Athletics at Central requires a year-round commitment. Just as athletes must report to practice to develop their athletic abilities, athletic training students must report to the athletic training facility to achieve proficiency in their clinical skills. In order to prepare the athletic training student, the program requires clinical experiences with all of our athletic teams– preparing for practices, practice/game coverage, and post game evaluations and treatments. It is through the clinical experiences that students are able to become involved in caring for the injuries and treatments of the injuries that are particular to the various sports. All athletic training students must be given the same opportunities to participate and learn from their clinical experiences. The time demands of both intercollegiate athletic and the athletic training clinical component can be over-whelming for the varsity athlete majoring in athletic training. Ultimately, it is the student's responsibility to manage a schedule that fulfills the clinical requirements while they participate in intercollegiate athletics. Practicum classes EXS 315, EXS 316, EXS 319, and EXS 445 Internship in Athletic Training relies on participation in the preparation, care, and treatment of athletic teams. Therefore, varsity athletes will not be permitted to register for these courses while “in season” for their sport.
While student-athletes are not discouraged from majoring in athletic training, they must realize the commitment to their education as an athletic training student. Student-athletes who are accepted into the Athletic Training Education Program will be limited to participation in one varsity sport per academic year. Each student-athlete must be assigned to a clinical experience at least one semester each academic year in order to continue in the Athletic Training Program. During this time, the student must make progress in mastering the clinical proficiencies. The student-athlete must participate in all of the clinical experiences of the program, including a fall semester, spring semester and a preseason clinical experience. Student-athletes who major in athletic training may find it necessary to complete their clinical experiences after exhausting their athletic eligibility (during the fifth year).