Athletic Trainers: Every School Should Have One

Third Annual Youth Sports Safety Summit - Washington D.C.

MomsTeam has long advocated that parents have the right to expect that a certified athletic trainer (AT) is on staff. An AT is so important that he or she should be the next hire after the head coach.  According to a 2010 University of Michgan poll, two thirds of parents surveyed agree, supporting a requirement that high schools have an AT on site for practices and games.

The ongoing incidence of youth sports injuries and catastrophic events resulting in death has highlighted a need for immediate and improved injury prevention and treatment at the high school level. Supported by 66 sports and health organizations, including MomsTeam.com, the Youth Sports Safety Alliance, formed by the National Athletic Trainers' Association, recently hosted, and MomsTeam attended (both as a member of the media and as a longtime youth sports safety advocate), the Third Annual Youth Sports Safety Summit on Capitol Hill. 

The summit featured presentations by leading experts on preventing and managing catastrophic injuries in sport. Topics included concussions and catastrophic brain injuries, exertional heat stroke, exertional sickling, sudden cardiac arrest, asthma and, the important topic of emergency preparation and planning to ensure that a plan is in place if and when these events occur. The mission of the alliance is to raise awareness among the public, parents, coaches, legislators and media on the unacceptable number of catastrophic injuries occurring among this population, and to advocate for having a certified athletic trainer at every U.S. high school.

The reason is simple: an AT is the first line of defense against catastrophic injury or death in youth sports.

Every organization that wants to help spread the word about the importance of ATs, MomsTeam is happy to share the embed code for this video.  Please e-mail us at editors@MomsTeam.com.