Military and many other locations.

Athletic Trainers are licensed/certified experts who prevent and treat musculoskeletal injuries and sports-related illnesses. Athletic trainers offer an unparalleled continuum of care. ATs are part of a team of health care professionals; they practice under the direction of and in collaboration with physicians. Athletic Trainers work with 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 serious. Brain and spinal cord injuries and conditions such as heat illness can be life-threatening if not recognized and properly managed. They equip ATs to treat acute injuries on the spot. Athletic Trainers mitigate risk for school administrators, athletic directors, and coaches who have their jobs, posing a conflict of interest with athlete safety. Coaches are not experts in managing injuries or sport-related illnesses, nor should they be responsible for doing so. Rather than sending the patient to the emergency department, treating injuries at school or work 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 student athletic trainers Zoe Craven, Taylor Money, Marissa Nolan, Joshlyn Paloblanco, and Amiaya Washington, along with the athletic trainers of Mount Pleasant ISD, Alex Fellows and Trenton Gardner, Daingerfield ISD AT Averi Nelson, Pittsburg ISD AT’s Kristen Nugent and Tyler Nugent, and Mount Vernon ISD AT KaTerria Epps for all their hard work in taking care of our area athletes. These area school districts recognize their responsibility to provide quality medical care for their athletes, and it shows with their employment of Athletic Trainers.

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.