Athletic training began, in 1881, when Harvard hired James Robinson to work with their football team. Not wanting to be at a disadvantage, other colleges soon hired their own athletic trainers. By 1900, almost all the major colleges employed athletic trainers. Professional baseball soon had athletic trainers with all of the major league teams. Athletic Training History

There were no qualifications or educational programs in these early years. There were some abortive attempts to organize athletic trainers and set standards. Finally, in 1950, the National Athletic Trainers Association was formed with the help of the Cramer Chemical Company. The NATA will set standards to advance the profession of athletic training.

In 1956, a Code of Ethics was adopted. By 1959, a model education program was adopted. Professional and educational standards have been continually updated by the NATA. In 1969, the NATA began to create a certification process, which would later lead to athletic training licensure laws in many states, including Arizona. In 2004, changes to the educational standards for certification were adopted, eliminating the internship route to certification. NAU' athletic training student program changed from an internship program to a new curriculum program.

The NATA had approved education program prior to 1991, but in that year an accrediting group was formed to formalize the process. In 2006, an independent accreditation agency for athletic training programs, CAATE, was formed. While the NATA had funded scholarships and research for decades, in 1992 the NATA created a foundation to promote research and scholarship.

Early athletic training was an all-male occupation. It was not until the 1970's that women began to enter the profession. The 1970's also saw more athletic trainers working in non-athletic settings, although some had worked in industry, military and other settings for many decades prior to this.

From just a few athletic trainers in the 1800's, athletic training has grown to over 46,000 certified athletic trainers. The profession continues to grow and provide services to a wider portion of the population. While the future is always difficult to predict, the outlook for athletic training appears bright.

-Matt Webber, ATC

To read more about the history of athletic training please visit www.athletictraininghistory.com

Athletic Trainer Description/Definition

Athletic Trainers (AT's) are health care professionals that specialize in the recognition, rehabilitation, and prevention of musculoskeletal injuries. AT's are trained to respond to and manage emergency/life threating situations on and off the playing surface.

Athletic Trainers work directly with physician's and closely with other allied health professions that are also recognized by the American Medical Association.

All practicing AT's have passed the Board of Certification exam and must continue to meet the qualifications set by the Board of Certification, Inc. to maintain the ATC credential . In conjunction, AT's adhere to the standards and regulations of their respected state licensing board.

Athletic Trainers strive in various practice settings such as:

• Hospitals
• High schools and middle schools
• College and Universities
• Professional sports
• Sports medicine and performance enhancement clinics
• United States military
• Industrial and commercial businesses
• Performing arts
• Olympic Training Centers
• X Games and other extreme sporting events
• NASCAR