Enjoy this article from Sports Medicine fellowship trained Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr. Jordan Nester who has years of experience working alongside athletic trainers in multiple settings.
“The importance of an athletic trainer to a school or a community cannot be overstated. I have personally worked with many athletic trainers and the one thing they all have in common is how deeply they care about their student athletes. They are without a doubt one of the most important members of any team they are a part of. They share in the happiness when the team wins or makes a big play. But they also carry the weight of a tough loss in overtime when the ball bounces the other way. They feel heartbreak when one of their athletes suffers an injury or a setback. They also become that same athlete’s biggest cheerleader when it’s time to get back out there and compete again.
To say they are an extension of a physician or provider is an oversimplification of what they do. They are truly on the front line when it comes to sports events. The first person at practice or games is often the athletic trainer. The last person to leave after a long day of practice or a late-night game is often the athletic trainer. The trainer is often the first person a coach turns to with an injury or question about a student athlete’s health. And I have to say, the trainer is usually the first person I call when I see an athlete in my clinic with an injury.
I love working with athletic trainers because they always show up, because they always step up, and because they always put the athletes first. I know that I can always count on the trainer to go the extra mile for their school, their community, and their athletes. And for that, they should be celebrated.”
Thank you, Dr. Nester, for your support and gratitude for athletic trainers and the profession!
