A snapshot into College Athletic Training
I've recently been doing some writing for a project a friend of mine is doing. She sent me a few writing prompts to follow for an Ebook she's putting together for her clients. One question she asked was "what do you do as a college AT?" I thought I'd share the whole thing, to provide a brief synopsis of what do as Athletic Trainers in the collegiate setting.
True life: college sports team AT edition, what’s it like, what do you do, what is great, what is challenging?
This question also could be the topic of entire book. As one could imagine, working in college sports is an incredibly dynamic environment. Practices, games, traveling, working nights, working weekends, rarely having days off, and even getting phone calls, text messages, and important emails on a day off are just the tip of the iceberg. I wouldn’t say that it is a job or a career, it’s more of a lifestyle. The easiest way to sum up what I do is “organized chaos.” There can be days that are uneventful and then the next day can be Murphy’s Law in full effect. I’ve seen hearts stop, careers end, bones out of place, lots of blood, minds in disarray, hearts broken, and dreams fulfilled. Every year I see something I’ve never seen before. As one of my professors in college put it: “that’s the nature of the beast.”
As a college Athletic Trainer, we’re responsible for the prevention, evaluation, treatment, emergency care, rehabilitation, and health care administration for university student-athletes; plus a lot more. Basically, we solve a lot of problems, handle a multitude of different medical concerns, administer sports medicine healthcare, and advocate for our student-athlete’s health and well-being. Yes, we also set up the water for the field, yes we tape a lot of ankles, yes run on the field when someone gets hurt, and yes, we are fueled nearly exclusively by caffeine and snacks. We’re part healthcare professional, rehabilitation professional, administrator, confidant, role-model, and even fill the role of being like a sibling to our student-athletes; sometimes, we have to use our parent voices with them too. We work with students, coaches, administrators, doctors, officials/referees, campus public safety, and even the custodians. In short, we’re a jack of many trades. The biggest key to what we do is building relationships and managing expectations. Plus all the sports medicine stuff.
One thing that I didn’t expect when I was an Athletic Training Student was the comradery we have within our profession. Being on a college sports medicine staff is really like a family. Building off that, you develop similar bonds with the sports you work with. You get close with your coaches and think of the players as ‘your kids.’ Now, I am rolling my eyes as I say that; I’m not one for the cliché touchy feely type of language. But, it really is true. As a sports medicine staff, we spend much more time at work than with our families or our friends. We form such strong bonds with each other. We all are working 60+ hours/week together. If there’s friction or tension, that makes for a toxic work environment, not unlike other job settings. We see each other on good days, bad days, and even days that are so challenging they have you questioning why you’re even an Athletic Trainer.
What’s great about this profession is also what can be challenging. There’s a dichotomy with it, like so many things in life. I love being involved with college sports, but it can be a lot. This gig isn’t for everyone, you really have to love it, otherwise you can burn out. I often feel like my actual family doesn’t really understand why I do this. They know that I love what I do, but they don’t get it the way that my colleagues get it and that’s okay. The relationships I’ve been lucky to develop throughout my career are what continue to inspire me. I have the privilege to say “I love what I do.” I don’t take that for granted, nor do I take the responsibility lightly.
