Assistant Athletic Trainer

1. Physically prepare student athletes for practice and home and away competitions. Apply bandages, tape and braces to prevent and treat injuries. Use a variety of therapeutic modalities including, but not limited to, heat, cold, light, sound, electricity, and rehabilitation and exercise equipment. Provide emergency care for any injury that occurs and determine proper treatment.

2. Evaluate and treat both acute and chronic injuries. Obtain medical history relating to the injury. Observe and palpate the injury and perform various stress tests to determine severity. Determine best course of treatment, which may include referrals to emergency rooms or a doctor’s office. If possible and prudent, give care to the athlete in the training room and follow up with rehabilitation.

3. Determine the best course of action to return the athlete back to practice. Implement and oversee this program with the student athlete. Keep the coaches updated and involved, when possible, with the athlete’s care and exercises. Find exercises the athlete can do without aggravating their injury that are related to their specific sport. Design exercise programs that will keep the athlete in good cardiovascular condition without aggravating their injury. Educate the athletes about their injuries and treatments.

4. Assist with the coordination of physician care and visits. Serve as doctor’s assistant when they are seeing athletes in the athletic training room or related facility. Fit athlete for any brace or splint required and for crutches if necessary. Take medical notes for each visit. Coordinate follow-up care with physicians and physical therapists or other related health care providers. Communicate with the physicians and physical therapists about the progress of athletes under their care as well as results from any diagnostic testing. Go to the doctor’s office with athletes who will be having surgery whenever possible to make sure the athlete is informed and understands the options and risks related to surgery on the injury.

5. Assist with the coordination of insurance and creation of medical files. Obtain insurance information each year for every athlete. Write all notification of injury and insurance information forms that are submitted to the insurance company. Determine what type of insurance program the athlete is under and get referrals or approvals for treatment when necessary. Call or send a letter for each athlete seeing a physician off-campus to the doctor’s office outlining our insurance policy. Coordinate the athlete’s visit and insurance coverage. Ensure that the athlete is seeing a physician under their insurance coverage or the insurance provided by Cal Poly. Inform the parents of the insurance policy provided by Cal Poly in the form a letter at the beginning of each new school year. Submit all claims and bills to Head Athletic Trainer.

6. Assist with athletic training room meetings with teams. Obtaining medical history, pre-participation physical exam and insurance forms for each athlete at the beginning of each academic year. Create and maintain the insurance information, emergency cards and claim forms through electronic medical record keeping for every athlete.

7. Teach student athletic trainers how to evaluate an injury as well as give appropriate care to athletes. Teach in-services about emergency care, evaluations, rehabilitation programs and modalities.