How much time should an Athletic Trainer spend taping healthy athletes when there are injuries to evaluate, treatments to provide, and rehabilitation programs to oversee?
That's one of the questions being discussed in Abilene, Kansas, where school district officials are reconsidering their approach to preventative taping and wrapping.
At a September 15 school board meeting, Superintendent Dana Sprinkle explained that the district currently provides taping supplies when they're part of an injury treatment or recovery plan. Athletes who want preventative or preference-based taping can still receive it, but must bring their own supplies.
The policy followed the 2023–24 school year, when preventative ankle taping requests, primarily from football players, consumed nearly an entire year's supply budget during one season.
And the issue wasn't just the cost. It was the Athletic Trainer's time.
Sprinkle explained that the volume of requests took time away from evaluating injured athletes and helping others recover.
The district estimates that taping both ankles daily for practices and games could cost approximately $100 per athlete each month.
There's also the question of fairness. If football players receive district-funded preventative taping, should volleyball, tennis, cross-country, and other athletes receive the same benefit?
“Student safety obviously is always a priority area,” Sprinkle said. “We also need to consider equitable treatment across all activities, responsible use of our district resources, and the athletic trainer's ability to provide appropriate care to all of those student athletes.”
One board member suggested training student athletic managers to assist with taping, although no decision was made.
The district is also considering the additional demands that could arise from middle school athletics, where Athletic Trainer services are not currently available.
For Athletic Trainers, the discussion raises a familiar challenge: balancing preventative services with the time needed to provide medical care.
Where should schools draw the line between athlete preference, injury prevention, and an Athletic Trainer's primary responsibilities?
The Abilene school board has not yet decided whether to change its policy.