Position Statement
on Athletic Trainers

The population of individuals who participate in organized and recreational sports has expanded, leading to an increase in sports-related injuries. This increase, in turn, has led to significant growth in the number of sports injury treatment centers. The services provided to athletes in these settings are rendered by practitioners from a variety of disciplines. Among these practitioners are athletic trainers. To clarify the role of the athletic trainer in the physical therapy setting, Rehabilitation Network of Arkansas adopts the following position:

1. The services provided to the injured athlete should always be in keeping with the needs and best interests of the athlete.
2. Although certain elements of services are common to both physical therapy and athletic training, practitioners should not misrepresent themselves to the public.
   
3. Physical therapists provide physical therapy services and athletic trainers provider services in accordance with their licensing laws in the jurisdictions in which they practice. According to Arkansas Code 17-93-402, an "Athletic trainer" means a person licensed by the state to engage in athletic training. "Athletic training" means the prevention, recognition, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of an athletic injury or illness and the organization and administration of exercise, conditioning and athletic training. It further defines an "Athlete" as an individual who is participating in organized athletic or team activities at the interscholastic, intramural, intercollegiate, or professional level, or sanctioned recreational activities and "athletic injury or illness" is an injury or illness sustained by the athlete as a result of participation in those organized athletic or team activities which require strength, agility, flexibility, range of motion, speed, or stamina, or any comparable injury or illness to an athlete which prevents such person from participating in activities described in subdivision (1) of this section.
   
4. In jurisdictions where it is allowed and the athletic trainer is providing services under the direction of a licensed health provider, the athletic trainer is working under the direction of the licensee and as an extension of that licensee's practice. This means they are acting as a physical therapy aide and not to be confused with being a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant.
   
5. When the service provided is, or is represented as being, physical therapy, the involvement of the athletic trainer occurs with the on-site supervision and direction of the physical therapists. The physical therapist shall comply with all legal and ethical requirements relating to delegation of responsibility (Guide for Professional Conduct, 3.2.B). Again an athletic trainer is acting as an aide for the physical therapist and should not be confused with being a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant.
   
6. Reimbursement for physical therapy services should only occur when such services are provided in accordance with state and federal regulations and are provided by or under the direction of a licensed physical therapist as indicated above. The Physical Therapy Practice Act states that these activities must be performed under onsite direct supervision of a physical therapist.
   
7. Rehabilitation Network of Arkansas will not tolerate the misuse of athletic trainers in physical therapy practices and does not tolerate athletic trainers misrepresenting themselves as physical therapists or physical therapy providers.