Athletic Training as a Profession
Total health care encompasses the prevention and care of sports injuries and illnesses. No single profession can provide the expertise to carry out this enormous responsibility. The scope of athletic medical care focuses on participation in organized athletics, particularly at the professional, collegiate, high school, and junior high levels.
Athletic trainers collaborate with physicians to optimize activity and participation of athletes and patients. Athletic training encompasses the prevention of athletic injuries; recognition, evaluation, and assessment of both acute and chronic injuries; immediate care of injuries; treatment, rehabilitation and reconditioning of athletic injuries.
Students who want to become certified athletic trainers must earn a degree from an accredited athletic training curriculum. Accredited programs include formal instruction in areas such as injury/illness prevention, first aid and emergency care, assessment of injury/illness, human anatomy and physiology, therapeutic modalities, and nutrition. Classroom learning is enhanced through hands on experience with athletes in the athletic and clinical setting.
There are multiple settings beyond just the college setting where athletic trainers can apply their knowledge and skills to help athletic and non-athletic individuals. Some of these other settings are secondary schools, professional sports, hospitals, clinics, physician offices, military and law enforcement, industrial and commercial environments and in the performing arts.
Here at the University of Missouri we pride ourselves on having the utmost standard of care in aiding our athletes in the care, prevention, and rehabilitation of injuries. With a long standing history at Missouri, in both athletic and academic success, we pride ourselves in being a piece of the total student-athlete in assuring their successes in a safe and healthy environment.
