When an athlete is injured just days before their season begins, they can't
afford to sit out the entire year of competition. That's when a trainer goes
to work -- to get the athlete back on track as soon as possible.
"I work with motivated athletes," says Lynn Bookalam, a head athletic trainer
and clinic coordinator. "When they suffer from an injury, their goal is to
return to participation as soon as possible."
There's no question there are lots of tough sports, and sometimes injuries
can be life-threatening. That's why athletic trainers need to be skilled enough
to recognize the full spectrum of injuries and quickly assess any potential
complications.
Injury prevention skills include muscular-skeletal evaluation, equipment
selection, fitting and repair, warm up, conditioning programs, preventative
and supportive taping, and the ability to explain to athletes how to adapt
their performance to environment and the facilities. A downhill skier has
to know what the current snow conditions are like in order to achieve top
performance.
When an injury does occur, the trainer provides injury assessment, emergency
life support, recognition and management of traumatic injuries, and first
aid.
Once the injury has healed, the trainer continues to work with the player
in "injury management," making sure the original problem isn't aggravated
further.
When an athletic trainer deals with an entire team, the job requires some
juggling. In a typical day, a trainer may:
- Prepare athletes for practice or competition by taping, bandaging, wrapping
or bracing
- Evaluate injuries to decide if the athlete needs further medical treatment
- Develop conditioning and injury rehabilitation programs
- Tailor programs to meet the needs of individual athletes, each with their
own history
Athletic trainers work in a variety of places. Some larger high schools
employ them, as do most colleges and universities. It's now quite common to
find teachers who are trained athletic therapists in the U.S. Many large corporations
hire trainers for their health programs, and they're also employed in some
bigger health clubs.
The high-profile trainer positions are those on professional sports teams.
Here, trainers work only in one sport: hockey, soccer, football or basketball.
While the playing season usually runs only part of the year, the job includes
conditioning and rehabilitation work -- which is continued year-round.
"There's a lot of pressure involved in dealing with injured players, and
it's stressful trying to get them back in the game," says Mike Burnstein,
head athletic trainer for the Vancouver Canucks. "It can be really wearing
with all the travel. You're working 15-hour days, seven days a week, for eight
or nine months of the year."
The average working day for a trainer varies, due to their often-hectic
schedules. Therapists who work for one particular sports team, like Burnstein,
may work long hours during peak seasons, but then use off time to hone skills
and keep up with advances in the field.
Therapists at colleges, universities or high schools would work on a similar
schedule. Athletic therapists employed by large corporations or health clubs
usually work a normal business day.