LeeHighSchool

AthleticTrainersCanHelpAthletesMaximizetheirOverallPerformance

AlexandroOzuna
SeniorCapstonePaper
Mr.Cahoon
March282016

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AlejandroOzuna
BrianCahoon
SeniorCapstone
March30,2016
HowDoAthleticTrainersHelpAthletesMaximizeTheirPerformance?
Sportshavebeenontheriseforthelastcoupleofdecades.Thenumbersofhighschool
athleteshaveincreasedsincepreviousyears.Forexample,55.6percentofhighschoolathletes
participateinasport(Koebler).Alongthosestatistics,thatmeansthatthemorekidsplayinga
sport,moreinjuriesandfatalitiesshouldhappen.AthleticTrainershavebeenaneedforathletes
inallsportssincethe1950's(NationalAthleticTrainersAssociation).Becauseofinjuriesand
thedailystressorsathletesfacefromtheirchosensport,trainersarenecessaryinvariouswaysso
eachindividualcanreachtheirfullpotential.Althoughathletictrainersfocusmostlyonsports
andathletes,theycanalsogivetherapytoanyoneinneedTheydonothavetoinsports.In
matteroffact,morethan50percentofathletictrainingworkoutsideofschoolsetting(National
AthleticTrainersAssociation).
Athletictrainershelpathletesmaximizetheirperformance
bypreventinginjuries,makingsuretheirlifestylesarehealthy,andmakingsurethatthey
correctlyrehabilitatefromtheirinjuries.
Anathletictrainerisahealthcareworkerwhodiagnosesandtreatspeoplewhohave
sustainedinjuriestotheirmusclesandbones(
AmericanDentalEducationAssociation).
They
are
allaboutmakingsuretheathletebestshapepossibletocompete.Theymakesuretheythe
athletesfollowtheguidelinestopreventinjuries.Atechniqueonhowathletictrainersprevent
injuriesisstretching.Stretchingis
usedtopreventinjury,decreasesoreness,andimprove

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performance(Gabriel).
Forinstance,crosscountryrunnersusenotonlytheirlegmusclebutalso
usetheirhipsandupperbody.Theywouldneedtotakeacoupleofminutesandstretchfromthe
ankles,legsandthighs,tothehipsbackandarms.Itisrecommendedforathletestodofrom2to
tenrepetitionsforaround30120seconds.Ifdonecorrectly,itwillallowtheathletesmusclesto
notbetootensewhichwillimprovetheirperformance.
Athletesshouldntjustlookhealthytheyshouldfeel,lookandmoveproperlyaswell.
Athletictrainersplayaroleinnutritionbyhelpingathletesmaximizetheirperformanceby
makingsurethebodyhasallitsvitaminsandmineralsandahealthydiet.Athletictrainersare
askedaboutnutritionalandcorrectseatinghabitbyathletesnumerousoftimes.Itistheathletic
trainersjobtomakesuretheathletehasenoughcarbohydrateintakestoperformthesportthey
preferred.Athletesburnalotofcaloriesandcarbohydrateswhicharesourceofenergyandwill
needtoreplacethatenergyagain.Thatiswhenpregamemealscomeinhandy.Pregamemeals
arehighincarbohydratesandliquids(Loren).Itisalsohelpfulforprovidingoptimalenergy
levelstopreventfatigueandmaintainathleticperformance.Itisusuallyasomethingsmalllikea
snack.Beforeanevent,anathleteshouldtrytoconsumeashakeoraproteinbarbecausethey
arelowoncaloriesandhighincarbssoit'sfasttodigest.Haveapregamemealcanimprove
athletesperformancebyalot.Aftertheevent,itisalsoimportanttohaveanaftermealsoall
thosemineralsthatgotsweetenoff,canbeplacedbacktoyourbody
Asmuchasathletestrytopreventinjuries,therewillstillbeinjuriestheyneedto
rehabilitatetheathletefrom.Athletictrainersmayhelppreventyoufromtwistingyourown
ankleonaccident,butcannotpreventsomeonecausingyoutotwistyourankle.Forinstance,in
footballonecanstretchallonewantsandeatnothingbutpropernutritionbutthatstilldoesnot

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preventyoufromphysicalinjury.Someonecanstillruntowardsapersontogetthetacklesand
thatiswhenthingsgetbad.Foranexample,havingthepersonwhodidthetacklelandonthe
otherspersonankle.Nowtheotherpersonisgoingtohaveankleproblems.Itwentfrom
trainer'sroletotheathletesrolebacktothetrainers.Nowit'stimefortheathletictrainertodoits
jobagain.Theathletictrainerwillfollowaprocedureregardingthespotofinjury.Forthe
ankles,theathletictrainerwilltrainathleteswithsomeankleexercisesandtechniques.After
theywentthroughtechniques,theathletictrainerwilltapeuptheanklesoitcanholdthesupport
itneedstomoveproperly.Theathletictrainerwilllettheplayerknowifheorshewouldor
wouldn'tbealrighttofinishthegame.Regardlessiftheyfinishornot,theathletictrainerwill
arrangemeetingswiththeathletelateronintheweektodotherapyontheinjury.
Athletictrainersarenotjustsportstherapiststheyareanothermemberoftheteam.They
areheldresponsibleforhelpingouttheathletesbyimprovingtheirperformanceaswellas
gettingthebestoutoftheirabilities.Theymakesuretheathleteisintheirbesthealth.Theydo
thatbyverifyingiftheydothecorrectexerciseformpossibletocompeteandfunctionnormally
aswellasgettingagoodroundeddiet.Theyfollowguidelinesandtechniquestohelpathletes
maximizingtheirperformance.

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WorksCited
AmericanDentalEducationAssociation.(2015).Athletictraining.ExploreHealthCareers
Retrievedfrom
http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/57/Athletic_Trainer#Tab=Overview.
A,Lorin."AnAthleticTrainer'sRoleforSportNutrition."
HumanKinetics
.Web.28Mar.2016.
<http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/anathletictrainersroleforsportnutriti
on>.
Koebler,Jason."HighSchoolSportsParticipationIncreasesfor22ndStraightYear."
USNews
.2
Sept.2011.Web.28Mar.2016.
<http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/highschoolnotes/2011/09/02/highschoolsportsp
articipationincreasesfor22ndstraightyear>.
M,Gabriel."StretchingBeforeandAfterExercise:EffectonMuscleSorenessandInjuryRisk."
NCBI
.Web.28Mar.2016.Retrievedfrom
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1250267/>.
NationalAthleticTrainersAssociation.(2015).Healthcareeralifeforsport.NationalAthletic
TrainersAssociation.Retrievedfrom<

http://www.nata.org/athletictraining
>.