Health, Physical Education and Recreation

Health, Physical Education and Recreation
PO Box 1510
Pembroke, NC 28372

Phone: 910.521.6220
Fax: 910.521.6540
Email: hper@uncp.edu

Location: Jones Center, Room 1102
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what is a certified athletic trainer?

Program Students Certified athletic trainers (ATC's) are medical experts in preventing, recognizing, managing, and rehabilitating injuries that result from physical activity. Studies have proven that athletes treated by certified athletic trainers are more likely to avoid injuries and illness and when an injury does occur, they return to activity faster than athletes who don't have access to a certified athletic trainer.

Athletic training is recognized by the American Medical Association as an allied health profession. The ATC specializes in the the following areas:

Prevention of injuries
Recognition, evaluation and assessment of injuries
Immediate care of injuries
Treatment, rehabiliation and reconditioning
Organization and administration
Professional development and responsibility

ATC's work as a part of the sports medicine team, under the direction of a licensed physician and in cooperation with other health care professionals, athletics administrators, coaches and parents. ATC's are able to treat injuries more effectively because they work with the athletes on a daily basis and get to know them each individually.

Where do ATC's Work?

You can find ATC's most anywhere there are physically active people. Some of the more common sites for ATC's to work include:

High Schools
Colleges/universities
Professional sports
Sports Medicine clinics
Military
Industrial and commercial settings (outreach programs)
Hospitals

What education does an ATC need?

Students who want to become athletic trainers must graduate from an accredited athletic training curriculum. Classroom instruction includes the following areas:

Injury/illness prevention
First Aid and Emergency Care
Assessment of Injury/Illness
Human Anatomy and Physiology
Therapeutic Modalities
Therapeutic Exercise
Organization and Administration
Exercise Physiology
Nutrition

The classroom or didactic learning is reinforced by clinical education experiences (in the form of clinical rotations and proficiencies). Students will be in the athletic training setting under the direct supervision of a certified athletic trainer.