We The People...

...of athletic training, in order to provide the best possible health care for life and sport, protect adolescent athletes, prevent and manage potentially life-threatening situations, and educate athletes, parents and legislators must act swiftly and advocate passionately for the recognition of our great profession as the premier health care provider for "athletes" of every type and nature.

Today, members of the Youth Sports Safety Alliance will be meeting with members of Congress to present the "Student-Athletes Bill of Rights" and their plan to keep youth sports safe.  On the heels of a day where several experts and advocates for safer sport making impassioned and informative pleas to shift the focus from safer professional sports to the safety of sports at every level, it is becoming more and more clear that athletic trainers must be part of this equation.

Only 42% of high school athletic programs have access to athletic trainers.

This number doesn't include the countless junior high athletic programs, and club programs where adolescent athletes are participating with out an athletic trainer.

“You wouldn’t put football players on the field if you couldn’t afford helmets,” said Dawn Comstock, an epidemiology professor at the University of Colorado. “Why are you putting a football team on the field if you can’t afford a certified athletic trainer?”

Demonstrating the need for an athletic trainer is getting easier, but we still have a ways to go and it's going to take action from we the people of athletic training, as well as the athletes, and parents.  Demand leads to action.

Help create the demand by signing and sharing this petition to bring attention to our fight!

Ensure Youth Athletes have Direct Access to ATs: 

health care professionals qualified to make assessments and decisions.