Extending the impact:

Eastern University’s chapter of Student Athletic Trainers Association operates around the mission of raising community awareness of the healthcare and impact of surrounding athletic trainers. With the month of March dedicated to national awareness of athletic training, club president Kelsey Boulier and Dr. Thomas Franek, Director of the Athletic Training Education Program, seek to broaden the understanding of the emerging profession.
The theme this month is “Every Body Needs an Athletic Trainer.” Dr. Franek explained the importance of awareness, stating, “It gets out who we are as a profession, which is a specialized skill set serving patients with healthcare.” Athletic trainers represent a licensed healthcare occupation in which individuals take care of all types of injuries, keeping all kinds of people active.
Outside of awareness, the club promotes the expertise and education involved in delivering healthcare to their patients. “By helping people understand what we do, we are able to boost awareness. Our goal is to empower student organizations to show who we are and what we do,” says Dr. Franek. Efforts on campus are noticed through fund-raising campaigns, such as at homecoming and the department’s bulletin board displays.
“We are on the front lines providing education,” continues Dr. Franek, discussing providing good healthcare as the club’s core focus. “The passion for what trainers do is key,” says Boulier. “We are the go-to person for our patients to talk to and they know they can come to us.”
Extending the impact is the lasting outcome of National Athletic Training Month. “Because we are so many things in one, it gives us a broad reach to coaches, students and parents,” says Dr. Franek.
Overall, the club operates around the driving force of service. Boulier affirms, “We hope to make a difference in athletes’ lives and really be there for the person.” By encouraging this awareness on and off campus, the National Athletic Training Association continues to increase involvement through communal and political outreach.