By Dr. Patricia Aronson
Dear Mr. Clavijo,
I am writing in response to the article in the latest edition of the Critograph entitled, “Student-Athlete and Trainer Experiences: Game Changer or Struggle? The Athletic Trainers at Lynchburg and the Professors of Athletic Training were not interviewed for this very one-sided article. While the article did a fair job of reviewing the credentials related to our professional and academic backgrounds (I will not fact-check this for you here), it did not reflect the years of experience of our AT staff. Further, the photo provided was of a student in our MSAT program conducting research, not an athletic trainer interacting with a patient/athlete. The article also failed to mention the physicians and the physical therapists who also treat our athletes, expanding our staff with highly qualified medical experts.
An athlete was quoted as “thinking the ATs did their job.” Because of privacy restrictions, I cannot tell you the many treatments and physicians he saw in our AT clinic over the course of his injury. However, I guarantee you that if his injury ended his season, he was seen by a physician and monitored with expert rehabilitation by our AT who works with his sport. Another athlete is disgruntled because she developed a stress fracture playing lacrosse, according to your reporter’s article. As the professor who teaches (over 30 years) Assessment of Lower Extremity Injuries and Therapeutic Interventions, I could have provided “expert” information to your reporter that stress fractures are not prevented with taping and interventions other than rest have little evidence of efficacy.
As the professor who has taught “Administration and Organization of Athletic Training Programs,” and with over 15 years as a primary clinician, I would have liked to have spoken with your reporter about the “accountability of the AT staff.” Their mission statement is found on the website and reads: “The University of Lynchburg’s athletic training staff is committed to providing comprehensive, state-of-the-art, quality healthcare services dedicated to the well-being of all student-athletes.” This mission statement conveys their accountability. The article did not introduce the reader to the ATs who work tirelessly to provide expert healthcare to our athletes. Caroline Siler, our Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Wellness is an alumna of our AT program, earned an MS degree from Indiana University and has 17 years of experience as a certified AT. Brittany Smith, our Director of Athletic Training Services, graduated with a master’s degree in athletic training from Old Dominion University, and has 12 years of experience as a certified AT. Dane Bower, also an alum of our AT program, completed his master’s in athletic training from California University in Pennsylvania, and has 7 years of experience as a certified athletic trainer.
If your reporter had investigated the AT Staff, she would have found these 3 licensed and certified Athletic Trainers have extensive experience providing healthcare to collegiate athletes. She would have also noticed 2 additional certified athletic trainers work part-time here. Thus, we have an equivalent of 4 full-time ATs. This would have added substance and professionalism to the article that clearly was an “opinion statement” by uninformed students. Perhaps an “appreciation for great work article” or this letter could be published in the Critograph this month, which happens to be National Athletic Trainers’ Month. This year’s NATM tagline is “Champions in Health Care.”
Dr. Patricia Aronson
