Hey guys! I don't know what I'm more excited about in the coming month. My roommate's birthday is tomorrow, my birthday is on the 12th, vacation in South Carolina starts the 14th, Easter is at the end of the month... Oh... and it's NATIONAL ATHLETIC TRAINING MONTH!!! I think March is the best month ever! So as a profession, our goal during NATM is to educate everyone about what our profession is and what we do. It's quite amazing how much people still don't know about us. I challange all of you to educate one person a day about what we do. It can be friends, relatives, or even a random stranger. The best thing you can do it educate the public properly about what this profession is. Make sure you use the term "athletic trainer" instead of just "trainer". Make sure they know we are health care professionals with a degree in a medical field. Use examples of what we are capable of doing. Tell people about the variety of settings that we can work in.
So for all of you non-ATs out there... Here's a little bit about what we do:
Athletic trainers are healthcare providers that work in conjunction with physicians and specialize in recognizing, treating, and preventing injuries. We have at least a bachelor's degree in athletic training, with a lot more professionals with their master's and some doctorate's. We work in all types of settings between high schools, colleges, and professional sports to performing arts, military, and corporate settings. It's amazing what athletic trainers are capable of doing. If you would like to learn more, then please ask someone in the profession! If you are an AT, please tell people about what we do!
And just for a little fun...
You Know You're an Athletic Trainer When....
1. You forget what "real clothes" look like because your wardrobe consists of only khakis and polos.
2. When you DO where "real clothes" everyone thinks you're dressed up and tell you how nice you look.
3. Everyone comes to you when they hurt themselves because they don't want to go to a doctor.
4. You need to figure out a way to get caffiene in IV form.
5. You get angry as sportscasters when they use the wrong words about an injury, like "I think he sprained his quad." It's strained you idiot...
6. You enjoy watching people walk just to analyze their gait.
7. You have perfected the most amazing sleeping position on a bus.
8. You empty your pockets and every day you find gauze and gloves.
9. You know athletes by injury, not by name.
and finally... 10. You want to punch the next person who uses the word "trainer" instead of "athletic trainer"!
Hope you all can spread the word starting tomorrow!
Let me know what you all do to celebrate NATM. It would be interesting to see what everyone does!
Monday, February 29, 2016
Monday, February 22, 2016
Iowa - Are you serious?
Iowa is trying to pass a bill that will require athletic trainers at all varsity sporting events. If that doesn't already make you irritated, it gets better. ATs will be there to identify concussions. That's it. That's all they talk about the ATs being there for. Oh... It still gets better. Salary for these athletic trainers is between $2400 and $3900 a year. A YEAR. Think about it. Iowa thinks that only those 4 sports encounter concussions. And they believe that an athletic trainer only needs to be there for games. AND they are providing a very insulting salary of $2400 a year. Who else is offended by this? I sure am! I get it. They are trying to take the coach out of the decision making process, and since Iowa doesn't have ATs in every school, this bill makes sense. However, what happens when a JV football player goes down with an ACL injury during practice? Where's the athletic trainer then? Or what happens when a baseball player is up at bat and gets drilled in the head with a 80 mph pitch and gets a concussion? Where's the athletic trainer then? There are no reasons for ATs to not be in a high school for all practices and games. The funding should be put in place. But that's the only thing that school officials care about. The funding. The AD at Van Meter High School is particularly annoyed about it. He says, "It's costing us between $5000-$7000 to have these people in place.There are going to be districts that struggle with this bill." THESE PEOPLE?! These "people" are medically licensed professionals that can evaluate, rehabilitate, and prevent injuries among other things. Oh... and they can also SAVE LIVES. But I guess the school board doesn't care about all of that because these people are going to cut into a school's budget. It's sad that administration can't understand the importance of an athletic trainer and what they actually do and provide for the school. This whole bill is insulting, discouraging, and frankly a joke.
A message to the state of Iowa: Pay for an athletic trainer. "These people" are capable of a lot more than just identifying concussions. I understand this is a big thing with this movie that came out recently, but it's not all we are capable of doing. Athletic trainers are medically licensed to keep your student-athletes on the field. Your perception of us is skewed. Look into the profession. Realize that this bill is insulting to the profession. You're going to be better off hiring a full time AT. Think about it.
http://whotv.com/2016/02/11/anti-concussion-bill-worries-some-district-athletic-directors/
http://www.athleticbusiness.com/high-school/iowa-bill-would-require-trainers-at-athletic-events.html
A message to the state of Iowa: Pay for an athletic trainer. "These people" are capable of a lot more than just identifying concussions. I understand this is a big thing with this movie that came out recently, but it's not all we are capable of doing. Athletic trainers are medically licensed to keep your student-athletes on the field. Your perception of us is skewed. Look into the profession. Realize that this bill is insulting to the profession. You're going to be better off hiring a full time AT. Think about it.
http://whotv.com/2016/02/11/anti-concussion-bill-worries-some-district-athletic-directors/
http://www.athleticbusiness.com/high-school/iowa-bill-would-require-trainers-at-athletic-events.html
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Peyton Manning - Truths and Lies
There have been a ton of articles out now about the "Peyton Manning Scandal Cover Up" in light of the Denver Broncos Super Bowl win. No one seems to know that Manning was part of a sexual harassment scandal at the University of Tennessee, and now we know why. It apparently was a cover up. I'm talking about this because the victim was Dr. Jamie Naughright, the then associate AT for the football program at UT (among other esteemed positions).
Dr Jamie Naughright was a well liked, respectable, FEMALE athletic trainer at UT. She started as a student AT for the women's programs and was soon transferred to the men's programs. After undergrad, she became the graduate assistant AT for the men's programs. Upon graduation, she was hired as the assistant AT for the entire men's athletic program. After 2 years, she was hired as the Director of Health and Wellness for the Men's Athletic Program and was the head AT for the university's track and field program. During this time, she was also an associate AT for the football program.
During the time she was transferred to the men's program while in undergrad, her boss, associate AT Mike Rollo said that she was transferred because he thought she was a lesbian. She wasn't, but so what if she was? She was a woman, and after reading the article I will post at the end, it seemed as though he and the other males that she worked with on a daily basis were scared that a female was making rank at UT. Rollo and other male athletes, including Manning, called her some very vulgar names. She did what she had to do to stop the abuse and reported it. Reporting it seemed to make things worse. Later on in her career, Peyton Manning, a freshman on the football team, apparently did something that has never been talked about, and never will be. That incident was redacted from the record. Later on that year, Manning was being checked for a stress fracture in his foor by Naughright. Allegedly, he pulled his pants down and put his genitals on Naughright's head. She filed for sexual assault, Manning denied it had happened, and a cover up from Mike Rollo was in the works. Rollo said that Manning was "mooning" another student-athlete and Naughright happened to get in the way. Really? She just happened to get her head right in the way? The story continues with court testimony from student-athletes, staff memebers, and collegues that show that Naughright would never lie about an incident like this, that she is in good character, and that the cover up story was a fake. You can read the details in the article posted below. It's frankly a sick, twisted story that I have no clue how it got swept under the rug in the first place.
Now, I am a huge Peyton Manning fan along with the rest of them, but hearing this story is so disturbing. I'm upset that this football hero has done something like this, but I'm more upset that he won't own up to it. Or is he not owning up to it because he didn't do it? This story really is a "he said, she said" story because there were no witnesses. The only "witness" was the athlete who Rollo was saying Manning was mooning, but he wasn't actually there. However, there were witnesses to the vulgar language that was used against her. There were witnesses to the destruction of this woman's job, career, reputation, and life.
Being a female AT in a male sport is difficult. From experience, I have been the butt of a lot of jokes. I wouldn't go so far as them being sexual harassment, but there are times where I know I can't take stuff personally. However, the men I work with have been nothing but respectful when I am around. I have to be in the locker room with these guys. They know to be decent when I'm walking through. They understand my "pants policy" in the ATR. (If you're just getting out of the shower and only have a towel on, you are not allowed in the training room. They must have pants on.) I understand now times are a little different than the early 90's, so I guess the disrespect for females in a male sport was going to be higher back then. I could never think about the men I work with to ever do or say anything like that to me. I have had a few of them say to me "Teresa, I've never had a female trainer, so I hope I don't offend you with my comments." They know better. So I don't know why Peyton Manning, Mike Rollo, and the others did not have the same respect I get. And for both Peyton and Archie Manning to sit here and try to cover it up? It blows my mind! Especially when they came out with a book on how terrible of a person Naughright is. I just don't understand what they had against this woman. Like I said, I want to be on Naughright's side, and I am.... I just don't know how I feel about this whole situation. She got a $300K settlement from the school. She also lost her career, her reputation, and her life. Why is this all of a sudden coming out 20 years later? Is it because she was a woman in a male sport? Is it because there were instances she was this person they said she was (I'm just questioning, I don't actually believe that)? Is it because Peyton Manning has another Super Bowl ring and she wants to take him down like he took her down? I really don't know. But I know this is such a hot topic, females in male sports. This is why I started this blog in the first place. To highlight the good and the bad about being a woman in this profession. Read the article... Tell me what you think. I would love to hear your opinion.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/king-peyton-manning-squeaky-clean-image-built-lies-article-1.2530395
Dr Jamie Naughright was a well liked, respectable, FEMALE athletic trainer at UT. She started as a student AT for the women's programs and was soon transferred to the men's programs. After undergrad, she became the graduate assistant AT for the men's programs. Upon graduation, she was hired as the assistant AT for the entire men's athletic program. After 2 years, she was hired as the Director of Health and Wellness for the Men's Athletic Program and was the head AT for the university's track and field program. During this time, she was also an associate AT for the football program.
During the time she was transferred to the men's program while in undergrad, her boss, associate AT Mike Rollo said that she was transferred because he thought she was a lesbian. She wasn't, but so what if she was? She was a woman, and after reading the article I will post at the end, it seemed as though he and the other males that she worked with on a daily basis were scared that a female was making rank at UT. Rollo and other male athletes, including Manning, called her some very vulgar names. She did what she had to do to stop the abuse and reported it. Reporting it seemed to make things worse. Later on in her career, Peyton Manning, a freshman on the football team, apparently did something that has never been talked about, and never will be. That incident was redacted from the record. Later on that year, Manning was being checked for a stress fracture in his foor by Naughright. Allegedly, he pulled his pants down and put his genitals on Naughright's head. She filed for sexual assault, Manning denied it had happened, and a cover up from Mike Rollo was in the works. Rollo said that Manning was "mooning" another student-athlete and Naughright happened to get in the way. Really? She just happened to get her head right in the way? The story continues with court testimony from student-athletes, staff memebers, and collegues that show that Naughright would never lie about an incident like this, that she is in good character, and that the cover up story was a fake. You can read the details in the article posted below. It's frankly a sick, twisted story that I have no clue how it got swept under the rug in the first place.
Now, I am a huge Peyton Manning fan along with the rest of them, but hearing this story is so disturbing. I'm upset that this football hero has done something like this, but I'm more upset that he won't own up to it. Or is he not owning up to it because he didn't do it? This story really is a "he said, she said" story because there were no witnesses. The only "witness" was the athlete who Rollo was saying Manning was mooning, but he wasn't actually there. However, there were witnesses to the vulgar language that was used against her. There were witnesses to the destruction of this woman's job, career, reputation, and life.
Being a female AT in a male sport is difficult. From experience, I have been the butt of a lot of jokes. I wouldn't go so far as them being sexual harassment, but there are times where I know I can't take stuff personally. However, the men I work with have been nothing but respectful when I am around. I have to be in the locker room with these guys. They know to be decent when I'm walking through. They understand my "pants policy" in the ATR. (If you're just getting out of the shower and only have a towel on, you are not allowed in the training room. They must have pants on.) I understand now times are a little different than the early 90's, so I guess the disrespect for females in a male sport was going to be higher back then. I could never think about the men I work with to ever do or say anything like that to me. I have had a few of them say to me "Teresa, I've never had a female trainer, so I hope I don't offend you with my comments." They know better. So I don't know why Peyton Manning, Mike Rollo, and the others did not have the same respect I get. And for both Peyton and Archie Manning to sit here and try to cover it up? It blows my mind! Especially when they came out with a book on how terrible of a person Naughright is. I just don't understand what they had against this woman. Like I said, I want to be on Naughright's side, and I am.... I just don't know how I feel about this whole situation. She got a $300K settlement from the school. She also lost her career, her reputation, and her life. Why is this all of a sudden coming out 20 years later? Is it because she was a woman in a male sport? Is it because there were instances she was this person they said she was (I'm just questioning, I don't actually believe that)? Is it because Peyton Manning has another Super Bowl ring and she wants to take him down like he took her down? I really don't know. But I know this is such a hot topic, females in male sports. This is why I started this blog in the first place. To highlight the good and the bad about being a woman in this profession. Read the article... Tell me what you think. I would love to hear your opinion.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/king-peyton-manning-squeaky-clean-image-built-lies-article-1.2530395
Monday, February 8, 2016
What do Athletic Trainers have to do for the Super Bowl?
In light of Super Bowl 50 last night (way to go Broncos!!), I have decided to write about the athletic trainers in Super Bowls. Particularly what they have to endure leading up to the Big Game and during it. I found an article from Super Bowl XLVI that outlined what the New York Giants athletic trainers did to prepare for the game. That Super Bowl was on February 5, 2012. But the athletic trainers started preparing on January 30, 2012, the day they flew to Indianapolis where the game was being held. The athletic trainers reported for early morning treatments before they flew out that day. They had meetings and then a bus ride to the airport. When they arrived at the hotel, some athletic trainers went to the practice facility to set up the athletic training room there, others stayed at the hotel and set up their room as an athletic training room. They brought 9 trunks with various supplies. They even brought 100 cases of athletic tape for the trip! Once set up, they had evening treatments. The next day, Jan. 31, 2012, there was no practice due to media day, but there were still morning and evening treatments. They had to go to the field for Media Day and team photos between those treatments. Feb. 1, 2012 there were morning treatments then they had down time before practice, so they got a lot of administrative work done. Before they left for the field, they had a quick treatment session. They left for practice in the afternoon, and upon arrival had to hurry into the ATR for light treatments and taping. They had only a half hour to tape and treat before practice. Can you imagine?! A half hour for who knows how many guys come in to be treated and taped! That's just crazy! They returned to the hotel after practice and did treatments until about 7pm. The next day, Feb. 2, they have morning treatments again and then have some meetings. There was practice in the afternoon and then families flew in. Night time treatments were not skipped with the arrival of families. On Feb. 3, the ATCs reported and found out that 10 people on the family plane had gotten sick, so they would need to be taken care of. Appointments with the physician liasion were made. Morning treatments were done, meetings were attended, and an overveiw of head and neck injury protocol was done. Another treatment session was held before going to practice. Practice was held and treatments were given after. Saturday, Feb. 4, the day before the Super Bowl... The ATCs reported an hour and a half earlier for morning treatments and then they had team walkthrough. They were done around 1 pm and reported to dinner at 6 and meetings after. Then it was bedtime! It's the night before the Super Bowl! How exciting!! Feb 5, 2012, Super Bowl XLVI... What a big deal!!! The athletic trainers had treatments in the morning, then they had to break down the training room that they had set up in the hotel. They boarded the bus at 2 pm and were police escorted to the stadium. Pre-game taping and treatment rituals were done when the players arrived, including a TON of manual therapy. After warm ups, they returned to the locker room for more taping and went over injury protocols. The game started, they had a few injuries to take care of, and then the game ended... The Giants were Super Bowl Champs again!! They celebrated and went back to the locker room. They had to take care of the injuries and then break down the training room again. They returned to the hotel and had an after party. The day after the Super Bowl, Feb 6, they were scheduled to leave early for the airport. Injuries were checked on, breakfast was eaten, and the bus was boarded. They flew home to New York... The game and the craziness was over. Feb 7, 2012, the NY Giants had the Super Bowl Parade down the Canyon of Heroes in NYC. But before the parade, the ATCs had to report for post season physicals. The parade started at 9am followed by a party in MetLife Stadium. The 2011 season had finally come to a close. The NY Giants were Super Bowl Champions, and the athletic training staff could finally get a day off.
Looking at the schedule of an ATC in the Super Bowl is just mind-blowing. They work around the clock! This was just 4 years ago, and I am assuming the Broncos and Panthers ATCs were the same this year. It is facinating the jobs that these people do day in and day out. The full article is posted below. When reading it, you really get a sense of what they go through. Check it out! Tell me what you think! Would you ever want to be an ATC working in the NFL? Would you want to endure all of the hours it takes to make it through the Super Bowl? I definitely would love this experience!!
http://www.atsnj.org/article/not-only-do-athletic-trainers-save-lives-they-also-help-win-super-bowls
Looking at the schedule of an ATC in the Super Bowl is just mind-blowing. They work around the clock! This was just 4 years ago, and I am assuming the Broncos and Panthers ATCs were the same this year. It is facinating the jobs that these people do day in and day out. The full article is posted below. When reading it, you really get a sense of what they go through. Check it out! Tell me what you think! Would you ever want to be an ATC working in the NFL? Would you want to endure all of the hours it takes to make it through the Super Bowl? I definitely would love this experience!!
http://www.atsnj.org/article/not-only-do-athletic-trainers-save-lives-they-also-help-win-super-bowls
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
The Evolution of Athletic Training
Hey everyone! I know I haven't posted in a while... Personal stuff. I don't want to bore you with those details! But I'm back. And today's topic is all about how athletic training has changed from the past to now and how it will continue to change. I think this is a great topic to talk about, especially from a female standpoint. Now we all know that females are underrepresented in certain aspects of athletic training, but let's see what has led us to this point now, not only with females, but in the profession itself.
Did you know there were athletic trainers in the 1800's?! Me neither! They were present for the safety and health of athletes, but did not have any more responsibility than that. They were true "water boys" as well, there to hydrate the athletes. Right after WWI, athletic trainers were formally known in the college setting. They formed the NATA in the 1930's, but by the 1940's, the NATA was no longer an organization. The organization was reestablished in the 1950's In 1970, the frist national exam took place, and by 1989 the BOC was created. There used to be 2 routes to become an athletic trainer - you could intern, or you could take a certified cirruculum through the NATA. Don't know about the internship route? Well.. You had to have 1500+ hours of clinical experience, had prerequiste courses, and had to pass the BOC. The internship route ended in 2003, and you can now only become an athletic trainer through a CAATE accredited program and pass the BOC. In 2003 and beyond, an athletic trainer has to be competent in 5 domains and 8 content areas of athletic training to be able to be properly educated and to pass the BOC to become part of the profession and we have to complete 50 CEUs every 2 years. The NATA is now comprised of over 35,000 members! This is the evolution of the education and practice of athletic trainers since they first came about. Now let's look how the profession has changed.
In 1869, Rutgers and Princeton introduced the sport of football. In 1905, there were 18 deaths and 159 serious injuries. The original reason athletic trainers became so popular was because it was realized that football needed responders on the field in case of injury. As said in the previous paragraph, the athletic trainers were there to provide water and be the team manager. Samuel E. Bilik was the man that created athletic training as more than just a "hydration specialist". He graduated from the University of Illinois and then went to med school. The University then hired him as a part time ATC where he changed the face of athletic training. During WWII, athletic trainers went from preparing athletes to preparing service men. As the war continued, the profession struggled. They needed to establish a national organization for the profession to succeed. As stated before, that's when the NATA was finally established and grew. When athletic training first started, athletic trainers were mainly found in colleges and high schools. It quickly evolved to include athletic trainers in professional sports. Now athletic trainers can be found in many different non-traditional settings like hospitals, corporations, performing arts, NASCAR, and the military, to name a few. Athletic trainers have also been known to work as physician extenders.
Females in the profession have evolved as well. Before Title IX was passed, there were no female athletic trainers. In 1972, the first female sat for the BOC exam. Her name was Sherry Bagagian. Shortly after, Gail Weldon sat for the exam. Weldon was the first female athletic trainer hired by the US Olympic Committee, and in 1980 became the first female cheif ATC for the US Olympic Team. She became the director of athletic training and physical therapy in the 1984 Olympic Games. Weldon was the first female inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in 1995. There is now an award named after her called the Gail Weldon Award of Excellence. It is given to one person every year that displays a "commitment to mentoring, professional development and life balancing for women athletic trainers or significant contributions to improve the health care of females provided by ATs". Another influential woman in atheltic training is Majorie J. Albohm, who was elected as the NATA president in 2007. She was only the second female to be president. In recent years, as I have spoken about before, we had Sue Falsone, the first female head athletic trainer for a Major League Baseball team. In 2005, 47.6% of the NATA members were females, and in 2011 the number grew to 50.9%.
Below are the articles where I got my information. Learning about how athletic trainers have evolved to where we are now is so interesting. If this profession can evolve from what it was to what it is, just think about how much more it will continue to evolve and grow. It might take a while, but it will definitely be different 20 years from now!
http://samples.jbpub.com/9780763735203/35205_CH15_FINAL.pdf
http://www.kcumb.edu/uploadedfiles/content/academics/_assets/cme_presentations/bertoncino_athletic_6_14.pdf
http://www.bocatc.org/blog/uncategorized/history-of-women-in-athletic-training/
Did you know there were athletic trainers in the 1800's?! Me neither! They were present for the safety and health of athletes, but did not have any more responsibility than that. They were true "water boys" as well, there to hydrate the athletes. Right after WWI, athletic trainers were formally known in the college setting. They formed the NATA in the 1930's, but by the 1940's, the NATA was no longer an organization. The organization was reestablished in the 1950's In 1970, the frist national exam took place, and by 1989 the BOC was created. There used to be 2 routes to become an athletic trainer - you could intern, or you could take a certified cirruculum through the NATA. Don't know about the internship route? Well.. You had to have 1500+ hours of clinical experience, had prerequiste courses, and had to pass the BOC. The internship route ended in 2003, and you can now only become an athletic trainer through a CAATE accredited program and pass the BOC. In 2003 and beyond, an athletic trainer has to be competent in 5 domains and 8 content areas of athletic training to be able to be properly educated and to pass the BOC to become part of the profession and we have to complete 50 CEUs every 2 years. The NATA is now comprised of over 35,000 members! This is the evolution of the education and practice of athletic trainers since they first came about. Now let's look how the profession has changed.
In 1869, Rutgers and Princeton introduced the sport of football. In 1905, there were 18 deaths and 159 serious injuries. The original reason athletic trainers became so popular was because it was realized that football needed responders on the field in case of injury. As said in the previous paragraph, the athletic trainers were there to provide water and be the team manager. Samuel E. Bilik was the man that created athletic training as more than just a "hydration specialist". He graduated from the University of Illinois and then went to med school. The University then hired him as a part time ATC where he changed the face of athletic training. During WWII, athletic trainers went from preparing athletes to preparing service men. As the war continued, the profession struggled. They needed to establish a national organization for the profession to succeed. As stated before, that's when the NATA was finally established and grew. When athletic training first started, athletic trainers were mainly found in colleges and high schools. It quickly evolved to include athletic trainers in professional sports. Now athletic trainers can be found in many different non-traditional settings like hospitals, corporations, performing arts, NASCAR, and the military, to name a few. Athletic trainers have also been known to work as physician extenders.
Females in the profession have evolved as well. Before Title IX was passed, there were no female athletic trainers. In 1972, the first female sat for the BOC exam. Her name was Sherry Bagagian. Shortly after, Gail Weldon sat for the exam. Weldon was the first female athletic trainer hired by the US Olympic Committee, and in 1980 became the first female cheif ATC for the US Olympic Team. She became the director of athletic training and physical therapy in the 1984 Olympic Games. Weldon was the first female inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in 1995. There is now an award named after her called the Gail Weldon Award of Excellence. It is given to one person every year that displays a "commitment to mentoring, professional development and life balancing for women athletic trainers or significant contributions to improve the health care of females provided by ATs". Another influential woman in atheltic training is Majorie J. Albohm, who was elected as the NATA president in 2007. She was only the second female to be president. In recent years, as I have spoken about before, we had Sue Falsone, the first female head athletic trainer for a Major League Baseball team. In 2005, 47.6% of the NATA members were females, and in 2011 the number grew to 50.9%.
Below are the articles where I got my information. Learning about how athletic trainers have evolved to where we are now is so interesting. If this profession can evolve from what it was to what it is, just think about how much more it will continue to evolve and grow. It might take a while, but it will definitely be different 20 years from now!
http://samples.jbpub.com/9780763735203/35205_CH15_FINAL.pdf
http://www.kcumb.edu/uploadedfiles/content/academics/_assets/cme_presentations/bertoncino_athletic_6_14.pdf
http://www.bocatc.org/blog/uncategorized/history-of-women-in-athletic-training/
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