Follow Up – Why ATs are needed

On August 31, 2011, I wrote this blog entry highlighting an unfortunate situation in Nokesville, VA.  In the entry I wrote:

The sad realization is this, that if a experienced athletic trainer was managing this football player’s concussion I firmly believe this young man would be alive today.  If the parents were instructed about cocoon therapy properly, then this young man may be a freshman in college today.  But, only 42% of this countries high schools provide an AT for their athletes!  We need to change this or there will be more sad stories, more grieving parents, more schools who will lose a bright student and a vibrant member of their community.

My blog entry was missing some major information – there was an athletic trainer present at the game.  Several AT who know the inside story not revealed in the original article highlighted in my post, informed me of this important fact.

Why we still need to work to promote the profession

I recently read an article from ToledoBlade.com in Ohio about a local school district titled “Mason schools won’t hire athletic trainers.  Board leaves door open to use private funds.”  This is what caught my eye:

School board members approved the idea of a trainer at practices and games to tape athletes’ joints and attend to their injuries, but they balked at the $9,950 annual cost.

Athletic Training Month is Here. Promote the Profession!

Throughout this blog, I have written my opinions on why an AT should be at every high school in the US, but this blog is too small a forum to accomplish that goal.  What it will take to achieve that level of care for all high school athletes is a collective effort by thousands of ATs across the country to promote the profession.  This series of blog entries will seek to give ideas to the AT on real life ways that they can also promote the profession.

National Athletic Training Month

March is National Athletic Training Month.  As an AT, unless you have been living under a rock, you know this.  But unless you work for a clinic with multiple athletic training contracts or a university with multiple ATs on staff, you probably don’t do much to celebrate the month.  I say that because that has been me, working alone at a high school and doing nothing to take advantage of NATM to promote the profession.  Usually it isn’t because I didn’t want to, I just felt alone and powerless to be effective. 

Random Thoughts – Every AT is a Valuable PR Tool

I received the article below forwarded to me via email from an AT colleague in my region of PA. When I got the email, I immediately forwarded it to all the ATCs in my area and then I thought I would post it to my blog.  I first wanted to get permission, so I emailed the author to get it.  I had met him several years ago while he was in his role of President of PATS.  His perspective is telling of the character of the past generation of athletic trainers. This is character that I hope that our current generation can carry on and build upon.  They fought many great battles for us, and we must continue to fight old battles and new battles to continue to forge ahead.

Of course, tonight my thoughts were still on that Allentown Morning-Call columnist and his recent article.  (Editors note: I refuse to think the article again, I just can’t give the author any more web hits.)

I think today provides us a great opportunity…as many key issues or crisis tend to provide.  

What is stopping you, Overwhelmed?

The best thing about the playoffs in high school sports is getting to go to another school and having the chance to speak with another AT.  Last night, our girls’ basketball team played a conference championship tie breaker at a neutral site.  Not only was the host sites’ AT in attendance, so was the opposing team’s AT.  It was a rare chance to see 2 other ATs and sit and talk.  It is always refreshing and invigorating to be able to talk to other ATs.

When ATs get together, we always talk about coaches, athletes, working nights and weekends, etc.  There are always stories that just make you shake your head or roll your eyes at the antics that always go on in high school sports.  It is one of the aspects of athletic training that makes the job so interesting and so much fun.

But often, ATs conversation turn to the “State of the Union”.  How is athletic training doing as a profession? 

Public Relations – What is stopping you?

In this series of blog entries, I will relate from my own experiences what prevented me from participating in opportunities to promote the profession of athletic training.  It has taken me some time to grasp what it means to promote the profession and to become aware of public relations.  I always sat and wished that the NATA would do more for ATs when it came to PR, but now I realize that I am the NATA and I can do something for PR.  It is not up to “them” to promote the profession, it is up to “us”!  Be proactive and take a chance to promote the profession!

Part 1 – Myopia

Myopia is also known as near sightedness.  Simply put myopia is  good vision of what is close to you but blurry vision of things in the distance.  In this analogy, myopia is referring to being caught up in the present and not being able to see the big picture.  You can’t see the forest for the trees.