Secondary School Administrators' Knowledge and Perceptions of the Athletic Training Profession, Part I: Specific Considerations for Athletic Directors

Context Athletic directors are charged with making impactful decisions for secondary school athletic programs that mitigate risks for stakeholders. This includes decision making regarding the provision of medical care for student-athletes. To date, few researchers have explored athletic directors' perceptions of the athletic training profession. Objective To evaluate public school athletic directors' knowledge and perceptions of the athletic trainer (AT) role. Design Concurrent mixed-methods study. Setting Cross-sectional online questionnaire. Patients or Other Participants Athletic directors representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia (N = 954; 818 men, 133 women, 3 preferred not to answer; age = 47.8 ± 9.1 years; time in current role = 9.8 ± 8.3 years). Main Outcome Measure(s) The questionnaire was composed of demographics, quantitative measures that assessed athletic directors' knowledge and perceived value of ATs, and open-ended questions allowing for expansion on their perspectives. Descriptive statistics were reported, with key quantitative findings presented as count responses and overall percentages. Qualitative data were analyzed using the general inductive approach. Results A majority of respondents recognized ATs' role in injury prevention (99.8%), first aid and wound care (98.8%), therapeutic interventions (93.8%), and emergency care (91.6%). Approximately 61% (n = 582) identified AT employment as a top sport safety measure, and 77% (n = 736) considered an AT to be extremely valuable to student-athlete health and safety. Athletic directors appeared to recognize the value of ATs as they provided “peace of mind” and relieved coaches and administration of the responsibility for making medical decisions. Conclusions Athletic directors seemed to recognize the value ATs brought to the secondary school setting and demonstrated adequate knowledge regarding ATs' roles and responsibilities. Educational efforts for this population should focus on ATs' tasks that add to their perceived value but are not frequently in the public eye, which may influence hiring decisions.