Feb 26, 2022 3 min read

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The ever-evolving role of athletic trainers is spotlighting a change in the way the occupation has changed over the past two years.

Athletic trainers work in a variety of settings, providing preventative services, rehabilitative and emergency services.

Professionals in the field serve in the following settings:

• clinics/hospitals;
• colleges/universities;
• secondary schools;
• military;
• police force;
• fire departments;
• performing arts.

Those settings were not always recognized before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March of 2020.

Roles have been expanded. Athletic trainers have gained more of a foothold with their employers.

Each March, National Athletic Training Month focuses on the impact Athletic Trainers (ATs) have on the safety and well-being of their athletes, clients and patients. Throughout the month, participants celebrate ATs dedication to their profession.

“We don’t have as many (COVID-19) responsibilities as we did two years ago, even last spring,” said Angelica Sabatini, assistant athletic trainer for Washington & Jefferson College. “We are back to full and regular schedule. We are at practices, travelling with teams. Our student health has taken over Covid-19 issues.

“Most Division III schools do not have a strength and conditioning coach and that falls on us. Coaches see what we can do and incorporate us in calisthenics, cooling athletes off and just being more involved. It’s more than us giving players a cup of water. There is so much more to this.”

ATs develop programs to prevent injury and they evaluate patients to ensure they receive necessary screenings.

ATs develop rehabilitation plans for those who are injured. Those plans are designed to return their patient safely to the level of performance before injury. They are also able to assess and refer patients for specialized care.

Erin Levaer, assistant athletic trainer for Waynesburg University, agreed the situation for ATs has changed since the beginning of the pandemic.

“With the vaccinations, the NCAA has become the guiding light in what we are doing now,” Levaer said. “We use their best practices. This year, we are in a more normal schedule and operation.

“I think we are seen as being more versatile. We are seen as part of the health care system. It has been intense these last couple of years. I’m proud of my profession.”

Sabatini, who sits on the board of the Women in Athletic Training, said the organization also provide ATs for U.S. Navy Seals, industrial companies, FedEx and insurance companies.

“I think there is a new and deeper appreciation for athletic trainers because of all of this,” she said.

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