History of Athletic training

Athletic training has been recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA) as an allied health care profession since 1990.

As defined by the Strategic Implementing Team of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) in August 2007.
“Athletic training is practiced by athletic trainers, health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to optimize activity and participation of patients and clients. Athletic training encompasses the prevention, diagnosis, and intervention of emergency, acute and chronic medical conditions involving impairment, functional limitations and disabilities.”
There are six domains of athletic training:
Prevention
Clinical evaluation and diagnosis
Immediate care
Treatment, rehabilitation, and reconditioning
Organization and administration
Professional responsibilities

An athletic trainer functions as an integral member of the health care team in clinics, secondary schools, colleges and universities, professional sports programs, and other athletic health care settings.

History

The documented history of athletic training began in 1950 with the foundation of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA).[4] According to Alexis Kragenbrink, a writer for LiveStrong.com, it was believed that athletic trainers were first recognized at the Olympic games in the early 20th century to aid athletes when they sustained injuries.[5] In the United States, athletic trainers were more widely recognized when intercollegiate and interscholastic sports began.[6] The first major text on athletic training and the care of athletic injuries was called The Trainer’s Bible written in 1917 by S. E. Bilik.[7] Early athletic trainers had “no technical knowledge, their athletic training techniques usually consisted of a rub, the application of some type of counterirritant, and occasionally the prescription of various home remedies and poultices”.[8] In 1920, the Cramer family started a line of products used by athletic trainers and wrote a book in 1932 entitled First Aider.

The first athletic training curriculum approved by NATA was in 1959 and the amount of athletic training programs began to grow throughout colleges and universities in the United States. In the early development of the major, athletic training was geared more towards prepping the student for teaching at the secondary level, emphasizing on health and physical education. This program was first introduced at an undergraduate level in 1969 to the schools of Mankato State University, Indiana State University, Lamar University, and the University of New Mexico.[10]
Through the years athletic training has evolved to be defined as “health care professionals who specialize in preventing, recognizing, managing, and rehabilitating injures”. During the 1970s the NATA Professional Education Committee formed a list of objectives to define athletic training as a major course of study and to eliminate it as a secondary-level teaching credential. By June 1982, there were nine NATA-approved graduate athletic training education programs. On July 1, 1986, this work was used to implement athletic training as a major course of study in at least 10 colleges and universities, and to only start the development of the major in a handful of others.[11]
Once athletic training was recognized as an allied health profession the process of accrediting programs began. NATA’s Professional Education Committee (PEC) was the first to take on this role of approving athletic training educational programs. The AMA’s Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA) was given the responsibility in 1993 to develop requirements for the programs of entry-level athletic trainers. At this time all programs had to go through the CAHEA accreditation process. A year later CAHEA was broken up and replaced with the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), which then lead the accreditation process. In 2003 JRC-AT, Joint Review Committee on Athletic Training completely took over the process and became an independent accrediting agency like all other allied health professions had. Three years later JRC-AT officially became the Committee for Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE),[12] which is fully in charge of accrediting athletic training programs in the United States. NATA produced the NATABOC in 1969 in order to implement a certification process for the profession for an entry-level athletic trainer. In 1989, became an independent non-profit corporation and soon later changed its name to the Board of Certification (BOC).[13]
[edit]Roles and Responsibilities

Scope
The Board of Certification serves as the national certifying body for athletic training, and its Standards of Professional Practice outline the roles and responsibilities of certified athletic trainers. Such practice standards include practice expectations such as, “The Athletic Trainer renders service or treatment under the direction of a physician.”[14] Regardless of the setting, limitations and restrictions on what an athletic trainer can do and who can be treated are in large part determined by the regulatory statutes governing professional practice in individual states.[15]
Referring
“In certain situations, an individual may require treatment from or consultation with a variety of both medical and nonmedical services and personnel other than the athletic trainer.” It is the athletic trainer’s responsibility to understand the limits of their scope of practice and recognize situations where a referral is necessary. “A number of support health services may be used including school health services, nurses, physicians, dentists, podiatrists, physician’s assistants, physical therapists, strength and conditioning specialists, biomechanists, exercise physiologists, nutritionists, psychologists, massage therapists, occupational therapists, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, chiropractors, orthotists, prosthetists, equipment personnel, referees, or social workers.” [16]
[edit]NATA Code of Ethics
“The National Athletic Trainers’ Association Code of Ethics states the principles of ethical behavior that should be followed in the practice of athletic training. It is intended to establish and maintain high standards and professionalism for the athletic training profession.” [17]
[edit]Employment Settings for the Athletic Trainer

Clinic
Hospital
Industrial/Occupational
Corporate
College/University
Two-year Institution
Secondary School
Professional Sports
Amateur/recreation/youth sports
Performing Arts
Military/Law Enforcement/Government
Health/fitness/sports/performance enhancement clinics/clubs
Independent Contractor
[18]

Undergraduate Course Descriptions
All courses may have prerequisites that you have to complete before taking the course. Also, those prerequisites and content of the courses will vary upon the institute and professor that you have. The courses listed below are commonly taken and help with your knowledge regarding athletic training.

Human Physiology- This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the function and regulation of the human body and physiological integration of the organ systems to maintain homeostasis
Human Anatomy- The anatomical structures of the body will be studied in this course. Including the muscular systems, organs, respiratory, bony anatomy, veins and arteries. This course will help you to learn all components of the body and is almost always accompanied with a lab section to reinforce the lectures.

Exercise Physiology- This course investigates the acute responses and chronic adaptations of physiological functions to a wide range of physical exercise conditions, involving people of all ages and abilities.

Kinesiology- Structural and applied musculoskeletal anatomy relative to human movement and sports skill. This course concentrates on muscles, their origins, insertions, and actions.

Nutrition- This course emphasizes basic nutritional principles and concepts, their application to personal health and relationship between food and its use by the human body for energy, regulation, structure, and optimal health. Discussion of issues in nutrition during various stages of the life cycle and specific chronic diseases will be addressed.

Therapeutic Modalities- This is a course looks into the background for clinical application of therapeutic modalities in athletic training. Students will comprehend the underlying theories, physiological effects, indications, and contraindications of various therapeutic modalities utilized in the treatment of orthopedic injuries.
Acute Care of Injury and Illness- This course focuses on the emergency management techniques that are commonly implemented when dealing with trauma and illnesses suffered during/through sport participation. Included will be field evaluation of medical emergencies, such as cessation of breathing or circulation, shock, concussion, and spinal injury to the athlete. Students will review policies and position statements issued by the NATA, NCAA, ACSM, AAP[disambiguation needed], and AMA regarding prevention, evaluation, and management of acute athletic injuries and illnesses.