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As the nation faces a steep decline in Athletic Trainers due to the pandemic and shifting educational requirements, Cedarville University is taking a proactive approach to help rebuild the profession—by developing leaders.
“Athletic trainers are such a critical part of every sports team, from high school to the NFL,” said Dr. Genna Fusco, professor of Athletic Training at Cedarville. “But we’ve seen a huge drop in the number of programs and applicants.”
Fusco points to a sharp decrease in Ohio alone.
“We used to have about 26 athletic training programs. Now we’re close to 10. Fewer programs mean fewer spots—and fewer Athletic Trainers,” she said.
To combat this, Cedarville is leaning into leadership development. Fusco helped establish the student senate for the Ohio Athletic Trainers’ Association as an undergrad and now mentors students who follow in her footsteps. One such student, Kyler Conn, recently graduated from Cedarville, served as student senate president, and is now interning with the Indianapolis Colts.
“Those earlier experiences really prepared me,” said Conn. “I feel fortunate to be learning every day in this role.”
While the gap in the profession won’t close overnight, initiatives like Cedarville’s are helping lay the foundation.
“I really wanted to influence the next generation of Athletic Trainers,” Fusco said. “Eventually, we’ll step aside, and they’ll need to champion this profession.”
According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, the average starting salary in a college setting is under $44,000, though salaries in professional football can reach $168,000.
Despite the financial disparity, Cedarville hopes its leadership-forward approach will continue to attract passionate students eager to serve athletes and redefine the profession’s future. Read the full story here!
