The role of an athletic trainer is often hidden from the public eye.
 
Athletic trainers work diligently behind the scenes to keep athletes healthy and provide care for those who have been injured in order to get them back into action as soon as possible. The time when athletic trainers are most visible is at sporting events when an athlete gets hurt or becomes ill.
 
Through their assessment process and extensive knowledge in anatomy, athletic trainers are able to determine possible injuries based upon the mechanism of injury, location of pain, orthopedic special tests and the motions that make the pain better or worse.
 
Following injuries, athletic trainers construct rehabilitation plans that are unique to each individual athlete and injury. This step is important in returning an injured athlete to practice and competition and it allows athletic trainers to creatively design a plan that maintains the patient's interest as well as meets the patient's functional and physical needs.
 
Additionally, athletic trainers help prepare for all practices and games by taping, bracing and stretching athletes. Athletic trainers do assist with providing water and monitoring hydration of the athletes, but this is only one small piece of what they do. More information is available at www.athletictrainers.org or www.nata.org.
 
In order to become a nationally certified athletic trainer, one must attend an accredited entry-level curriculum program (www.caate.net). The educational experience in these programs includes clinical rotations in a variety of healthcare settings as well as coursework designed to develop the necessary skills and knowledge.
 
In the state of Texas, one can become a licensed athletic trainer through a different academic process, which requires specific coursework as well as 1800 hours of clinical experience. Traditionally, athletic trainers have worked in the high school, collegiate and professional sports realms, but athletic trainers are also employed in areas such as the performing arts, military, corporate business, hospitals and rehabilitation clinics. Athletic trainers work for Nascar, Cirque Du Soleil, Disney World, American Airlines and many more.
 
March is National Athletic Training month and is a time to celebrate the hard work of those in this allied healthcare field.
 
At Tarleton State University, a number of staff and students work tirelessly to care for the well being of athletes. These individuals are often the first to show up for practices/events and the last to go home.