Annotated Bibliography and Introduction

Sports Medicine Athletic Training: How It Has Evolved

Introduction:

There are two types of athletic training. One is seen as a coach instructing or teaching a work

out; The other is injury prevention and rehabilitation. The injury prevention and rehabilitation athletic

training has evolved immensely over the years. Previously, this area did not require as much medical

involvement or knowledge. Over the years as it has expanded and seen tremendous success as more

medical experience and involvement have been incorporated. Another name that has been given to this

field is Sports Medicine. The Sports Medicine Athletic trainers work with injured athletes by

evaluating the injury, explaining what is injured and why it is, create goals for recovery and a recovery

program. This field of work specializes in helping injured athletes regain full health and strength as

well as create ways to prevent an injury from ever occurring.

Not only do Athletic trainers deal with the injury prevention and rehabilitation, they also look at

the safety of the sport and the environment it is held in. They make the calls regarding whether a sport

can practice or compete each day depending on the weather. Dangerous weather, extreme heat or cold

are examples of situations where a trainer has to consider the safety of the environment and the athlete.

Athletic trainers also stress proper diets and hydration. It is essential for trainers to be able to recognize

poor nutritional habits of athletes to help correct them and make the athlete healthy and able to preform

at their best in their sport. Although some of these may seem like common scenes, the majority of the

time these things are not taken into consideration or cared for. Over the years the jobs of these trainers

have become greater in importance because of the realization in how helpful they are in this area.

Annotated Bibliography (3):

Fisher, A. Craig, Sharon A. Mullins, and Patricia A. Frye. "Athletic Trainers' Attitudes and Judgments of Injured Athletes' Rehabilitation Adherence." Journal of athletic training 28.1 (1993): Web. 27 March 2014

Athletic Trainers Attitudes and Judgments of Injured Athletes and Rehabilitation Adherence

Athletic trainers attitudes and the athletes attitudes are very important factors when taking on

the rehabilitation of an injury. When an athlete has little faith in the Athletic trainer or the rehabilitation

program or the trainer does not show support and interest to the athlete, the recovery does not work

very well. “Arguably, the key factor influencing the effectiveness of the rehabilitation process is the

injured athletes commitment to their program and the ability of the ATCs to enhance that commitment.”

(pg. 43) Aside from the actual rehabilitation treatment, in order for the recovery to be successful, both

the athlete and the trainer need to be on the same page and committed to the process.

A study was conducted where a questionnaire was given to Athletic trainers that assessed the

mental attitudes and judgments that the Trainers have before assessing and injury. The questionnaire

also assessed weather the mental attitudes and judgments had an affect on the presumed injury

rehabilitation. “The questionnaire consisted of sixty statements that were categorized into seven scales:

Athletic trainers influence, environmental influence, athletes personality, pain tolerance, self

motivation, goals and incentives and significant others.” (pg. 43)

Important things that need to be found in an Athletic trainer that the questionnaire touched on

were that there needed to be good communication between the injured and the trainer; they both need

to be able to understand each other. There also needs to be a thorough, understandable explanation of

what the injury is to the injured athlete. It is essential for the trainer to be able to explain what is wrong,

where it is located, how it happening and what the plan is to fix it. Goals are set to help show the

progress of the rehabilitation because when progress can be seen, there is more willingness to continue

to the end results. Trainers should also be convenient and easy to locate for athletes to do their rehab.

When locations are convenient, the injured athlete is more likely to stay on the rehabilitation program.

It is also important that the athlete has belief in the rehabilitation and that it will work to make them

better and stronger and able to return to their sport.