Environmental Considerations

When people think of athletic training, what comes to mind? Do they think of broken legs? A man wearing a fanny pack? Adam Sandler from Waterboy? Those are things that one might easily imagine when asked about athletic training. What about the environment? Bet that did not come right to mind.

Although you might not think athletic training has much to do with the environment, it most certainly does. The way a player is acting can have direct correlation to the environment they are in. If a player is under much environmental stress and is not careful to take the right precautions, there could be drastic and devastating consequences. That is why it is always key for athletic trainers to understand and know the conditions the athletes are playing in.

I myself never really thought of athletic training as having much to do with the environment, but after some examination it was easy for me to see. Athletes play in all sorts of conditions. Whether it be rain, snow, or just plain old heat, the body is effected. Being able to recognize potentially dangerous situations before they happen is key to being an effective athletic trainer.

A major concern for athletic trainers is athletes practicing in extremely hot conditions. This is a major concern in sports such as lacrosse and especially football because of all the pads they wear. Athletes who exercise in hot, humid environments are particularly vulnerable to heat stress.  And it is not uncommon to see a few stories on national or local news every year about a death of an athlete taking place due to this. It is for this reason that I sometimes wonder why more sports teams do practice inside on a regular basis.

Work Cited

Peiser, B., et al. "Seasonal Changes and Physiological Responses: Their Impact on Activity, Health, Exercise and Athletic Performance." International SportMed Journal 7.1 (2006)ProQuest. Web. 30 Apr. 2013. 

Analyzing Narrative

Athletic Training is not an easy job by an means. There are many different situations an athletic trainer can be in. These situations could range from being minor to extremely serious and life threatening. Athletic trainers are taught to be aware and on their toes at all times. All it takes is a split second for an injury to take place. Taking care of an injury once it has happened is a big part of being an athletic trainer, but preventing injuries is just as important if not more important.

I attempted to find memoirs about members of athletic training, but did not have the best of luck. Although I did come across a few that were helpful in demonstrating what it is like being an athletic trainer. Through reading these memoirs I could sense that the type of environments that these athletic trainers were in were occasionally hectic, loud, and unpredictable. Being able to image the type of environment that these athletic trainers are working under helps other people better understand what the athletic trainers are feeling in these situations and how they may react. From these memoirs you also get a sense of calmness. In high tension there is a need to stay calm and under control, so that the athletic trainers can give proper care and attention to the athletes. There is also a sense if connection that one can take away from these memoirs. I mean it only makes sense that athletic trainers usually do and should feel a personal connection to the athletes they are taking care of. With this connection they  are able to take better care of their athletes.

Athletic training is so much more than just taking care of athletes. It is about connecting with people. Athletes are people after all. When athletic trainers view their athletes as people and not athletes, they are truly being true athletic trainers.

Nutrition and Supplements

Over the course of this year so far I have come to learn a lot more about aspects in the field of athletic training, such as nutrition and supplements. When I think about athletic training, nutrition and supplements are not the first things that come to mind. But, they are extremely important and athletic trainers need to have a full understanding in order to help their athletes grow, recover, and not do any harm to their body or organs. Many people would probably say that you do not need to know a whole lot information on nutrition to be a good athletic trainer. They might say that there is a dietitian for that or that athletes eat enough food anyways. While many college and professional sports teams do have dietitians, there is a need for the athletic trainers know and have a grasp on nutrition and supplements so that the athletes are in peak condition to perform to the best of our abilities.

We see workout programs such as P90X and Intensity on television all the time. If you are like most people you look at the television screen when the infomercial comes on and think that is too hard for me to do or that there is no way someone can look the way the people in the infomercial do. This is not an uncommon thing to think. What most people do not understand is that the way the people on the workouts eat is huge in contributing to their muscle gain and weight loss. There are so many different foods out there and if you do not know what your actually eating you could be doing an inconvenience to your body.

I know when I workout I drink a protein shake once I am finished. This is the same routine for many athletes after they workout. Since many athletes take protein after they workout, it is okay for you to take it then. That may be very true or very wrong. People with renal impaired functions are recommended to not consume excessive high intakes of protein because it can do damage to their kidneys and liver. Athletes who suffer from this can still get enough protein through consuming normal food, but should not consume protein shakes on top of that. It can also be hazardous to anyone to take too many supplements or too much of a supplement. Doing this can cause damage to internal organs as I mentioned and limit other nutrients in the body.

Not enough athletes, especially younger athletes in high school and in middle school, do not understand or know enough about supplements to be taking as many as they are. Schools should have programs that educate their students on how to grow muscle and loss body fat in a safe and effective way. So the next time all you athletes go to GNC, read the labels and think about what you are actually getting. 

 

Work Cited

Torres-McGehee, Toni, et al. "Sports Nutrition Knowledge among Collegiate Athletes, Coaches, Athletic Trainers, and Strength and Conditioning Specialists." Journal of Athletic Training 47.2 (2012): 205-. ProQuest. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.

Learning the Language

I was watching college basketball this weekend and enjoying basketball as I always do. Players were running up and down the court on fast breaks shooting, jumping, defending making it all look so easy. This continued to be the case for the most of the game, except for a few minor injuries that only required the aid of athletic trainers. In these instances the athletic trainers were talking among one another and working together as they always do.

It was this talking that got me thinking. What where they exactly saying? A regular fan just watching sports assumes they are just saying simple easy to understand terms. While they may be using some simple terms, there are other more complicated terms used in their vernacular. Terms such as MCL (Medial collateral ligament) , ACL (Anterior cruciate ligament), LCL (Lateral collateral ligament), distal, and medial are used to describe potentially very complicated injuries. These words are taken for granted my the normal individual, but make a big difference. By using these words the care of injured athletes is done superbly. By using these words athletic trainers become defined.

I can recall a scene from Miracle where Doc is talking to Herb Brooks after Rob McClanahan's injury during intermission. He uses some athletic training vernacular much like the words used above. Brooks is baffled and demands Doc to tell him what is really wrong. Doc responds to Brooks by telling him that McClanahan has a deep muscle bruise. The vernacular Doc uses makes him appear as intelligent and in control of the situation. This representation in pop culture represents an athletic trainer in a fairly accurate way. And I do appreciate that. Athletic trainers are not always characters in movies or shows, and when they are they are not always representative of true athletic trainers (e.g. Waterboy). But, this scene from Miracle does shines an accurate light on what an athletic trainer is through the language Doc uses.

More scenes should be in sports movies or shows that represent an accurate athletic trainer. It would help people come to know and understand athletic trainers better. By using the proper words the dialogue can demonstrate the severity of the situation and what the athletic trainer feels. And in doing this people would possibly have a greater appreciation for what athletic trainers do and who they take care of.

Work Cited

Miracle. Dir. Gavin O'Connor. Perf. Kurt Russel, Patricia Clarkson, Noah Emmerich. Disney, 2004.

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About Me

    Communication is huge in our world today. My communication skills have been reinforced and practiced all throughout my educational career, especially my writing. This was a main focus in my secondary school or high school to get myself ready for SAT and ACT tests, the college application process, college, and ultimately the real world. With so much focus on my writing I was able to grow to become a solid student and do well in school. Furthermore, it has allowed me to be in the position I am today as a student at Michigan State University. 
    Just as everyone does, I have weaknesses to my writing and I have strengths. One of the main weaknesses to my writing is that sometimes I lack variety. Due to this my writing may seem dull and boring and that is never desired. Overall, my word choice is not terrible, but it could most certainly be better. There are times in my writing where the lack of good word choice really brings down the quality and hinders what I am trying to demonstrate, describe, or convey. As far as strengths go, the number one strength to my writing is good details and support. This aspect of my writing really enhances the quality of my writing and makes it better to read and understand. Next, proper grammar is another strength of mine and because of this most of my writings are very easy to read and follow. Although I said word choice was one of my weaknesses, it is also one of my strengths. When my thoughts are flowing and I am in deep tune with my writing my word choice truly shines.
    By sticking to these strengths in this blog, I hope to accurately portray what the daily life of an athletic trainer is like and what their job entails. If individuals will be able to get excited and interested in the field of athletic training by reading my blog I will be extremely satisfied. I also hope to show that athletic trainers are more than people who give you water, ice, and tape ankles. Athletic trainers are certified professionals, who must be on their toes and ready at all times for an injury to occur. Not enough people give athletic trainers credit for what they do, so I plan on given credit where credit is do.
    I have played sports all my life and have come in contact with many athletic trainers. What they do for us athletes is truly special and I thought maybe that would be something that I would like to do. I mean you are around sports all the time and get to make a difference in athletes’ lives, what could better? The human body has always been something that has interested me and I would enjoy to learn how to prevent injuries, fix injuries, and how to keep yourself healthy. A job in sport seems like the only way for me to go and it does not look like being a professional athlete is an option. So naturally I guess the most probable, worthwhile, and enjoyable profession for me would have to be a job in the field of athletic training.