When Ava Brown collapsed with a serious injury during a February softball game, the response didn’t stop with immediate care—it set off a coordinated effort across an entire performance team.
On the field, Athletic Trainer Kaitlyn Floor made the initial evaluation, stabilized the injury, and initiated the next steps.
From there, a network of professionals—team physicians, physical therapists, dietitians, mental health staff, and sports scientists—worked together to guide Brown’s recovery.
Just seven weeks later, she was back on the field, hitting a home run.
For Athletic Trainers, this story feels familiar—but the scale of collaboration highlights how the role continues to evolve.
At the University of Florida, that evolution is now formalized under a “Sports Health & Performance” model, bringing together five key areas: Sports Health, Athletic Performance, Applied Sports Science, Mental Health & Wellness, and Sports Nutrition.
“This isn’t just a name change. It reflects a shift in how we actually operate,” said senior director of athletic performance Paul Chandler.
At the center of it all are Athletic Trainers—still leading injury evaluation, care coordination, and return-to-play decisions, but now with deeper integration across departments.
“There are no silos,” Chandler said. “If the goal is doing what’s best for the athlete, there can’t be.”
For today’s Athletic Trainers, that means more than taping ankles or managing rehab. It means collaborating with data teams monitoring workload, working alongside dietitians to support recovery, and communicating across disciplines to ensure every decision is informed and individualized.
“The best ability is availability,” said applied sports science director Spencer Thomas, emphasizing the shared focus on keeping athletes healthy and performing.
The takeaway for Athletic Trainers is clear: the profession isn’t shrinking—it’s expanding. And those who embrace collaboration, communication, and evidence-based care are leading the way in shaping what athlete health looks like next. Read the full story here!