Governor Schwarzenegger To Review Bill Calling for Statewide Regulation of Athletic Trainers
Sacramento, Calif. – Sept. 11, 2006
Football padding, check. Helmet, check. Mouth guard, check. Athletic trainer, huh??
Football season has officially begun, but just one question remains: Who’s working with our children out on the field?
We recognize that padding, mouth guards and helmets are vital to safety, but what about the presence of an on-site, certified athletic trainer at games and practices? Schools that hire an unqualified athletic trainer, or those that don’t employ one at all, put their athletes at SERIOUS risk for injury or worse, disability. Parents, students and schools should be advised.
Every year, more than 3.5 million children ages 14 and over are treated for sport-related injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. To make matters worse, California does not regulate the practice of athletic training meaning proper medical attention isn’t always available for athletes or consumers.
A new bill on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s desk can change that.
Right now, anyone in California can label themselves an “athletic trainer” without holding the proper credentials.
“The Athletic Trainers Registration Act” is watchdog legislation drafted by the California Athletic Trainers’ Association (CATA) to protect athletes and consumers from working with unlicensed athletic trainers and will make it a crime for athletic training professionals to work as an athletic trainer, call oneself an “athletic trainer” or provide athletic training services without being registered.
A properly trained and certified high school athletic trainer is more than a stereotypical ankle taper. He/she is responsible for performance training, injury prevention, on-site emergency care, and not least, rehabilitation. In some cases, their medical services (both preventative and on-site) could mean the difference between a minor or serious injury or, in some cases, life and death for a young athlete. Coaches are not qualified or trained to offer these medical services. Parents of young athletes need to be educated about who’s working with their children.
Please consider an interview with Christian Brother’s High School Athletic Trainer, Darci Stark, to talk about appropriate medical care for high school athletes and why the CATA is eager for the Governor to sign the bill into law.
About the California Athletic Trainers Association (CATA):
Athletic trainers are health care professionals who specialize in the provision of physical medicine and rehabilitation services, serving as physician extenders in the prevention, assessment and treatment of acute and chronic injuries and illnesses. The California Athletic Trainers Association (http://www.cata-usa.org) represents and supports 2,200 members of the athletic training profession through communication and education.
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