Sarah Boo, Athletic Trainer 

A Certified Athletic Trainer is an Allied Health Professional recognized by other health care professionals including the American Medical Association.

To become certified athletic trainers, students must graduate with Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree from an accredited professional athletic training education program and pass a comprehensive test administered by the Board of Certification.  Once certified, they must meet ongoing continuing education requirements in order to remain certified. 

Accredited Athletic Training Education Programs include formal instruction in areas such as injury/illness prevention, first aid and emergency care, assessment of injury/illness, human anatomy and physiology, therapeutic modalities, and nutrition.  Classroom learning is enhanced through clinical education experiences.  More than 70 percent of certified athletic trainers hold at least a Master’s Degree.

Athletic trainers in the secondary school setting provide injury prevention and conditioning programs, injury evaluation, prepare athletes for practice and competition, implement treatment and rehabilitation programs for injured athletes and provide first response to acute injuries and medical emergencies that take place during competition.

More than 21 percent of NATA members provide service to secondary schools. In 1998, the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted a policy recommending that certified athletic trainers be available to all schools with athletics programs. Likewise, the collegiate setting is one of the largest for NATA members. More than 17 percent of NATA members work for a university or junior college, providing medical coverage for athletics teams.