What you need to know about adding an athletic trainer to your staff

By Rebecca Dolan

CBN Aug/Sept 2009

From football games to gymnastics meets, athletic trainers are a constant presence on the sidelines. For high school and college cheerleaders, thanks to their school’s athletic program, the athletic trainer is a familiar sight. But for all-star cheer gyms, there’s no industry requirement that one be present at practice; it’s up to the owner to determine which staff positions to fill. Plus, finding room in a tight budget for any non-coaching position can be difficult. Take a cue from the school cheer market, and consider hiring an athletic trainer to serve on your staff. And, because there’s a lot to ponder when considering any new staff addition, we’re breaking down the ins and outs of athletic trainers and how they can help your program.

Credentials

First and foremost, don’t be tempted to brush off an athletic trainer as a mere wrist wrapper and ice fetcher—these are well-trained individuals. Becoming an athletic trainer requires at least an undergraduate degree from an accredited athletic training program and the successful completion of a comprehensive exam. Beyond that, a program of ongoing education is required in order to remain accredited. “Athletic trainers are highly educated allied health professionals who work under a physician’s direction and have an all-encompassing knowledge of sports medicine for the purpose of prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of athletic injuries,” says Hollie Huggins, a certified athletic trainer and consultant for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA).

Safety Matters

Take a cue from college and high school programs and consider hiring an athletic trainer.

The desire to promote safety is perhaps the most important—and certainly most often cited—reason to hire an athletic trainer. As with any athletic activity, injuries can happen. Athletic trainers are skilled in preventing, treating and rehabilitating injuries, which can be an important asset to have on hand at your gym.

For Pamela St. John, owner of Wolverine All Star Cheerleading in Ann Arbor, MI, offering her athletes the safest program possible was one of the biggest factors in why she sought out an athletic trainer. “We have an athletic trainer on site at all practices,” she says. “In the event of an injury, the athletic trainer does the initial evaluation within moments.” If an injury does occur, an athletic trainer can tend to it well before a doctor would be able to. As time can be a critical factor in injury treatment, having someone at the ready can make a world of difference.

An athletic trainer’s usefulness doesn’t end with practice; having one on your staff full-time means you’ll have someone who can travel with and care for your athletes at competitions. While there are athletic trainers and paramedics at these events, they won’t have the same intimate knowledge of your cheerleaders as your program’s athletic trainer, and they won’t be there at late night practices or for early morning stretches.

Of course, athletic trainers do much more than work with injuries. “They can also advise on injury prevention and conditioning,” says John Staley, a physical therapist and strength and conditioning specialist with Champion Sports Training. “One minute he or she may be taping an ankle and the next be instructing proper ways to stretch.”

Athletic trainers possess the ability to assess athletes’ physical readiness prior to learning new skills. This is an important trait because injuries often stem from physical inability. Athletic trainers can aid in injury prevention simply by having athletes condition, stretch and prepare physically to move to the next level. Other duties can include the development of nutrition, stretching and strengthening programs, as well as consulting with athletes’ physicians.

The Coaches’ Responsibility

Though athletic trainers can greatly benefit your program, be aware that they aren’t the be-all end-all of gym safety. Despite their usefulness once an injury occurs, some argue that athletic trainers can’t prevent all injuries. Rather, it’s the staff’s job to devise and implement solid safety measures. Steve Butcher, regional manager for Premier Athletics, says, “At Premier Athletics, we focus our attention on injury prevention.” Substantial resources are devoted to such measures at their gyms. These include ensuring the staff is first aid, CPR and AACCA certified, enforcing proper progressions when teaching new skills and nailing down an emergency response plan—all of which any gym can do.

At Premier Athletics, this is a standard procedure that’s kicked off with a yearly training meeting for the entire staff of their approximately 20 gyms. In addition, supplemental training modules are held at each gym’s monthly staff meetings. Since most gyms don’t have such a big network, a staff training retreat is an easy way to ensure that everyone’s on the same page in the event of an emergency. Finally, do some research and compile a list of medical professionals you trust (preferably with experience working with cheerleaders), that way you know exactly whom to refer your athletes to should they need it. At the end of the day, the important thing to remember is an athletic trainer cannot take the place of a knowledgeable and well-educated staff.

Working Within Your Budget

Regardless of how much value one ascribes to athletic trainers, for some gyms they aren’t always an option. The cost associated with having a full-time athletic trainer may be too much to bear, with the burden falling upon the athletes’ tuition. In these economic times, you have to keep the load light. If hiring a full-time athletic trainer isn’t possible, another route could be taking on a student intern. At Heat Elite Allstars in New Lenox, IL, they’ve hired a doctoral student in physical therapy to do many of the things a certified athletic trainer would at other gyms. “Our intern is in charge of all things concerning safety at the gym,” says owner Debbie Jankowski. “She’s currently working on a staff handbook that covers standard safety procedures and proper conditioning and training of the cheerleaders. She also arranges our CPR/AED and first aid training [and] coordinates and conducts conditioning classes both for our students and adults.”

Call around to local universities with an athletic training or related program and see if any of their students can complete an internship for credit—often these are part of their curriculum. Even though they won’t be available all the time, interns still bring a level of security and expertise that can make the gym a safer place. Adds Jankowski: “Our intern has been able to show the athletes and parents that we’re dedicated in our approach to proper training of our athletes to minimize injuries.”

If you are able to hire a full-time athletic trainer, begin your search by asking the families at your gym for recommendations or contacting your local sports medicine clinic. Another great resource is the online career center at the NATA website, nata.org. After registering for this service and paying a small fee, employers can post job opportunities that will be accessible to athletic trainers registered with NATA. Many states also have their own athletic training associations with similar services. Look for candidates that are certified by the NATA and have the credential “ATC” (Certified Athletic Trainer) behind their name. Depending on the state, athletic trainers may be required to have a state license and/or national certification. Be aware of your state’s requirements, and make sure your prospective athletic trainer meets them.

There are a number of ways in which a gym can benefit from hiring an athletic trainer. That, combined with common sense safety measures, will elevate your gym to the next level of security. But no matter what benefits an athletic trainer holds for you and your athletes, we cannot forget the least tangible, though perhaps most important, of these—peace of mind. Simply knowing that someone is there solely to monitor the athletes’ well-being is a great confidence builder for cheerleaders and parents alike. And where there is confidence, there are athletes performing at their highest potential.

Necessary Supplies

When you’re ready to have an athletic trainer on staff, know that it isn’t simply a matter of hiring one. It’s your responsibility as gym owner to provide your athletic trainer with the tools needed to do his or her job. Hollie Huggins, consultant for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, explains that athletic trainers typically need a stock of supplies—tape, pre-wrap, bandages, rubber gloves, antiseptic, ice bags, bandage scissors, tape cutters, towels, etc.—and a typical athletic training room is set up with standard-height tables for treatment and exams and taller ones for taping. Cleaning supplies are also crucial to maintaining a sanitary environment. Just ask your athletic trainer what he or she needs.

Personal trainers are not athletic trainers. For a list of the differences, visit nata.org.