Athletic Opportunities for Sports Medicine

Junior Kyle Sammons desperately needed a sports med trainer at his wrestling match after taking a knee to the face.

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January 25, 2010 • Lauren Gourley  
Filed under Sports, Top Stories, View from the Crew

Imagine being at a football game for your favorite high school team.  It’s the third quarter, and your team is fighting for one more “W” on their record. Suddenly you see a teammate get violently struck by your opponent.  A helmet collides with the ribs of the player who is now down and unconscious in the middle of the field. Suddenly the only medical personal present, an athletic trainer, rushes to the field and cares for the player. Soon above the stadium a helicopter airlifts the player to the closest hospital, thankfully, to return with no major injuries.

To some this may seem like a shocking situation, but for Allatoona’s sports medicine teacher Coach Armbruster, this was not only one of her graduate experiences but is also a part of her daily routine. Certified for five years, Coach Armbruster more commonly known as Coach A, teaches Sports Medicine I and Sports Medicine II in high school. Daily she teaches her classes how to care for different athletic injuries and she discusses the occupations that can result from a dedication in the sports medicine field.

Students can continue studying in college and become orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, and even masseuses.  To start, Coach A recommends students apply to a four year college that has an accredited program.  At the college level the undergrads will rotate sports each semester. Coach Armbruster stated, “They learn about different injuries each semester because each sport is different.  In Gymnastics you’ll see more knee and back injuries while in baseball you will see more shoulder injuries.” This will allow a familiarity with all athletic injuries so no athletic trainer will be unprepared and will be able to help.

At Allatoona, Coach A has had the chance to set precedents for our athletic training program.  She hopes to motivate her students to not only participate as student trainers at games but to pursue athletic training as a college major and profession. Coach A stresses two important things to her students: confidentiality and respect.  When telling stories about former athletes Coach Armbruster always uses the up most discretion and never uses names out of respect for the players.  The second piece of advice addresses the sometimes tough obstacles females face in the field. “At times it can be difficult for a female and get respect”, she cautioned. However Coach A had nothing but praise for the reverence throughout the community’s athletic program. She also praised the Allatoona athletic administration and has never experienced any issues with fellow coaches. The next time you’re at a game for any sport, check out the athletic trainer and their students.  They are doing more than just sporting the polo, khakis, and fanny pack.