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Why I Became an Athletic Trainer

I am often asked, “Why did you get into the field of athletic training?” My answer for why I became an Athletic Trainer is pretty typical. I played a lot of sports growing up, got hurt a bunch of times, hung out with my Athletic Trainer too much, thought she was really cool, and decided I wanted to do that too. I mean, Athletic Trainers get to watch sports for a living. It doesn’t get better than that. However, what is unique to each Athletic Trainer is why they remain an Athletic Trainer – for me it’s the people.

Like every job, Athletic Training has hard parts. It’s hard when I have to tell a kid their torn ACL is going to prevent them from playing the rest of their season. It’s hard to explain to a parent that their kid has to sit out of a game because they have a concussion. It’s hard to tell a coach their star player needs to sit out for a minute because I need to get the blood out of their jersey.

But these tough moments are also some of the biggest reasons I love this job! I love the people behind the emotions, the hurt athlete, confused parent, and frustrated coach and working to get them back to “normal.” I love doing rehab with that athlete to get them back playing the next season. I love the parent’s relief when their kid can focus in school. I love the coach’s reaction when their player can return to the game.

I feel called to be an Athletic Trainer not for the cool rain gear or for showing off my skills with a roll of tape, but because of the relationships I get to form. This job allows me to reach a population with the love of Christ that I never would be able to reach if I tried any other job or used any other skill set. I believe the Lord created me with my exact passions and stories to be able to do his kingdom work in this field. I am so grateful for my life experiences that have allowed me to be here, humbly wrapping blisters and cleaning up bloody noses for His honor and glory!

Learn More About
the Author

Abbie Miedema, ATC

Date

3.9.21