March is National Athletic Training Month

Cowley College head athletic trainer Jeff Fluty is hoping to make the public aware of all the different things an athletic trainer does, as March is National Athletic Training Month.

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association started the National Athletic Training Month in 2000, as a way for athletic trainers to get a message out as to what it is athletic trainers do. This year’s theme is “Quality Health Care and Wellness”.

Athletic training is an allied health care profession. Certified athletic trainers hold at least a bachelor’s degree and are focused on injury prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation. They are required to pursue continuing education to retain their certification, which is awarded by an organization independent of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.

Athletic trainers are a key component of the health care team, which includes physicians and other allied health personnel. Because of their focus on injury prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation, certified athletic trainers lessen the burden on the public and private health care systems.

“We are more than just people that carry ice bags or stretch somebody every now and then,” Fluty said. “We do work all the way up to emergency care. If some body has a neck injury, we can evaluate that and treat it properly. We are CPR and first aid certified. So, we take care of all of those medical things as well as the simple things like getting water and ice bags.”

Fluty has six student trainers in the Cowley College Athletic Training program, and hopes to have 14 to 15 student trainers in the future.

“Our program helps them get pre-requisite courses out of the way and help them go on to a four-year school where they can graduate with an athletic training degree,” Fluty said. “Another positive to going this route is the hands on experience they get. It also lays a good foundation and lets them get their feet wet in athletic training.”

Fluty takes great pride in the work that he and his student trainers do for the Tiger athletes.

“Cowley College athletic training proudly serves its student-athletes with quality health care and professional integrity,” Fluty said.