Certified AthleticTrainers: Every High School Should Have One

Among the things which increase the anxiety level of parents of children playing contact sports is the fact that many high school programs don't employ athletic trainers who have received training in recognizing the often subtle signs or symptoms of a concussion. Only 42 percent of U.S. high schools, according to the National Athletic Trainers' Association, have access to an ATC. In some states, the number is much lower (Over three-quarters of Nebraska high schools, for instance, are without ATCs).

I believe that parents have the right to expect that a certified athletic trainer (ATC) is on staff. An ATC is so important that she should be the next hire after the head coach.

An ATC is an essential member of the concussion management team because:

• The ATC often sees the athlete on a daily basis, and thus has the opportunity to establish a trusting relationship. This trust is a vital part of the process of evaluating and managing a concussion.

• Athletes may be more comfortable reporting symptoms to an ATC, who they see on a regular basis, than to a physician they do not see regularly, or to their coach.

• An ATC may also be better able to identify subtle signs that an athlete has suffered a concussion because he or she knows the athlete's usual behavior and demeanor.

• An ATC is also in best position to perform daily follow-up examinations that allow the ATC and team physician to determine when the athlete is symptom-free and determine when he or she may return to play.

Because physicians are present at relatively few youth sports contests and never at practices, an ATC is essential and we should work towards the goal of having a certified athletic trainer on staff at every high school in this country.