You are in Our Partners . Williams HealthSouth Information Center Pro sports teams and most universities have certified athletic trainers, but that is less often the case for high schools. Many high schools do not or cannot provide athletic trainers at school sporting events.
Most school systems try to provide safety measures based largely on how much they can afford.
Many school districts pay for off-duty paramedics from local fire departments to monitor varsity football games. Other school districts pay for athletic trainers through private donations or fund-raisers. Athletic trainers possess at least a bachelor's degree and complete 1,500 hours of supervised work experience before taking their certification test. Many people think asking schools to run sports programs without athletic trainers is almost like asking them to play with fire without getting burned. Instead of certified athletic trainers, coaches become responsible for treating injuries, despite having little or no training.