The Bond of Athletic Training

     I am traveling later today up to Amherst, MA for a UMASS Sports Medicine Alumni Golf Outing and Dinner.  Its an event I haven't been able to attend for 7 years for one reason or another.  I am really excited to make it up this year.  I was a Graduate Assistant at UMASS from 1997-1999.  I was newly certified and it was my first real experience as a Certified Athletic Trainer.  Those two years were extremely important to my development as a professional and I look back on them fondly.

     This event along with #NATA2014 coming up got me thinking about one of the most special things about being a Certified Athletic Trainer, the bond.   There is an amazing bond amongst those of us in this profession.   We have all shared similar experiences, struggles and triumphs that outsiders probably can't relate to.  We can swap stories about experiences as an Athletic Training student.  Many of us can discuss what it was like to balance being a Graduate Student and an Athletic Trainer.  There are the perils of job searches.  The quest to find life balance.  The trials and tribulations of coordinating love/family life in a job with unique demands.  Some of these experiences are good, some are not.  Regardless, we can share them together.  

     When things aren't going great, we can reach out to a colleague and they understand.  They understand in ways that other friends and family members will not.  We NEED each other.  Life can throw us many curveballs.  No matter what comes our way, we never have to tackle these obstacles alone.  There is always someone out there who will listen, share, and offer advice that no one else can give. Some of us work in settings where its easy to talk to a colleague.  Some of us work alone where that can be more of a challenge.  We must not let that stand in our way.  Some of us have found new ways to reach out through social media.  We have created a network that understands us and is just a click away.  

 Don't be afraid to seek out that help.   Don't be afraid to share.  Don't be afraid to listen.  

     We must make sure that this is a two way street.  While there are many seeking help, answers and guidance, there are more of us with experience to give it.  It is our duty to be a mentor to our colleagues in need.  We must reach out and offer our wisdom knowing that many are hesitant to ask.   

     This bond that exists between us is our strength as a profession.  Its a resource we should all be using to help us succeed.  In a time where our profession seems to be at a major crossroads, we must come together.  As the discussion of major educational change has the potential to fracture this bond, we must persevere and unite.  As the frustration of colleagues leaving the profession raises so many questions about our future, we must seek out these answers collectively.
 

     Together we find strength.  Together we find solutions.  Together we grow.  


    #AT4EVER


Todd