Athletic Trainer Research Papers

Words: 600
Pages: 3

Since the fourth grade, after watching Candace Parker, Pat Summitt, and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers win the 2007 NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship, I knew I wanted to be an athletic trainer for the Lady Vols someday. As I got into high school and was asked what I wanted to be when I got older, I always answered an athletic trainer. But after my senior year of basketball, I began thinking more and decided I wanted the option of being a basketball coach as well. So, when I came to the University of Tennessee, I made the decision to double major in Kinesiology (with the goal of becoming an athletic trainer for a collegiate women’s basketball team or for a WNBA team) and Recreation and Sport Management with a concentration in Sport Management (with a goal of becoming a collegiate women’s basketball coach). Even though I have added the second major, I still feel like the option of becoming an athletic trainer is the right career for me. I’ll begin with the generic, standard answer- I love studying and working with the human body. And I also have a passion for, and a sense of duty, to help other people recover from injuries. I faced many injuries in high school, from concussions to knee and ankle injuries, I met with many …show more content…
My senior year for my capstone project, I shadowed a local high school athletic trainer. I spent 32 hours shadowing her. It was here I learned first hand the education requirements and the pros and cons of being an athletic trainer. The biggest thing I took away from my shadowing experience was the impact athletic trainers make in athletic programs. The athletes loved coming to her because it was a break from the yelling of coaches, she was perceived as the “nice guy (girl).” I also enjoyed that she was the underdog. She wasn’t making a huge salary or getting the media attention, but she was making a big impact- the program couldn’t be successful if it wasn’t for