Carrie Bebermeyer
314.977.8015
bebermcl@slu.edu
ST. LOUIS – The
Journal of Athletic Training and
The Athletic Training Education Journal,
two
scholarly, peer-reviewed publications of the National Athletic
Trainers’ Association (NATA) will make their home at Saint Louis University,
according to the association’s president, Jim Thornton, MA, ATC, CES. In a nod to the University’s expanding
national presence, Thornton visited SLU earlier this semester to talk about the
“Secondary School Student Athletes’ Bill of Rights” as well as sports-related
health concerns that athletic trainers are well-positioned to help solve.
The Journal
of Athletic Training office at Saint Louis University will handle all
editorial responsibilities for the publication and will continue to be led by
managing editor, Leslie Neistadt. The 48-year-old journal is open-access and
has a subscription base of more than 10,000 sports medicine professionals.
The
Athletic Training Education
Journal serves as an interface
between the theory and practice of athletic training education by providing a
forum for scholars, educators, and clinicians to share critical and significant
concepts, original research, and innovative ideas. The two journals will share
resources on SLU’s campus.
SLU’s athletic
training education program, begun only five years ago, has quickly reached the
ranks of a top flight program in a field that itself has gained visibility and
importance in ensuring the health of athletes at all levels of play. In particular, athletic trainers are heralded
as a part of the solution to sports related concussions, a grave and growing
concern, especially in high impact sports like football and hockey.
 |
| SLU AT students managing a simulated on-field emergency. |
“I’m extremely
proud of how far our program has come, from our beginning five years ago to where
we are now, with 90 students in the program,” said Anthony Breitbach, Ph.D., Athletic
Training Program Director at SLU.
SLU’s athletic training faculty and students have served as advocates
and leaders in the region, state and beyond. In its five year history, the program
has hosted a sudden cardiac death conference for the region, partnered with the
Brain Injury Association of Missouri to host a seminar on sports related
concussions, and hosted the state meeting for athletic trainers twice. Students
have been advocates, as well, lobbying in Jefferson City in support of athletic
training legislation in the Missouri Senate.
 |
| Brain Injury Association of Missouri Meeting in Spring 2012. |
Breitbach serves as a member of NATA’s Executive Committee
for Education, a group that has developed future guidelines for the profession.
Assistant professor Kitty Newsham, Ph.D., is on the standards committee for the
Board of Certification. Assistant professor Tim Howell, Ph.D., is a site
visitor for CAATE, the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training
Education.
The athletic training education program, which is a part of
the physical therapy and athletic training education department, is housed in
the Doisy College of Health Sciences. Last
year, the program established the
Bauman Endowed Scholarship
in Athletic Training to provide tuition support for outstanding students in
the program during their final year of study.
Less than two years after admitting its first student, the
entry-level master's program was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation
of Athletic Training Education (CAATE), making it one of only 23 such
accredited programs in the country.
“When CAATE made their report, they noted that SLU's
athletic training education program is well positioned to see exponential enrollment
growth in the near future,” said Mark Reinking, Ph.D., chair of the department of physical therapy and
athletic training education at SLU.
“Because the program is uniquely positioned on a medical
campus within a collaborative, interprofessional environment, students have
access to SLU's state-of-the-art classroom and laboratory spaces, as well as
the new Chaifetz arena,” Reinking said.
A 10-year forecast by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
places athletic training among the top 10 jobs that are expected to grow over
the next decade. Students in SLU’s program participate in clinical rotations at
20 high schools, 10 colleges and in physician offices in the region.
Taking advantage of its location in the heart of a great
sport city, the program has connected students with professional sports teams
in St. Louis for internships. SLU recently worked with the Cardinals to establish
three internships each year for SLU students.
Those types of experiences have proven invaluable for students entering
the job market. For example, a recent
graduate of the program received a full time job offer with the Rams after
completing an internship there.
Other students intern at places beyond the playing field,
including organizations like Disney. Job
seekers are finding that athletic trainers are being hired in some surprising
places, including the military, performing arts and industry.
 |
| SLU AT students and faculty at 2012 NCAA Regional Men's Basketball in St. Louis. |
In addition to the strong clinical experiences students find
within the program, students note that the opportunity to work at
tournaments,
in simulation labs, and at community events gives them a well-rounded
experience.
“When our students are out in the community during their
clinical rotations or internships, they become a part of that community,”
Breitbach said. “They are advocates and they raise the standard of care by
bringing with them knowledge about the latest research and the newest
techniques.
“In what can be a tough, competitive environment, athletic
trainers are advocates for the players.”
