My Ode to Athletic Training

Today’s article is going to resemble a bit of a nostalgic love letter. In the chaotic environment of athletic training it is easy to get bogged down under volumes of insurance paperwork or reach the end of your patience with demanding coaches. Not to mention those difficult athletes we’ve all had the pleasure of working with. Despite all of that, I’m still here on the “front lines”, many of you are here with me. But why? The hours can be grueling, the money is often abysmal, and we generally are greatly underappreciated. Despite everything athletic training might’ve deprived me of through years of study and work, it has paid back its debt twofold.

Since starting my journey into athletic training, I have had the pleasure of several once in a lifetime experiences. All of which were unique to opportunities provided by my profession. Without divulging my entire resume, athletic training has sent me to other countries, the sidelines of international competitions, travel all across the US, all while meeting some amazing people and working with superhuman athletes. As a student of the human body, I find great satisfaction in watching athletes compete at the limits of human physiology. Not to mention, I am a huge fan of sports!

Athletic training has given me amazing experiences in my life but it has also helped me to grow as an individual and professional. Perhaps some of this is merely due to getting older and continuing to mature, but I find that because of my time in athletic training I am far more decisive now. When you’re right about something, you gain confidence and when you’re wrong about something, you learn from it and get smarter but you need to make decisions and own up to those decisions either way. I’ve always been taught in athletic training that when you don’t know the answer, you need to know how to find it rather than BS your way to an answer (this is how patient-trust is broken). I believe I am adaptable to most any circumstance because of (usually frustrating) situations I’ve faced as an athletic trainer. I am an easy-going individual, which means I don’t always have a strong opinion about simple things like what restaurant to go to and that leads to indecisiveness. Working in athletic training has provided me a better skill set for making decisions whether it be ordering off a menu or deciding how best to splint a fractured Ulna. This profession has given me opportunities I only dreamed of while sitting in my parents house applying to colleges and it has continued to foster my growth as an individual.

A few times in my career, I’ve struggled with the idea that at the end of the day, sports don’t matter. Maybe I should’ve kept studying to be a physician, or maybe something crazy like getting into politics to try and help people. Expand my impact beyond just a roster of amateur baseball players. This thought is quickly discarded because the truth is; sports do matter. Numerous studies have been done to demonstrate the impact of sports on a community both financially and emotionally. In addition, at the collegiate level not only am I involved in sports (that do matter) but I am involved in the development of wonderful young men who go on to contribute to our society in any number of ways.

For all the literal blood sweat and tears I’ve given to be where I am, I wouldn’t trade a single moment. I believe this is a profession that demands passion because without it, many will burnout and leave in despair. Thankfully this relationship is a two way street and my enthusiasm for everything athletic training has resulted in several years of what I would call “strained bliss”.

Do any of you share in my passion for athletic training? What has this profession given back to you? If you’re not an ATC, what is your relationship with athletic training like? Do you work with ATCs? Did you have an ATC who had a positive impact on you?

-Mark
@MarkDomATC