Imagine. You’re watching ESPN, it’s the championship football game, a player gets tackled and goes down. As you watch someone dressed in khaki pants go running onto the field, they run to the athlete and assist the player to the sidelines. By the end of the game it is determined the player has a torn MCL.

Now imagine you’re at the gym working out when a well-toned guy comes over and offers to assist you with your work out. He even offers to help you design a new workout to burn more fat and strengthen your muscles in only a 15 minute per day routine.

Ever wonder who these people are? Do they hold the same position? What are their real qualifications? Well this article will attempt to answer those questions, and clear up some confusion.

To begin, the khaki pants responder is a certified athletic trainer. The ATC is a highly qualified medical professional; they are educated in preventing, recognizing, assessing, and rehabilitating athletic injury. They are the first link in the emergency medical team during athletic events. They are the first person to assess injury and develop an initial prognosis of the symptoms, determine what the immediate care needs are, and decide what the next step in continued care will be. ATCs work directly with a physician, and often coordinate medical rehabilitation with other health care professions, coaches and parents. They are employed in high schools, colleges, clinics, industrial, corporate and military settings. Their education requirement is a bachelor’s degree in athletic training. They must also pass the National Athletic Training Association Board of Certification Exam upon graduation before they are allowed to practice. They are required to complete continuing education courses every four years and they must follow the guidelines set by the National Athletic Training

Association.

The second individual listed is a personal trainer. A personal trainer works one on one with a client, teaching him or her exercises that will help him or her reach his or her personal fitness goals. Personal trainers have education assisting in proper weight training, giving fitness assessments and making lifestyle adjustments to improve optimal health. These professionals are responsible for prescribing, monitoring and adjusting the clientss specific exercise program.

They also help educate the general population about the health benefits of being physically active. They work in health clubs, wellness centers, and other fitness-centered locations. A personal trainer could have higher education in health sciences, they may be required to obtain additional certification, and they might participate in continuing education. Certification is offered by many agencies that vary in education and qualification requirements. Certification is usually a course that teaches the basics of personal training. There is no federal organization ruling the practices of a personal trainer.

As you can see they are two similar but very different fields of study. You can also see why it is important to differentiate between the two. Offense is often taken by each specification when referred to by the wrong title. It is also important for you, as a potential health club member to know what the certifications of your health team are. So, if at a health club facility or at an athletic event, I encourage you to ask the facilities staff what their real qualifications are. You may be surprised by the response.

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Northern Star staff.