Admittedly, we at PlaySafe USA are biased. We have been managing Athletic Trainers for more than ten years. We know our work makes a difference in athletes’ lives. However, we frequently hear about the confusion about what an Athletic trainer is or what they do. When this situation arises, we often explain by using this example: while you are watching professional sports and an athlete is injured on the field, the athletic trainer is the person running onto the field to tend to them.  

In our primary role as ATCs, we provide onsite medical coverage for practices and games. This allows Athletic trainers to offer immediate care for all types of injuries. In a recent survey, only 37% of all high schools had a full-time athletic trainer available, considered the gold standard for care. The best provision calls for an athletic trainer to be there for both practices and games and is bolstered by the statistic provided by the National Athletic Trainers Association, which states that 62% of all injuries occur during training. This care potentially includes critical emergency care where speed of delivery and stabilizing the athlete for transport is essential before EMS arrives.