3 Departments of Athlete Development

Hello Everybody!
Lately, I've given much thought about working with the perfect athlete. In that situation, what role does the athletic trainer play? What role is the strength coach? What about the sport coach? I’ve talked about coaches’ roles before in my “Internal vs. External cues” article. This time I have a slightly different way to look at it.
Imagine a group of buddies going on a road trip. The athlete is the vehicle; some are sports cars, some are pickup trucks. In this scenario the pedals and steering wheel are separated in the two front seats. The strength coach controls the gas pedal and brake pedal. They decide how fast or slow the athlete advances. As the road changes (games, practices, time of the season) the strength coach might need to adjust the speed of the car. To consider the body’s ability to adapt and develop I will add that after a while of traveling at certain speeds the car can change. A minivan that continues to run “pedal to the metal” will eventually turn into a sports car. The athletic trainer is responsible for steering the car. Going off road will result in damage to the car (injury). Bumps in the road can cause the car to jump to the left or right and the AT has to keep it between the lines. I will also say that if the car breaks down, the team physician is the mechanic because their skills are beyond the practice of an AT or PT. At high speeds, steering can be difficult at times but driving faster will also reach the destination quicker. Speaking of destination, where are we going on this road trip? That is up to the sport coach. They are responsible for the GPS and the maps in this vehicle. Their direction will maximize the capabilities of the vehicle to get where you need to go.
I thought this analogy effectively represented the relationship between the three departments of athlete development (medical, performance, sport) and wanted to share. What do you all think? Did I miss anything here? How do you view the ideal working relationship between therapists, strength coaches, and sport coaches?  
Speaking of the relationship between coaches and the athletic trainer, I have a question to pose specifically to fellow athletic trainers. Do you find it easier to work with coaches who are experts on anatomy? Or does that further complicate your job? I am interested to hear everybody’s opinion on this! I can see the answer going either way.


Please leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you all!

Mark D.
@MarkDomATC

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