Apr. 5—Athletic training isn't just running out on the field to deliver water to players or putting an ACE bandage on injuries. Along with lots of study, the master's degree in athletic training at UTPB involves human performance, exercise science and athletic training.

Brian P. Bobier, coordinator of clinical education/clinical assistant professor in the Department of Human Performance at UTPB, said athletic trainers have been recognized by the American Medical Association as healthcare providers since 1990.

"We are healthcare providers like nurses, physicians, PAs, and PTs," Bobier said. The two acronyms are for physician assistant and physical therapists.

"We're all part of this big global entity of healthcare professionals, and we just like everybody else, have our own little niche. We work with other professionals to find the best job possible to patient populations," he added.

Bobier said the master's program just admitted their first cohort this past summer.

Applications for the second group are open and they will take them up until May 1. Bobier said the program is considered entry level, even though it is a master's degree. tinyurl.com/bdexdxex

"To be a nationally certified athletic trainer, which is through our Board of Certification, you have to have graduated from a CAATE (Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education). CAATE is the accrediting body that basically accredits athletic training programs throughout the country and other parts of the world. There are some in Spain, Ireland, Japan, I believe, so it's not just limited to the United States ...," Bobier said.

"When you gradate from an accredited athletic training education program with a master's of science in athletic training, you can sit for the Board of Certification exam. On completion of the BCE and passing the exam, you're able to apply for licensure and practice anywhere in the United States or those other countries where there are CAATE programs," he added.

Bobier said every state in the country, except California, has a licensure registration or exemption program. The program is undergoing the accreditation process right now. But once it is finished, students who complete the course successfully can work at the high school or college level, orthopedic offices, industrial settings or the military.

"Those are two quickly growing job markets for athletic training, so Amazon, WorkFit is another company that contracts athletic trainers to the industrial world," he said.

Bobier said the undergraduate program is a pathway to licensure in Texas, but you are limited to practicing in Texas.

"It does not transfer to other states so if you want to practice in other states, you have to have a BOC. When you look at job settings here in Texas a lot of high schools or clinics will hire a LAT (licensed athletic trainer). But if you want to work in Division 1 athletics, if you want to work professional sports," they want the Board of Certification, Bobier said.

He added that a lot of high schools want it as well.

"This past summer, I looked at all the high school jobs that were posted on the Texas State Athletic Trainers Association website; 26 percent of those high school jobs wanted somebody with a BOC in addition to the LAT (Licensed Athletic Trainer)," Bobier said.

Athletic trainers also can help save people's lives.

"That's one of the first classes they take in the master's program is emergency management," Bobier said. "Part of our training is spine boarding for cervical spine injuries; the creation and implementation of emergency action plans; the annual review of emergency action plans," he said.

If someone goes into cardiac arrest, the trainers know where the equipment is, who is part of the emergency action team and who is responsible for what.

"All this is done at the beginning actually before the season starts. We would be the front line; somebody goes down, the athletic trainers are on the field. We're on site. They're doing their initial assessment. They'll get the AED (automated external defibrillator) ready," Bobier said.

"Typically from there (it goes up) the chain of command to get EMS activated; get a physician on site if one's available; and it just kind of goes from there. It looks like there's a lot going on, and there is, but everybody knows their role and it runs pretty smoothly as we saw in Cincinnati with Damar Hamlin," he added.

Bobier said a medical timeout is recommended before an event starts.

"This is required in the NFL. They call it a 60-minute meeting where the referees, physicians, the athletic trainers, the EMS for both teams get together and go over the emergency action plan. Where's the ambulance located? Where are the physicians going to be? What equipment is available and where? Where is the nearest trauma hospital? How far is it away?"

"We do that as well at the high school level. We do that at the collegiate level. We get all the medical personnel together and we go over the emergency action plan so everybody knows what to do if something happens. You hope nothing happens and you don't need it, but it's there; everybody's aware; everybody knows their role," Bobier added.

He added that he worked at a small high school before coming to UTPB and they practiced for emergencies every year.

"The coaches knew their role and the emergency action plan was posted in every coach's office, the athletic training program, by the AED. We had multiple AEDs on site, so everything is well prepared and you see that on our campus and other schools in the area as well," Bobier said.

The master's program is two years long. There are prerequisites, but if you have a health, exercise science or kinesiology background, that may help you.

"But in reality you can have a business degree. As long as you have those prerequisites accomplished, you can apply to the master of science athletic training program," Bobier said.