Sports Medicine Athletic Training Unit 1 Chapter 2

Objectives Define and correctly spell each of the key terms. List the members of the sports medicine team and describe their duties. Describe the duties of a student athletic trainer and a certified athletic trainer. List the legal responsibilities of an athletic trainer. Describe the record keeping requirements involved in athletic training.

Key Terms Assumption of risk Certified athletic trainer Hydrated Liability National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) Periodization Sports medicine first aid Student athletic trainer

What is Athletic Training? Athletic training is a division of sports medicine that focuses on the care and prevention of athletic injuries. Athletic trainers are the first to arrive and the last to least at most practices and games. They are responsible for making sure the athletes receive the care they need in order to perform at their best. Although the job of athletic training requires many hours, the rewards are great. Athletic trainers fill many roles from nutritionist to fill-in parent.

The Sports Medicine Team Team Physician Certified Athletic Trainer The Coach The Athlete The Athlete’s Parents School Administration Community Health Facilities Like an athletic team, the sports medicine team must work together and support the team captain.

The Team Physician Team Captain Team physician or athlete’s family physician Coordinates medical team (if team physician) The captain of the sports medicine team is the team physician or the athlete’s family physician. Most colleges, a few high schools, and all professional teams have a physician who oversees the team and who decides if an athlete is able to participate in a given game or practice. In cases where there is no team doctor, the family’s physician will decide if the athlete may participate. No ancillary medical person, such as the athletic trainer, should overrule the physician. If the sports team is fortunate enough to have a team physician, it is the physician’s job to coordinate the rest of the medical team. This involves making sure that everyone works together as a unit, rather than as a group of independent agents. If there is no team physician, the athlete’s family physician will make the final decisions regarding the care of the individual athlete. However, since each athlete is likely to have a different family physician, a family physician cannot be expected to coordinate the efforts of the entire sports medicine team. In the absence of a team physician, this responsibility belongs to the certified athletic trainer.

Certified Athletic Trainer A professional certified by a nationally recognized organization, who is skilled in the prevention, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of those who are physically active. Communication link This is the person responsible for the care and prevention of athletic injuries. Serves as communication link between all the individuals involved (example: the team physician is informed of the coach’s plans for previously injured athletes, the coach is told about any recommendations the physician has made for the athletes, and so forth).

The Coach Acts as athletic trainer, in absence of one. Trained in sports medicine first aid: basic first aid and CPR that includes training in areas such as sports liability, an emergency action plan, conditioning, exposure to heat, nutrition, and returning athletes to play following an injury. Prevent further injury Forms and recording If a school does not have a certified athletic trainer, the coach will assume the responsibilities of the athletic trainer to the best of his/her ability. He or she must be trained in sports medicine first aid and certified in CPR. Coach is responsible to help prevent further injury to a player by not permitting the athlete to return to play until it is safe to do so. This can be particularly difficult in situations where competition is fierce , and the athletes are anxious to play. The coach must remember that athletes are not always the best judges of their own physical capabilities. Therefore, he or she must not be influenced by the enthusiasm of the athletes when making decision that affect the athlete’s physical well-being. Responsible for keeping injury records, consent forms, and health insurance information if a certified athletic trainer is not on staff. In the case of student athletes, the coach must contact parents when injuries or illnesses occur. It is also the coaches responsibility to have all of the medical forms, records, and reports with him or her whenever the team leaves the campus for an event.

The Athlete Carry out instructions Make appropriate people aware Be honest Athletes need to carry out instructions given to him or her by the doctor, athletic trainer, and/or coach. If an injury occurs during play, the athlete must make the appropriate person aware of his or her injury. Furthermore, upon receiving written permission to return to play from her or her physician, the athlete must make both the coach and athletic trainer aware. Be honest during evaluations with physicians and trainers – don’t make it seem like the injury isn’t that bad just so you can get back to playing quicker!

The Athlete’s Parents Treated with respect Informed immediately Responsible for securing proper medical treament

School Administration Responsible for securing help Needs to be aware of injuries Prevent injuries from occurring Responsible for making sure each athletic event and practice is attended by someone who can provide proper first aid. Needs to be aware of injuries so they can look for trends, and in turn if they find a trend do what they can to prevent injuries. For example: if four linebackers from the football team receive MCL (medial collateral ligament) knee injuries, the athletic trainer may recommend line backers wear knee braces. If the school does not have knee braces, they will need to be ordered The administrator is responsible for approving the funding for field equipment.

Community Health Facilities Provide needed services Considered apart of the sports medicine team because they provide needed services such as rehabilitation, drug testing, physician services, education or even athletic training support for the coaches, physicians, parents and athletes.

Know when to “punt” The key to being a responsible member of the sports medicine team is knowing when to “punt.” This means knowing when the treatment of an injury is beyond your capabilities and that it is time to pass the case to someone with more medical experience. It is time to “punt” if skills are required that are outside of your training and expertise, or if you begin to feel uncomfortable with the situation.

What Does it Take to be an Athletic Trainer? First aid, CPR, and other emergency skills Taping, wrapping and bracing skills Listening skills Time management skills Communication skills (verbal and written) Basic computer skills Organizational skills Education in the treatment and rehabilitation of acute and chronic injuries It takes a special person to be an athletic trainer. Sports take place in a variety of settings and under many different conditions – they could be indoors or outdoors, in blistering heat or freezing snow, and may be scheduled for day or night. Have to be prepared for any type of emergency that may occur in any of these settings. Need to possess the following skills, knowledge, and characteristics.

What Does it Take to be an Athletic Trainer? Education in anatomy, physiology, strength training, nutrition and psychology Adaptability Dependability Common sense The ability to set priorities Good physical health A sense of humor An interest in helping others An interest in sports Some of these qualities can be developed through training, education, and experience. But some of these characteristics must be apart of the athletic trainers unique personality.

Responsibilities of the Athletic Trainer Injury prevention and care Advisor/Developer of conditioning programs Initial evaluation Administers immediate care (first aid) Plans/supervises rehabilitation Purchases/organizes sports medicine equipment/supplies Sports medicine first aid Since preventing injuries from occurring is a main priority for an athletic trainer, they should supervise and develop all conditioning programs that occur throughout the season and off season (so year round). Since the athletic trainer can’t be everywhere all at once, Emergency Medical Planning (EMP) International has a program called “sports medicine first aid” that provides coaches with CPR and first aid training that they can provide to athletes if the athletic trainer isn’t present or assist the athletic trainer with care.

Responsibilities of the Athletic Trainer Protective taping, padding and bracing Medical assistance to visiting teams Set up athletic training room Rehabilitation of injured atheltes Record keeping Stocked supplies Patient advocate If the athletic trainer cannot attend an event, he/she must ensure someone on the staff is able to do the protective taping. Room needs to be clean and look professional at all times – should have appearance of medical center. Must ensure every team has its own supply of first aid kit, water, cooler, ice chest and any other supplies that might be needed for home and away events. Being a patient advocate means that the athletic trainer acts on the athlete’s or patient’s behalf; the actions taken are intended to benefit the athlete’s health and well-being.

Obtaining Certification College graduate Bachelors degree Athletic training Biology Health Sciences Pass examination https://coe.uga.edu/academics/degrees/bsed/athletic- training

Student Athletic Trainer Someone who is enrolled in a curriculum to learn how to become an athletic trainer. Can assist the certified athletic trainer with tasks with supervision, such as: Administering first aid to injured athletes after taking first aid course Activating the EMS (emergency medical service) Taping, bandaging, or bracing the athletes and fitting any protective equipment Overseeing rehabilitation or use of therapeutic modalities Organizing forms (insurance, parental consent, supply) Assist with daily record keeping Keep facilities clean Prepare the playing field by setting up water and first aid areas Help keep players properly hydrated Student athletic trainer – an individual who is studying the skills necessary for the prevention, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of athletes. Hydrated – possessing water or fluid, especially in the tissues.

Record Keeping Very important Keep detailed records Helps with future injury prevention Protects you and the team or school from legal action Assumption of risk Liability Minors Proper record keeping is necessary to protect you and the team or the school from legal action in the event of a serious injury. Participation in sports involves certain risks. Assumption of risk means that an individual assumes responsibility for the risk he or she takes while participating in the sport. A form must be signed indicating that the athlete, parent or guardian has assumed the risk of injury This releases the school or organization from liability (legal responsibility). In the case of minors, the athlete’s parents must sign a form assuming the risk. By law, minors under the age of 18 cannot sign consents. You or the school (or club) may be held liable, however, if you cause additional injury to an athlete as a result of improper care.

Physical Conditioning of the Athlete Primary concern Periodization Post-season Good time to heal from injuries and get physical assessment Off-season Conditioning level kept by participating in different sports Nutrition is important Pre-season 6-8 weeks before the season Allows athletes to reach their optimum fitness level Work on flexibility, endurance, strength, agility Gradually increases intensity and duration In-season Goal is to keep athletes from deconditioning Physical conditioning is the biggest factor in preventing injuries and, therefore, is the athletic trainers primary concern. Without year round training athletes will lose their muscle tone, endurance and skill level. Periodization is a method of training that reduces the need for reconditioning by creating a year round conditioning program. This program is divided into post-season, off-season, pre-season and in-season. The goal of periodization is to produce peak performance while reducing injuries and overtraining. Pre-season – intensity refers to the degree of strength or energy required to perform an activity, duration refers to the length of time in which the athletes perform an activity.

Thinking it through activity… Karlene was recently hired by the local community college to replace Jim, the head athletic trainer who was retiring after 35 years at the college. The first thing on Karlene’s agenda was to review the existing athletic training program. Although everyone was happy with the job Jim had done, Karlene saw some changes she wanted to make. For example, she wanted to update old physical evaluation forms to newer, more detailed forms. She also wanted to increase the number of athletic trainers and student trainers present at each practice and game, and envisioned a more team-oriented approach to the injury prevention and conditioning programs. The last goal would involve a cooperative relationship between the coaches and the athletic trainers – one that might be difficult to establish quickly since she was making some changes few other people thought were necessary. What benefits would more detailed physical evaluation forms provide? What are the benefits of having student athletic trainers at practices and games? How might Karlene establish a productive relationship with the coaches? Why would a team-oriented approach to athletic training be important?

Pop Quiz! 1. The captain of the sports medicine team is: A. the team physician B. the athletic trainer C. the coach D. none of the above 2. The student athletic trainer can help in the following areas: A. activating EMS B. organizing insurance, parental consent and supply forms C. preparing for practices/games by setting up water & first aid areas D. all of the above

Pop Quiz! 3. The athletic trainer’s primary responsibility is to: A. keep the necessary records organized B. prevent and care for injuries C. train the coaching staff in CPR D. order equipment and supplies 4. Proper record keeping: A. is important because information about past injuries can by an important tool in the prevention of future injuries B. is important because thorough documentation can protect the athletic trainer and the team or school from legal action C. is not important because athletes assume the risk of injury when they participate in a sport D. A and B are both correct