Did you know that Athletic Training (AT) is one of the fastest-growing professions in health care in the United States? In 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected a 17% increase in AT jobs over the next 10 years, which is significantly higher than average growth projections.
Athletic Trainers are highly trained professionals required to complete between 800-900 clinical hours over the course of their 2-year degree. They must be knowledgeable in everything from preseason physicals to emergency care, injury treatment and diagnosis, clinical exams, therapeutic interventions, when and how to refer athletes to practitioners, as well as administration and legal responsibilities. ATs significantly positively impact athlete health, resulting in lower injury rates, improved diagnosis and informed return-to-play decisions for injuries such as concussion, and fewer recurrent injuries.
This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing longtime InjureFree partner and Athletic Trainer Brock to gain insight into the world of an AT and how using InjureFree’s products has impacted his work and the lives of his athletes. Brock holds a Master of Science in Kinesiology and is a Licensed and Certified Athletic Trainer. He works for the Jacksonville Sports Medicine Program and is in his 3rd year as the Head Athletic Trainer with Atlantic Coast High School in Florida. Brock is the 1st full-time AT at the school.
Being the only full-time AT at your school, how do you support all athletes at once?
“Communicating with coaches about where I'll be is very important. I have two medical kits, and coaches have my number.”
Brock interned with ESPN, then went on to get a Masters. Today, as Head AT, he supports over 30 high school sports, including football, girls' flag football, soccer, lacrosse, golf, basketball, baseball, swim and dive, bowling, and volleyball. He shared that football is the busiest sport and the only sport he travels with.
How long have you been partnering with InjureFree?
“This is my 3rd year. It’s the injury recording method we use in our school district.”
How have you used InjureFree in your role as an AT?
“I’ll use the InjureFree app on my phone to write down a note and use voice to text as well. It’s accessible, easy to use, and user-friendly compared to other systems I’ve used in the past. It’s very self-explanatory. I use incident reports, too, but I mostly use InjureFree for recording time loss injuries, which are any injuries where the athlete is going to be out for 3 or more days, and I have to keep them out of practice or refer them to a doctor. I record those folks on the InjureFree platform.
It makes things easy to record and see who can return to play, when doctor visits are and when they are cleared. I record doctor follow-up visits in the app, too. I’ll track injuries from injury to clearance. We will probably start using the rehab tab to track athletes coming in for rehab and their progress.”
More specifically, how has using InjureFree helped improve your processes?
“It has improved organization and ensures valid tracking and documentation.”
Any future insights on Athletic Training, Sports Medicine and overall Athlete Health and Wellness?
“I love my job, so I'm just trying to improve my care each day. I’m working to get an e-stim machine in my room, a cold compression unit, and more items to improve athlete recovery. Eventually, I hope we get a sports medicine program at my high school someday. I’m just trying to build relationships with parents and teachers to build trust and provide athletes with the best care possible, expand my treatment options, and improve how I operate. My athletes will tell me, “I’m inspired by you and want to be an AT because of you.”
“Many people want to go into sports medicine, so I advise sticking with it. Having these high school programs is a good start because it gets them motivated and then they know what they want to do early on.”
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