One of the problems an Athletic Trainer deals with are Coaches. Sometimes Coaches will try to over ride the medical ruling of an athlete. some coaches have the mind set to win at all costs no matter what may happen to an athlete. This is dangerous to the athlete. When an athlete is not cleared to play they must wait until they have recovered. If an athlete has received a concussion and the coach plays the athlete before the athlete's symptoms are cleared, the athlete may lose his life.
Coaches will also try to take care of an injury without telling the Athletic Trainer. We had a coach who took it upon herself to wrap an athletes knee herself. She ended up causing more damage than good. For example the wrapping cut off the circulation within the athlete's leg and it also prevented any movement within the joint. If there is no movement within a joint and the athlete is hit, the leg of the athlete can easily break. We had to talk with the head coach about the problem the assistant coach was causing. Luckily the head coach was able to fix the problem.
There have been many coaches who have lost their jobs and their reputations because they did not put the health of the athlete first. If a coach, athlete, and Athletic Trainer combine their efforts and work in harmony, the athlete is able to recover quicker and stronger.
We tend to assume the coaches are always "right", when it comes to strategically training the players. But what most don't have is the medical background needed to treat the players.
ReplyDeleteI think athletic trainers must always be informed of whenever there is an injury so that important cooperation can take place.