When you are ready to change there are several employment considerations you should consider. Dr. Danny Barringer did his dissertation project on the key areas Athletic Trainers should condsider before making the move.
The Problem:
The Athletic Trainer applying for a job did not know what to ask and what to look for.
COVID really underscores the need to know and clarify the expectations of your job
Three main employment consideration models:
School District
Outreach
PRN
Source of Funding
School District – city/state/federal level
Are you going to be teaching anything?
Does the school only need to cover the stipend?
Outreach
Typically from a hospital
Are you an at-will employee?
Will you be furloughed?
PRN
Usually, funding comes from the school district to the third party.
Job Expectation
School District –
The AT knows the hours are long but usually has summers off.
May have to supervise student aides
Outreach
Hours are usually better regulated
But typically working year-round (finding more business)
Mileage?
When are you on the clock, when you leave the house or arrive on site?
Supervision of PRN ATs
PRN
Much more freedom of schedule
Consider who will keep the documents and records
Varying policies and procedures between sites
Human Resources
School District –
Teaching with stipend
A clinician with or without teaching responsibilities
Summer camps
# of days on contract
Stipends
Benefits
Outreach
HR may not know what you do and who you are.
Make sure you have liability and physician oversight
Stark Law/referrals
PRN
No benefits / HR Access
Liability and physician orders are on your own
Immediate Supervisor
School District
Typically and Athletic Director (hopefully we are moving away from this)
Amy Metiva did not ride snocross, or even really know about the sport. She is a really good AT and busted it to be the best wherever she was working. Check out some of her story below.
Start us with a crazy/awesome story
Fargo, North Dakota and it’s negative 39 degrees. The propane tanks froze so the trailer stayed around 42 degrees the whole weekend.
Most race weekends we work 15 hour days.
We had to backboard in the snow…in the negative 40-degree snow. There were 2 sleds stuck together and a rider underneath the sled.
Knowing he needed advanced care quickly we carried him right to the ambulance.
Dr. Julia Hines has connected her passions and works with Auto Racing Medicine because her dad took her to races growing up. She joins us to discuss her story of becoming and AT and PT as well as how she is helping make racing safer.
Julia, What is your favorite race event and why?
Going to Monaco would be a bucket list item
What is your experience in driving racecars?
I have done some courses
Dr. Hines’s husband is a racer
I get in the racing go-karts now and then.
How did you get into Athletic Training and Physical Therapy?
Dad is an amateur racer and started going to the track at 3 or 4 years old.
He got a concussion in her senior year of high school.
They basically did not treat him at all
He drove the pacecar the next day
He had symptoms for about a year including BBPV
I grew up close to Limerock park and love all those events
Went for PT school but ended up doing the combined AT PT program.
I got injured a lot as a dancer growing up
There are ATs with racing, but they are few and far between.
Showed up at races and talked to everyone I could
My doctoral thesis was on returning the motorsports PT.
Talk about the evolution of concussions in Auto Racing Medicine.
This is not a team sport. If the drivers are not driving, they are not earning their money and they are potentially out of the industry.
The big teams, NASCAR, INDY, F1 they have traveling medical teams
The “arrive and drive” guys do not have any sort of consistent medical care.
Julia is currently working with more of the endurance events where they are driving for 24 hours.
NASCAR has been focusing on improving the health of the pit crews and a lot of ATs
Back in the 90s they would grab the guy from the local oil shop to be part of your pit crew.
Do you have experience treating Pit Crews with random injuries?
They have medical personnel in the pit..and everywhere.
If there was an emergency we would work as a team, allowing the emergency medical crew to lead and then being the primary on the follow-up or continuation of care.
Talk about the marathon races…how do you prepare them?
Anytime a driver exits the car after 2 hours…something is going to be sore. Low back, foot, hand.
Rule out red flags.
What can I do in this instant to help them get back in the car in a few hours?
As a PT I avoid passive therapies
As a MotorsportsPT we utilize a lot of the passive therapies because they are not really done with their event.
If it is the night time you are trying to allow them to get treatment and get rest.
Letting them know you have a plan in case treatment one does not work
Do you ever have to “talk” them back into the car?
I had a driver with a torn ACL who was concerned about driver changes. We had to work through the process of what causes pain and what does not.
But never really had to convince anyone to get back onto the track
What is the least understood aspect of a motorsports athlete?
These are extremely high performing athletes.
Heart rate, respiratory rate and effort have been shown to be very high during the duration of the event.
Going back to the concussion in motorsports…it was hard to recreate the situation.
The heat
The helmet
G forces
Incline
Vibration
Tons of visual stimulus
What is the RTP for motorsports?
Every racing environment is different
Use multiple monitors to simulate the environment
Get as close as you can without putting them at danger
What lessons stand out the most that you took into motorsports?
Reaching out to your network – Sarah Brown at BU had multiple brainstorming sessions with Julia
Professor worked with her to create higher value questions and prepare answers.
If you do not try then you always wonder “what if”
For 4 years I showed up at racetracks and talked to people…4 years I worked on building the network.
What is an adaptation you have used for race teams? (creative ways you used theraband to for support, brace you had molded…)
Things are too bulky usually for them.
So almost everything has to be minimalist.
The ACL patient had a brace that he could not wear so they had to try several options to make it work for him. Ace wrap ended up too bulky, so they went to KT tape for the proprioceptive feedback.
What types of injuries do you see in auto racing medicine?
Mostly chronic issues
Strangest?
The driver was getting in the car and was struggling with forearm stiffness. They came to the pits for treatment and she was almost on the interview with him.
A neuroma in his foot from driving for 20 years.
Fun Stories?
The first AT in racing was a rodeo AT back in the 70s or 80s
Most of the rescue crews are fireman and EMTs
ATs can and do belong in those positions with proper training.
Call to action: Network but do not give your services away for free
Jovan Means is an Athletic Trainer and a professional cutman. It would seem that these jobs conflict each other but Jovan shares how these professions work together for him.
Where does your Cutman story start?
16 years as an AT
DC native
Currently working in the same school system, he graduated from (not at the same school though)
Jovan has always been a fan of boxing and MMA and thinking “I always wanted to expand my skill set.”
One day he was watching a fight with his son and he said “Dad, that is similar to what you do.”
Light bulb moment.
Started reaching out to cutmen in the area and Mike Rodriguez reached out to him and serves as his mentor.
Being a cutman is an inside job. You have to know someone to get your foot in the door.
Mike Rodriguez invited him to a cutman workshop and they sparked a friendship.
What about taping?
It takes Jovan takes 12 minutes to wrap one hand
Different classes and commisions have requirements for the amount of tape per hand.
Make gauze pads for knuckles.
Tape must be 1 inch from the knuckles.
Monitored by an official and the opponent’s team.
There are a lot of rules to follow.
Back to cutman business
You got 60 seconds to get in the ring, handle swelling, overheating, and out of the ring.
He has learned how to anticipate what injuries will be coming and how he will handle it.
2019 Jovan was in Las Vegas for NATA and there were a few fights in Las Vegas that he was able to shadow him.
Mike is really big in boxing; it was really a blessing for him to be connected with such a big name.
Chris Colbert allowed Jovan to walk out with him
Mike reminded him you gotta start in the trenches. The Las Vegas week was pretty “big-time” but definitely solidified Jovan’s desire to grow in this field.
Jovan does a lot of volunteer work at a local boxing club.
Some cutmen do not tape hands…so for Jovan's fighters it is a bonus.
Ringside you get a 10-second heads up to jump into action.
The wife is the greatest source of growth. I trust my wife and if she tells me I need to be kinder, slower, more active with my kids then I usually listen.
Ryan Stevens asked a few of his colleagues and their wives to join us and see what makes a good AT Dad…and what does not.
How did you meet?
Dave and Annie McCune – Annie was a PA and took a sports medicine course at Rutgers where she met Dave. They waited until she finished her rotation to start dating of course
Kevin & Kim Briles – Kim was coaching at the same school and came in to ask why her kids did not have water setup.
Kevin Blew up on her, set her straight about the role of the Athletic Trainer, and then the rest was history.
Sarah and Jeremy – We were at a college dance with other people and kept checking each other out. We started hanging out after that and now almost 16 years and 3+ kids later we are here.
Ryan and Jamie met in an AOL chat room, stayed in touch and 15 years and 4 kids later
What does your life look like now?
Annie –
Craziness –
We just moved back for Dave’s job at Rutgers.
I was doing door dash
Staying home with their son
Dave has to be at school early for testing
One 6 year old together
Dave was living in a dorm for a little while when he was transitioning jobs.
Was able to come back to Virginia during COVID
Kim
Ships passing in the night
We kind of have opposite schedules
15/17/20-year-old kids
We have a son that hasn’t left his pajamas in 10 months
It is a good crazy, we are used to it.
Jeremy, what about your wife Sarah?
Sarah is a stay at home mom and works part-time at the church. She is the primary caregiver to our kids both biological and foster.
3 boys under the age of 10 and a foster daughter under 1
Ryan and Jaime
Wife stays home with the 4 young kids
Ryan says “I could not make it without her.”
Paint a picture of the relationship you have with your children now.
Briles: the wife gets up at 4:30 to get the kids to daycare on time.
Kids ride the bus home
We had to orchestrate the entire fall season of who was picking the kids up from school. We had grandparents and family that we trusted.
We use to take them to school and the teams would automatically babysit for us
There was a time I needed a break. It was Christmas time, we were supposed to go to this event – I told Kevin “Get everyone out of this house and do not come back until I tell you”
Kevin called the wife a few times to see if he had permission to come home.
McCune: I used to take them to school with me all the time pre-COVID
Annie says she needs that time alone. As the mom and the wife everyone needs something and she just needs some time alone.
If it was written on the wall, what would be your mission statement for your family?
Jackson Family: To raise Men (and maybe women) who honor God and positively impact the world around them.
Briles Family:
Driven
Compassionate
Kind
McCune Family:
Be relaxed in the situation
Trust
Always be kind to everyone you meet
Stevens Family:
You will be loved and you will love
“Keep Doing / Stop doing /Start Doing”
One key to successfully maintaining your family dynamic?
McCune – spend time together when we are off
Briles – just be quiet & Say yes more to friends and family
Jackson/ Stevens – prioritize family
What will you “STOP” doing which may lead to more stress upon the family?
McCune – stop trying to help when I get home
Briles – stop saying yes to everything
Jackson – The wife says I need to STOP being on my phone during the evenings
What do you hope to start doing/do more of moving forward to further build your family?
McCune – more fun things as a family
Briles – make the remaining moments count
Jackson – I apparently need to start listening more as I can not remember what the wife told me
Funny Stories?
Briles – Kim was pregnant with Liz, our first, we were warming up for the varsity football game.
I was in the old school locker and I got a message on my beeper…911
That was the code for it is time
I sprinted out and knocked over two band members trying to get the keys and get to the hospital.
Meanwhile the wife was headed to the hospital where she waited 8 hours for the baby to come.
Jackson: Sarah was having a rough day and my oldest decided to shoot at me with the nerf gun. So we had a battle that later turned into a shooting alley as we laid on the floor and shot nerf guns at the 2 youngest boys while they walked back and forth trying not to get hit.
Leave us with one action step:
Dave and Annie – focus on your relationship with your spouse
Kim – you get to going through the motions but these conversations remind us to focus
John Ciecko is a goal setter, so in AT Dads 2 we discuss the end goals and how we can work backward from that to make all 940 weekends count.
Ryan, give us an intro to your family.
3 boys and a girl
10 and under
What does the end of your career look like as related to your family?
John – For a goal setter the end of my career has always been saved for… the end of my career. Now I’m focusing on financials more, planning and goal setting for 4 rather than just 1. Is there a career change, job change. I’m now more aggressive in my job responsibilities and worth at my current job.
Ryan – I am not a goal setter, I set priorities and work towards making those good. I want them to be functioning and contributing members of society. All my kids will be adults by then We want them to always feel welcome to come back and spend time in our house
Let’s work backward from there to make a plan.
20 years
Jeremy – approaching retirement All Bio kids out of college; Possibly grandkids. I want to know my grandkids the way my mom and Sarah’s parents do. I want to be an actively involved part of their life. This doesn’t happen if I am absent from my kid’s life now.
John: As Jenny says, in 20 years, I’ll be close to 100! – I’ll be approaching retirement or onto my “second” career in retirement. I will be focusing on Davids’s post-college and Cece's college years. These are very important years for them, where advice and communication are important to their adulthood. I’m building capital and “collecting coins” now so that my words then will have more of an impact on them when they need it.
10 years
Jeremy – I will have 2 out of high school and at least one to go.
Dating my Wife
Intentional conversations and interactions with my kids.
Ryan: I’ll have 4 teenagers…
I want them to be safe
Foster a relationship that allows them to tell you the bad stuff too.
John: in 10 years David will be getting ready to try out for the basketball team at my high school…if that is what he chooses. I look forward to dealing with “father/son/patient/medical provider scenarios” I want them to fail so they can learn, but not fall.
Next year
Jeremy – adopting MJ, attending school events, taking them to school and events with me.
It is not about the big events, but the daily interaction.
“Dating my kids” – giving them individual time to invest in our relationship
John: Focusing on my relationship with Jenny so that our relationship with our children is meaningful. We are intentional with our words and actions throughout our relationship.
How are we as AT Dads going to get there?
John – Pulling on inspiration and examples from my ATDads/Men mentors like Jeremy, Tom Ford, Larry Cooper etc.
Call to action:
“Dad can you look at this or are you too busy (with your phone)”…if you are hearing this look at why and respond appropriately.
AT Dads are similar to dads in every other profession: great, average, or awful. Dads are one of the biggest influences in the life of a child for both good and bad.
Meet our AT Dads
Ed, what is the one question you want answered by the end of the episode?
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced balancing being a father and an athletic trainer?
Prioritize and set non-negotiables
Were you able to increase the amount of quality time throughout their childhood and adolescence? And if yes, how?
Friday Pizza Nights
Driving to school with altered schedules
Joel?
How understanding does your significant other need to be in order to find the balance?
Larry’s wife was non-athletic so she does not fully understand the lifestyle.
Larry used to hold a team meeting to discuss the week and expectations and schedule.
Has the balance ever brought you to consider changing settings/roles in the profession?
Jeremy:
As an AT Dad, How do I foster a lifetime relationship with my children?
Larry, let’s start back in the beginning.
When did you meet your wife and marry?
Wrestled in high school and in community college
Left and went to Pitt
Wanted to be an architect, then an accountant. Realized he could not stay inside all day every day
Larry’s uncle introduced him to athletic training
Was a student teaching and doing field experience at Baldwin high school.
One of the team members introduced him to his wife.
Went to Sugarbowl with Pittsburgh and spent a lot of money on alcohol and she possibly saved his liver and his life.
First Job in Arlington VA as a certified AT
Got married over Thanksgiving in his first year as a teacher.
His wife attended a lot of the games and they became friends with one of the coaches and his spouse.
Moving 6 hours away from his parents brought him closer to his wife.
Waited 5 years to have kids and spent a lot of time investing in each other.
Larry’s wife got a job at Larry’s school so they got to work together.
The first kid
Sarah born in April 1990
The most rewarding job I have ever had was being a dad.
They moved back to Pennsylvania and worked at a clinic. He used this time to spend with family.
Larry would take his daughter to pre-school daily and work on the counting skills while in the car.
The Second Kid
Molly was born in 1993
Another AT joined Larry on staff that allowed him some more time off
Third time is the charm…
Delaney was born in 1997 and they had 3 full-time ATs on staff at that time
Larry was involved in the state association and coaching soccer..life was busy, but life was good.
All 3 played Volleyball, cross country, soccer.
The administration was supportive and family-oriented when his daughter was born.
His wife stayed home with the kids.
Larry was able to take 2 weeks off and then proceeded to juggle and balance.
Pizza Friday – they would come up for dinner each Friday night and eat together.
His kids still carry on that tradition with their own.
Eat dinner together whenever possible
During summer Larry would plan camping trips and travel the country. One trip was 7.5 weeks with a family camper.
“We are going to be in this area, what do you want to do?”
