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!