What Is Athletic Training?

Athletic training is practiced by athletic trainers, health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to optimize activity and participation of patients and clients. Athletic training encompasses the prevention, diagnosis, and intervention of emergency, acute, and chronic medical conditions involving impairment, functional limitations, and disabilities.

Students who want to become certified athletic trainers must earn a degree from an accredited athletic training curriculum. Accredited programs include formal instruction in areas such as injury/illness prevention, first aid and emergency care, assessment of injury/illness, human anatomy and physiology, therapeutic modalities, and nutrition. Classroom learning is enhanced through clinical education experiences. More than 70 percent of certified athletic trainers hold at least a master’s degree.

Athletic training is not the same profession as personal training. And certified athletic trainers work with more than just athletes – they can be found just about anywhere that people are physically active.

National Athletic Trainers’ Association

Program Description

The Barton College Athletic Education Training Program has two components. A didactic portion, which is classroom based, and a clinical education portion.

The laboratory classes allow for hands-on practice of the theories learned in lecture classes where students utilize cognitive, psychomotor skill recognition. Faculty and staff ATC’s serve as Approved Clinical Instructors (ACI’s) and supervise ATEP students during rotations. Students have the opportunity to work on clinical skills with an ACI one-on-one during their clinical experience and are involved in the daily operation of athletic training in various settings during the field experience portion of their clinical rotations.