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Along with the ability to balance the job’s intense time
requirements with personal needs, some athletic trainers need
to be ready for all kinds of weather. While that’s not the case for
trainers who take care of indoor athletes, it’s true for people like
Howard or for trainers who are on the sidelines for such sports
as soccer, football, or field hockey. Howard recalled game days
when cold, pelting rain left his fingers and toes numb. But when
an injury occurred, he had to be ready to do his job at the highest
level possible.
One difficult part of an athletic trainer’s job has nothing
to do with treating injuries on and off the field. The trainer
becomes, in a way, a member of the team, spending time with
players before, during, and after practices as well as during
games. When a team goes through a losing streak, the trainer
shares in the sense of frustration and has to work at helping the
athletes remain positive. Also hard is seeing players move on,
whether through graduation or a trade, or seeing a career end
because of an injury. But a trainer also has to be objective and not
let his friendships get in the way of making the right decisions
for the athletes’ health.
Despite the challenges, competition for the top-tier athletic
training jobs in college and pro sports is tough, with about 23,000
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