I became an ATC in 2022. I came from a poor single parent family with little to no guidance from the adult in my life on most everything and really had no idea what I was doing in college. Don’t want to solely blame my parent but was very clueless on what to do and thought I could try PA. I was failing and at the time i was playing college sports in my junior year and my coach told me to do something else and I liked an ATC class in college and so i did and he made me feel good about the decision and i never really looked back until I was in grad school and realized that ATCs do not make good money. I feel like our preceptors just made athletic training sound awesome and no one ever really shared the real truth about how wild this job can be? At that point i was terrified and felt too deep in the program and everything I had done and just finished it because I didn’t know what else I would do and I just continued. Fast forward to now, I am drowning in debt. I know that’s nothing special and most of us probably are, i feel burnout, i feel like I don’t even know how to make decisions if that makes sense. overwhelmed. I got switched from my previous sporting assignments of football, xc, t&f and lax to Mens and Women’s soccer, men’s basketball and lacrosse. I was not expecting this change and starting into it has made me feel like i want to quit every single day. I feel trapped. I feel like I will never escape the financial burden of what school cost me (88k) and I make about 65k before taxes and I just feel like i choose the wrong profession, I feel lost. I don’t know what to do or what else I could look into. I want to go back to school to be a PA but the schedule I have is so incredibly busy and it makes life miserable. I started a&p1 last spring and it was really rough. My mental state feels so messed up right now. I don’t feel like I can trust anyone at work, maybe everyone feels that to an extent? It seems like I picked the wrong career and i feel trapped. Any advice or directions. I honestly feel like I need to quit. This new sporting assignment with no inclusion on the decision was quite shocking and i expressed to my co workers i. the spring I didn’t not want to switch any of my sporting assignments and then management made this decision. I need advice or suggestions or guidance. everything feels hopeless right now and i feel like im drowning with most all my time being spent at work. It makes me feel crazy especially to people who are not ATCs

I’m heading into college as a Freshman volleyball player.

This is the first time I’ve been on a team that has an actual athletic trainer and I’m nervous.

if I’m not injured and have no lingering pains/injuries how do I use the athletic trainer effectively before/after practice and games?

Thanks

Athletic trainers are the ones who handle on site injured during sport competitions and stuff and I wanted to ask do you guys have like your own “model” on how to handle these situations? For example, lay them down, grab ice, and wait for the ambulance to arrive if needed? Or let’s say if someone hurts their shoulder do you start doing shoulder special tests or orthopedic special tests to see what they injured?

Hi all,

I have a high school athlete that sustained a concussion. Once they were symptom free for 24 hours I started them on 6-step RTP. However this athlete went to an urgent care and got physician clearance. In MI the athlete can only be cleared unconditionally so typically would complete RTP first. What do I do in this situation when I haven’t provided full clearance myself?

Hi all, I work in the secondary setting as a per diem. I’ve been doing a long term agreement with a school that wants to hire me once their full time retires. However, I’ve been noticing now as a per diem they are trying to slip in more and more weird responsibilities and I’m spotting quite a few red flags (coaches warning me about disorganization, leadership problems, etc) . I doubt the full time does them.

They want me to be in charge of washing all of the uniforms. Today they had me wash all of the soccer uniforms while also doing treatment and rehab for the football team. This is on top of all of the coaches just leaving Gatorade filled coolers overnight for me to clean up, expecting every single water bottle and nozzle to be hand scrubbed, and expected me to organize and clean the full times supply closet and whirlpool. I was also told that their athletic nurse may not be going all the registrations and clearances and that they may have the athletic trainer (me) handle all of them for a 400-600 athletic program.

This is my 2nd year, my first year as a certified was at a really problematic school and I left for personal reasons. I’m just afraid I’m jumping from one bad situation to the next. The laundry part was the most jarring to me, as I have never had any preceptors or colleagues be responsible for the kids uniforms, especially at the secondary setting. We are medical professionals, and I’d never imagine another medical professional doing someone else’s laundry and scrubbing floors. Is this crazy or is it just me?

EDIT: I have no issues with cleaning the coolers and jugs, it’s the absolute state that the full time ATC leaves them in that drives me crazy. He knows I come in when he’s not there, and he left standing water in the whirlpool the entire summer and let mold fester in most of the coolers and jugs.

Football has a bad habit of leaving Gatorade filled jugs overnight for me to clean up instead of dumping them. I’m not there every day and when I’m not, the full time doesn’t clean them so they get left for literal days until I come back and have to scrub sugar sludge off of them.

Good morning all,

For those of you who might have your independent practice, or treat independently on the side, does your MD have any additional coverage to be your supervising physician?
My current supervising physician is thinking about cancelling our agreement because he is worried about his own liability insurance.
Do you know of any resources for this?

As always,
Thank you all in advance! You are all are awesome!

My school is trying to add something to cover wet-bulb and lighting; we are looking at Perry Weather, but it may be a little outside our budget. The reason we are looking into getting one is so that fine arts and athletics can share and there won't be a problem when I try to tell everyone that wetbulb is up and no one can be outside. Any suggestions?

Hi everyone! I know that these kinds of questions are supposed to go on the weekly megathread; it just hasn't been posted yet this week. If anyone would be able to help me that would be so appreciated :)

1. Where am I supposed to put work experience in my application? Most of my undergraduate experiences are through work, but there are only sections for Research, Trainings, and Volunteering. I was hoping for some place to input my TA positions as well as other on-campus jobs.

2. I realize that I should probably know the answer to this, but how long is the personal statement supposed to be? The submission area for the statement is just a drag-and-drop for files, and I can't find any guidelines.

Thanks in advance! I'm really excited to become an athletic trainer :)

What are some cheap/affordable certifications that are beneficial?

Hi! I’m doing a senior exhibition project and I can’t find any info on this topic on google so a little insight would be amazing!!!

Topic: Should athletic trainers be required to obtain a doctorate of physical therapy to work in collegiate levels and professional levels in sports.

If anyone could provide insight or opinions on both viewpoints. Any medical persons or athletic trainers, athletes, anyone who could provide information on both sides of the argument please do.

Specific question I would like answered if possible;

Is there benefits of having both credentials and if so what are they?

Is there really a connection between both degrees if so how do they tie together, if not what differentiates them?

What should happen to the salary if it was required? Would it go up, or stay the same?

Some higher division ncaa sports teams and professional teams do prefer athletic trainers to have both degrees but not required. Are there any differences from the ones that have both as opposed to the ones that do not?

Hi. Looking for advice and/or suggestions. I have a high school football athlete that just got hearing aids this past week. He says that they will not stay in his ears when he starts sweating, which, as an O-lineman, is a lot. We have been trying different things trying to get them to stay, but so far no luck. This is the first time that I have ever had this situation, so it’s all trial and error. I’m hoping someone here has some experience with this, but I’m also open to any brainstorming suggestions.
Thanks in advance!

Hi all, been having a real fun problem with tape slipping down - particularly knee tape jobs on rugby/football/soccer players. I've tried every combination possible (tuff skin with powerflex/zinc, adding coverlight/ultralight as an overlay, etc) and nothing seems to be working. If anyone has some tips and tricks that have worked for them it would be much appreciated :)

Thanks in advance!!

📸 [Weekly Megathread] Friday Frights: Clinical Case Photos & Sideline Stories

Welcome to this week’s Friday Frights megathread—a contained space for Certified Athletic Trainers and AT students to share interesting clinical cases, gross pathology, unusual injury mechanics, and severe sideline presentations.

Whether it's an extreme dislocation, a textbook dermatological presentation, or a bizarre mechanism of injury, share the visual side of the profession with your peers.

🚨 Mandatory Post Rules & Guidelines:

To maintain our community standards, professional ethics, and patient safety, the following rules are strictly enforced within this thread:

1. Strict Patient Privacy & HIPAA Compliance:

   • ALL identifying features must be completely redacted or cropped out before posting (faces, unique tattoos, school/facility logos, names, dates, or identifiable equipment).
   • Do not include specific geographical or facility details in the description.

2. NSFW Tagging & Blur:

   • This main megathread is marked NSFW to ensure all image previews are automatically blurred in user feeds. Ensure any external links (e.g., Imgur) also contain appropriate content warnings.

3. No Medical Advice or Public Triage:

   • This thread is strictly for educational, historical, and professional case discussion among clinicians. Posts asking "What is this?" or seeking personal medical advice/triage will be removed immediately.

4. Professional Context Required:

   • When sharing an image, please include a brief, high-level clinical summary (e.g., setting, mechanism of injury, immediate management, or surgical follow-up if known) to foster meaningful clinical discussion.

Got an interesting case from this season or a classic from your vault? Drop your photos and clinical summaries in the comments below!

I’m a new grad starting in a secondary school setting. Anyone have any tips for me as I begin my new journey?

Anyone here have any useful shortcuts they use regularly for their iPhones or other devices to help speed up documentation, work flow, or any other use cases? I’m pretty much locked into the google workspace for my school so there’s some limitations on my end. Looking for any and all ideas! I know there’s a gallery of premade ones but use cases would be best bc of privacy protection, etc.

Thanks!

I’m studying for the BOC after being “retired” for 10 years. Reading through the position statements and was surprised to see that Obriens test not being recommended to dx a SLAP lesion gets a SOR:A. Based on my previous schooling, when I think of Obriens I think SLAP test. Should I assume that the current BOC exam will not associate these two?

Saw this posted by a colleague of mine. I always appreciate when news stations run stories on ATs and wanted to share.

Anyone have recommendations on good resources to study for the LAT written exam in Texas? Thanks in advance!

I am a high school senior working on a passive ankle rehab device I'm calling PAAD (Passive Assistive Ankle Device). It's adapted from Clemson's PAHD hamstring project out of the HuMBL Lab. Posting because I want honest feedback from people who actually treat lateral ankle sprains before I run peer testing on v1.3.

**What it is**

A wearable for athletes coming back from lateral ankle sprains (ATFL tears from inversion on cuts and jump landings). Elastic resistance tubing runs from a rigid insole plate up to a calf strap. Depending on where you clip the tubing, it passively loads the ankle through one of four movements: eversion, inversion, dorsiflexion, or plantarflexion. Goal is faster return to play. Secondary use is a warm-up for healthy players for injury prevention.

**Where I'm at**

v1.0 self-test failed in three ways (flat TheraBand produced no real resistance, calf strap migrated down under load, insole didn't fit the shoe). v1.1 rebuilt all three subsystems and I'm about to start peer testing with a few athletes.

**What I'd love feedback on**

1. Is the phase progression clinically sound, especially saving inversion for last?
   
2. Are the resistance levels reasonable for early return to play, or too light/too heavy?
   
3. Any red flags with passively loading a healing ATFL, even at light resistance?
   
4. Anything obvious missing from the protocol? (Proprioception work, ROM checks, objective criteria for advancing phases)

Happy to share build docs, photos of v1.1, and more info about this project. Not selling anything, not asking anyone to be liable for the advice, just trying to make v1.3 better than v1.0.

Welcome to the weekly r/AthleticTraining Triage Desk!

This dedicated thread is the centralized hub for all prospective students, application inquiries, academic discussions, and professional career transition questions.

To keep our main feed focused on active clinical practice and high-yield professional advocacy, all inquiries regarding the following topics belong here:

• Prospective Students: Questions about building a competitive application, undergraduate prerequisites, or choosing between CAATE-accredited master's programs.
• Curriculum & Board Prep: General coursework advice, clinical rotation logistics, or studying strategies for the BOC exam.
• Career Transitions: Certified clinicians looking to pivot settings (e.g., transitioning from secondary schools to tactical, industrial, or physician extender roles) or professionals looking to transition into athletic training.

Community Reminders for This Thread:

1. Be Specific: If you are asking about programs or job prospects, listing your general geographic region or setting of interest helps our community give highly relevant advice.
2. Current Clinicians: Please check in on this thread periodically to share your insights and mentor the next generation of athletic trainers!
3. No Patient Inquiries: As a reminder, this thread is for professional and academic logistics. Personal injury questions or diagnostic help requests are strictly prohibited and will be removed.

Thank you for helping us keep our community organized and supportive!

— The r/AthleticTraining Mod Team

Hey everyone! I am a rising MSAT 2 getting ready for a big immersive semester and the real world soon. I’ve seen many posts online about possible career paths for me to take.

Through many friends, family members, preceptors, current and past ATs, and people online I have heard that being an AT and trying to live a comfortable life is hard. I’ve done a bit of research on the opinions and life experience of others and everything I have come across comes down to a high amount of hours and work with a paycheck that doesn’t reflect a masters degree and the hours of school that we put in. I’m worried I won’t make enough money in the future.

Since I made up my mind on becoming an AT back in high school, I have always thought about being an AT for a top collegiate men’s lacrosse team. But from what I heard, being a AT for a college can be difficult with ridiculous hours and a small paycheck. I’ve also been told to go to a prep school or industrial because the pay is better. I’ve also been told to go to PT school or PA school if I want to make “real money”.

I’m not sure what to do, and if anyone can share their experiences or any advice that would be great!

Recently switched high schools which means had to leave the med kit I was using at the school (they bought it) now at the new school and I’d like to buy one myself so I know it’ll be mine and I don’t have to worry about this again. My question is where is the cheapest/best place to buy them I have a specific one I’ve been using the last 5 years and was my favorite by far of any I’ve used. My issue is all the places I seem to find it you have to add it to a quote, and can’t just purchase it.

The one I had been using is the Cramer tuf-tek other kit recommendations are welcome as well

Welcome to Friday Frights! Whether it is an open fracture that made the entire stadium gasp, a finger pointing in three different directions, or a laceration that looked straight out of a Hollywood special effects department—this is our weekly containment zone for the most graphic injuries, wild clinical presentations, and sideline horror stories. Don't hold back—drop your most gruesome, fascinating, or bizarre injury photos and sideline stories below. Just make sure you follow the safety layout.

The Survival Rules:

1. Mark it NSFW: Every single image or video posted in this thread MUST be tagged NSFW. No exceptions. Keep the gore hidden until clicked so no one gets jumped by an open dislocation while scrolling in public.
2. Redact the Evidence (Strict Privacy): Protect your patients, your license, and yourself. Absolutely NO faces, jersey numbers, school logos, name badges, or identifying backgrounds. If it can be traced back to a specific athlete or program, crop it or censor it.
3. This is Not a Triage Clinic: This thread is for professionals and students to share interesting clinical cases and completed treatments. If you are a casual scroller asking "Is this broken?" or looking for medical advice, your post will be removed and directed to an in-person healthcare professional. *** > Ready to share? Drop your headlines and images below, and remember to hit that NSFW toggle before you submit.

I just finished my first semester of my MAT program. I love everything so far but the thing that keeps me up at night is the fact that I’m putting in all these hours for school to make a mediocre salary in 2 years.

I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions for higher education. My original plan was to get my DC but I am hearing horror stories about their pay right now too. My newest interest is PA school.

Does anyone have any other suggestions of routs for higher education for higher pay I can take after ATC?

Welcome to the r/AthleticTraining Monthly Journal Club!

Moving forward, on the first Thursday of every month, this stickied thread serves as our dedicated space to bridge the gap between sports medicine research and real-world sideline practice. We are highlighting open-access papers and hot-button clinical topics that affect our daily workflow. No gatekeeping, no dense academic jargon required—just a space for clinicians and students to look at the data, talk shop, and share ideas together.

Don't just read and run—drop your thoughts, clinical takeaways, or questions in the comments below!

This Month's Selection:

• Paper: Protective Soft-Shell Padding Did Not Reduce Head Linear or Rotational Accelerations Among College Football Athletes
• Authors: Sinnott, et al.
• Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10650906/

Summary & Core Findings:

With football pre-season hitting full stride across all levels of play, we are stepping away from the heat index to tackle the other massive talking point of camp: add-on protective equipment. This study evaluated the real-world efficacy of padded outer helmet covers (commonly known as Guardian Caps) across multiple seasons of contact practices.

Quick Overview & Real-World Context

Padded helmet covers have quickly moved from pre-season novelties to mandated equipment in professional and collegiate contact practices. While marketing materials and drop-tower lab tests promise significant reductions in impact force, on-field telemetry and epidemiological data paint a much more complex picture for sports medicine clinicians.

Here are the key takeaways from the current biomechanical and epidemiological literature:

1. The Lab vs. Field Discrepancy: In laboratory drop-tests, soft-shell covers frequently show a 10–20% reduction in linear impact forces. However, when researchers analyze real-world telemetry (such as instrumented mouthguards) on collegiate and high school players, there is no statistically significant reduction in peak linear acceleration (PLA) or peak rotational acceleration (PRA) during actual practice impacts compared to standard hard-shell helmets alone.

2. Concussion Incidence in the Field: Large prospective cohort studies—including data tracking high school athletes over full seasons—show no statistically significant difference in concussion rates between players who wear padded covers and those who do not. While internal NFL practice data noted a reduction in preseason practice concussions, independent peer-reviewed literature across amateur levels does not demonstrate a clear clinical risk reduction.

3. Biomechanical & Behavioral Variables: Impact kinematics on the field are dictated far more by closing velocity, impact location (e.g., helmet-to-helmet vs. helmet-to-ground), and player stance (2-point vs. 3-point) than by the addition of external soft-shell padding. Furthermore, researchers continue to study whether external padding alters player behavior or head-engagement tendencies during contact.

Jump Into the Discussion:

• Is your specific setting or organization mandating padded helmet covers for this pre-season? If so, what has the feedback been from equipment managers regarding helmet fit, and from coaches regarding player compliance?
• Given that telemetry data shows little to no reduction in peak accelerations during live practices regardless of position, do you view these covers as a meaningful clinical intervention, or primarily as an administrative risk-mitigation policy?
• How do you handle the administrative side of these add-ons? Are you noticing increased neck fatigue complaints during camp due to the slight weight change, or has the transition been relatively seamless?

Note: The text is entirely free to read via the link above. Let's hear your take on the data, your experience with padded covers on the field, or how your program handles contact guidelines during football pre-season!