Athletic Training

Definition of Athletic Training from the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA)
Athletic training is practiced by Athletic Trainers, healthcare professionals who collaborate with physicians to optimize activity and participation of patients and clients. Athletic training encompasses the prevention, diagnosis and intervention of emergency, acute and chronic medical conditions involving impairment, functional limitations and disabilities.

Look around you - people these days are on the move. We're learning more, trying more, doing more. When the level of physical activity increases, the risk for injury rises as well. That is where the Certified Athletic Trainer (AT) comes in. Whether it is an athlete of any age, a worker performing physical tasks or even an average citizen delving in to recreational activities, the AT can help.

ATs are highly qualified healthcare professionals educated in preventing, recognizing, managing and rehabilitating injuries that result from physical activity. ATs can help you avoid unnecessary medical treatment and disruption of normal daily life. If you're injured, they are trained to work with your healthcare provider to get you on the mend and keep you on the move.

Athletic training is recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA) as an allied healthcare profession, and the AMA recommends ATs in every high school to keep America's youth safe and healthy. Specifically, the BOC Certified Athletic Trainer has demonstrated knowledge and skill in six practice areas or domains:

As part of a complete healthcare team, the AT works under the direction of a physician and in cooperation with other healthcare professionals, athletic administrators, coaches and parents. The AT gets to know each patient individually and can treat injuries more effectively.

-Excerpted from Board of Certification website

http://www.bocatc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=33