Be Local: Athletic trainers are essential to athletes’ health
Andy Palko
Angelica Sabatini
Dr. Alicia Galis is a physical therapist and licensed athletic trainer and manager of the Physical Therapy Institute in Monessen.
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They had long been the overlooked, the unsung, the unheralded.
But no more. The days of taking athletic trainers for granted are over.
While it may have taken a global COVID-19 pandemic to do so, the time has come to appreciate athletic trainers for what they are — health care providers and a vital part of any athletic organization.
“We are more than taping and getting water,” said Angelica Sabatini, who is an athletic trainer for Washington & Jefferson College and is a Beth-Center High School graduate.
Indeed, athletic trainers are much more.
National Athletic Training Month is celebrated each year in March. The 2021 slogan is “Essential to Healthcare.”
Not only do trainers provide on-site medical care for athletes on game day, but they are also essential behind the scenes as they keep athletes safe through injury prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation. They can also help refer an athlete to an appropriate medical professional if needed.
This past year, in the face of the pandemic, schools, colleges and professional sports organizations asked more of and relied on athletic trainers. They were part of developing new plans, protocols and the direction of the organization’s overall training and health care process.
According to the The Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently about 27,800 athletic trainers in the United States, with another 6,300 expected to begin working in this field by the year 2026.
These individuals perform injury prevention activities such as applying protective devices to athletes’ most vulnerable areas prior to training sessions and games, as well as developing and implementing programs designed to help keep players injury-free.
Should an injury occur, athletic trainers are tasked with providing emergency care if necessary, evaluating the potential injury, and coming up with an effective treatment and rehabilitation plan.
Athletic trainers are utilized at all level of sports, from helping young children who are just getting into sports to assisting professional athletes who make a living by playing the sport they love most.
“We can’t be complacent with health care and we need to be able to adapt with the times,” said Andy Palko, head athletic trainer at Waynesburg University. “I think the last year has shown how versatile athletic trainers are and need to be.
“People see us out on the field or on the courts or sitting in the front row or having the best seats. That’s just a small piece of what we do. We do a lot behind the scenes. People now realize we work in public health.”
Dr. Alicia Galis, a physical therapist and licensed athletic trainer and manager of the Physical Therapy Institute in Monessen, said the athletic trainer is the first responder in many cases.
“Athletic trainers have such an important role,” Galis said. “It’s a major role. It’s demanding. Even prior to the pandemic there were protocols, pre-camp tests and the responsibilities have just gotten bigger.
“The last year has increased the responsibilities. The changes will continue to evolve, and athletic trainers’ roles will expand.”
Sabatini said it was helpful Gov. Tom Wolf allowed for athletic trainers to help and become involved with COVID-19 tests and contact tracing.
“We are health care professionals,” Sabatini said. “I didn’t feel any more stress. I know I have the ability and responsibility to help in an emergency or nonemergency situation. The pandemic has shown, the athletic trainer is on the front lines.”
Palko pointed to the old saying: “jack of all trades master of none.”
“Some people may have thought that about athletic trainers before the past year,” Palko said. “I think we have proven that we are jacks of all trades and we’ve mastered them all.”
Galis said the pandemic caused universities and colleges to incorporate “different things” into the athletic training part of their programs “they never thought of before.”
“Athletic trainers took the role of leaders,” she said, “in keeping athletes safe and healthy. The past year has shown a positive light on the profession. It has shown how very important athletic training is.”
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