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Chapter 2
THE ATHLETIC HEALTH CARE TEAM
Effective delivery of health care to sports participants is best achieved through a team
approach. Team includes at least the coach, team physician, and a BOC-certified athletic trainer.
The athletic trainer can be on-campus daily and make decisions regarding injury severity, medical
referral, and return to play. When an athletic trainer is unavailable, coaches who are trained in first
aid and CPR should offer basic first aid and life-support services.
Physician, athletic trainer, and coaching staff should coordinate efforts regarding injury
prevention. The team should also be involved in pre-participation health screening; development
and implementation of an emergency plan; medical supervision; injury recognition, treatment, and
rehabilitation; record keeping; and education programs.
I. Sports Medicine.
A. Sports medicine is defined as “a field that uses a holistic, comprehensive, and
multidisciplinary approach to health care for those engaged in sporting or recreational activity.”
1. Sports medicine practitioners include primary care physicians, orthopedic
surgeons, athletic trainers, sports physical therapists, dentists, exercise physiologists, conditioning
coaches, and sports nutritionists
B. Sports medicine services for professional athletes typically include conducting preseason
physical exams; proper skill instruction; conditioning programs; nutrition education and
dietary counseling; preventive taping, strapping, and bracing; and acute injury care, referral, and
rehabilitation.
1. Interscholastic athletes typically have fewer services available, but usually
include preseason physical evaluation/examination. A growing number of schools employ a BOCcertified athletic trainer. The NATA publishes Appropriate Medical Care for Secondary School–
Aged Athletes—Consensus Statement that outlines essential components and members of the team.
C. In the past, an orthopedic surgeon provided health care for professional and college
athletes. Current trends indicate that more “primary care” physicians will become providers of
sports care medicine. Physicians can receive specialized training by entering sports medicine
fellowships that last 1 to 2 years and can lead to the credential, Certificate of Added Qualifications
in Sports Medicine (CAQ).
II. Key Members of the Team. The coach, team physician, and BOC-certified athletic trainer are
essential members of the team.
A. Coaches in public school settings should receive training in basic conditioning
procedures, maintenance and fitting of protective equipment, first aid and CPR, operation of an
automatic external defibrillator, recognition and management of common sports injuries, and skills
instruction for athletes.
B. Team physicians are medical doctors who agree to provide at least limited medical care
to a particular sports program or institution. The duties of the team physician are listed on page 25
under “Medical Management of the Athlete” and “Administrative and Logistic Duties.” Physicians
may be willing to volunteer as team physicians.
C. A BOC-certified athletic trainer is an allied health care professional who completes a bachelor’s
or master’s degree with extensive academic and clinical training in care and prevention of sports
injuries.
1. Athletic trainers provide services in the following areas: prevention; recognition,
evaluation, and assessment; immediate care; treatment, rehabilitation and reconditioning;
organization and administration; and professional development and responsibility.
D. In the United States, the NATA is the governing body for the profession of athletic
training. BOC certification is granted upon qualifying for and successfully completing the
certification examination that is now offered via a national network of computerized testing centers.
1. To qualify, one must complete an educational program that is accredited by the
Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). A list of
core-subject matter areas in CAATE-accredited curriculums is shown on page 27.
III. Requirements for Application for the BOC Certification Examination. When they apply to take
the certification exam, students must meet the criteria listed on page 27. To remain certified, an
athletic trainer is required to earn continuing education credits and report these to BOC every 3
years.
IV. Professional Settings for the Practice of Athletic Training. Since 1980, there has been a 300%
increase in the member of registered sports medicine clinics in the United States. These centers
provide services such as fitness evaluation and exercise prescription, lifestyle counseling, and
evaluation and treatment of injuries.
A. In addition to clinics, many hospitals provide sports medicine health care as part of
outpatient services. A few corporations also provide on-site health and fitness programs that offer
professional opportunities for athletic trainers. Professional sports teams also provide jobs for
athletic trainers.
B. The Secondary School Setting. To reduce costs, schools can hire teachers who are also
certified athletic trainers. A recent study found that the national average annual salary for high
school athletic trainers was approximately $43,884.
1. A certified athletic trainer on staff can reduce the school’s legal vulnerability for
claims relating to sports injuries. Additionally, the trainer can teach classes such as basic injury
care, first aid and CPR, nutrition, and physical conditioning.
C. Sports Medicine Delivery. NATA has a placement service for certified athletic trainers.
Another option for locating qualified persons is to contact universities that offer CAATE-approved
curriculums in athletic training for information about recent graduates from the programs.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Define the term sports medicine.
Answer: Sports medicine has been defined as “a field that uses a holistic, comprehensive, and
multidisciplinary approach to health care for those engaged in a sporting or recreational activity.”
Page: 24
2. What is the CAQ and how does it relate to the team physician?
Answer: The Certificate of Added Qualifications in Sports Medicine is available to any primary
care practitioner and is awarded on successful completion of an examination as well as completion
of either a sports medicine fellowship or 5 years of practice, 20% of which must have involved
sports medicine. A qualified team physician has an understanding of sports injuries that most other
doctors simply do not possess.
Pages: 24-25
3. List the specific services that should be provided to the athlete by the team physician.
Answer:
1.) Coordinate preparticipation screening, examination, and evaluation
2.) Manage injuries on the field
3.) Provide for medical management of injury and illness
4.) Coordinate rehabilitation and return to participation
5.) Provide for proper preparation for safe return to participation after an illness or injury
6.) Integrate medical expertise with other health care providers, including medical specialists,
athletic trainers, and allied health professionals
7.) Provide appropriate education and counseling regarding nutrition, strength and conditioning,
ergogenic aids, substance abuse, and other medical problems that could affect the athlete
8.) Provide for proper documentation and medical record keeping
Page: 25
4. What are the six areas that comprise the role of the BOC-certified athletic trainer?
Answer:
1.) Prevention
2.) Recognition, evaluation, and assessment
3.) Immediate care
4.) Treatment, rehabilitation, and reconditioning
5.) Organization and administration
6.) Professional development and responsibility
Page: 26
5. List several professional medical organizations that promote the study of sports medicine.
Answer: American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports
Medicine, American College of Sports Medicine, American Osteopathic Academy of Sports
Medicine, Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine
Page: 26
6. What has been the largest employment market for athletic trainers in recent years? At present,
what percentage of U.S. high schools employs an athletic trainer?
Answer: Sports medicine clinics and hospital-based outpatient sports medicine services
Page: 268
7. Briefly describe seven different employment options for a BOC-certified athletic trainer in the
school setting. Elaborate on the advantages and disadvantages of each option.
Answer: Teacher/athletic trainer, full-time athletic trainer, part-time athletic trainer, graduate
student/athletic trainer, contracting with a local clinic for an athletic trainer, substitute
teacher/athletic trainer,
Page: 27-28
8. True or False: It is generally acknowledged that sports medicine service in the future will be
provided by medical specialists rather than primary care physicians.
Answer: False: It is generally acknowledged that more sports medicine services in the future will be
offered to the athletic community by primary care physicians.
Page: 24
9. List the 20 specific subject areas that are required by the CAATE for accredited curriculums in
athletic training.
Answer:
1.) Assessment of injury/illness
2.) Exercise physiology
3.) First aid and emergency care
4.) General medical conditions and disabilities
5.) Health care administration
6.) Human anatomy
7.) Human physiology
8.) Kinesiology/biomechanics
9.) Medical ethics and legal issues
10.) Nutrition
11.) Pathology of injury/illness
12.) Pharmacology
13.) Professional development and responsibilities
14.) Psychosocial intervention and referral
15.) Risk management and injury/illness prevention
16.) Strength training and reconditioning
17.) Statistics and research design
18.) Therapeutic exercise and rehabilitative techniques
19.) Therapeutic modalities
20.) Weight management and body composition
Page: 27
10. True or False. An athletic trainer, in the majority of cases, will provide basic sports medicine
services for public school sports programs.
Answer: False. Coaches will provide sports medicine services for most cases in public school sports
programs.
Page 25
11. What basic training should all coaches in the public schools receive?
Answer:
1) Basic conditioning procedures
2) Maintenance and fitting procedures for protective equipment
3) First aid and CPR
4) Operation of an AED
5) Recognition and management of common sports injuries
Page: 25
12. True or False: A qualified team physician has an understanding of sports injuries that most other
doctors do not possess.
Answer: True
Page: 25
13. How will the BOC exam for athletic trainers be offered beginning in 2007?
Answer: The test will be computerized and offered through a national network of testing centers.
Page: 26
14. Which organization is responsible for the review process for athletic training education
programs?
Answer: The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).
Page: 26
15. What is a CEU and how is it earned?
Answer: A CEU is a continuing education unit and they are earned by participating in activities
such as attending or participating in professional meetings, writing articles for journals, making
presentations, and enrolling in college courses that pertain to sports medicine.
Page: 27
16. How many years do certified athletic trainers have to earn the required CEUs?
Answer: 3 years
Page: 27
17. What educational opportunities are offered to a secondary school following the hiring of an
athletic trainer?
Answer: The professional can teach basic sports injury care classes, first aid and CPR, nutrition, and
physical conditioning. They may also begin a student athletic trainer program to provide
educational opportunities for students interested in sports medicine.
Page: 29
18. True or False: Major corporations have found it detrimental to employ athletic trainers for direct
services to employees.
Answer: False. Major corporations have found it beneficial and profitable to hire athletic trainers.
Page: 28
19. What are the negative aspects of working as an athletic trainer for a professional team?
Answer: There is tremendous pressure on the coaching staff and athletic trainers to win, the lack of
job security associated with coaching changes, and little significant growth in the setting.
Page: 28
20. Why does hiring an athletic trainer signify a marked improvement in the health care services
provided to athletes of all levels?
Answer: Because under the best circumstances, the team physician is only available on a part-time
basis. Also, the athletic trainer can act as a direct link between the injured athlete and the
appropriate medical services, which relieves the coach of these responsibilities.
Page: 29