According to a study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, high school athletes in a variety of sports sustained an estimated 400,000 concussions during the 2008-2009 school year.

The California Athletic Trainers’ Association supported the Concussion Bill that recently passed in CA requiring all students suspected of a concussion to obtain written medical consent before returning to play.

• AB 1451 which would require training for coaches to recognize the signs and symptoms of concussions in order to take the proper steps to deal with these potentially life-threatening injuries.
• AB 374 “otherwise known as the “Athletic Trainers Practice Act,” which would provide for the licensure and regulation of athletic trainers and prohibit any person without the proper credentials from engaging in the practice of athletic training without a license.

Studies show that as many as 40.5% of student athletes return to action prematurely, setting themselves up for severe injury. In fact, 16% of high school football players have reported returning to the game the same day they lost consciousness.

A lot of times athletes may feel 100% better after 15 minutes but their neurocognitive performance can still be impaired 10 days later – so putting them back in the game that day or even two or three days later can result in serious injury or even death.

Football has the highest incidence of concussions followed by girls soccer, boys soccer and girls basketball.

The issue is – certified athletic trainers are currently not considered medical professionals, despite their background and education, and can not make return-to-play decisions. The CATA has been fighting for regulation of their profession that would require the state to license athletic trainer thus creating a safer environment for student athlete’s whose current athletic trainer may not actually be qualified.

Certified athletic trainers are the BEST person on the sideline to be looking out for the safety of the athletes.

Although it’s important for coaches to understand the severity of injuries like a concussion, a certified athletic trainer's role is specifically to look out for injuries and assess and respond appropriately in emergency situations.

Certified athletic trainers undergo extensive education in the prevention, recognition, clinical assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, and reconditioning of illnesses and injuries, like concussions, that are sustained during activity. 

More than stereotypical ankle tapers, a certified athletic trainer’s role goes beyond managing catastrophic injuries: these physical medicine specialists provide prevention, recognition, clinical assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, and reconditioning of illnesses and injuries, like concussions, that are sustained during activity.

California is currently one of only three states without a system of checks and balances to regulate the athletic training profession, meaning anyone can label him/herself an athletic trainer without holding the proper credentials – giving athletes, parents and coaches a false sense of safety and leaving athletes at risk for injury or worse.