Canadian Athletic Therapists Association
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[edit] History
The Canadian Athletic Therapists Association (CATA) is a professional body based in Calgary, Canada which was established on April 24 1965 at a meeting at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario. June 1965 in Chicago at the site of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) meeting, the first meeting of the CATA was held. In 1966 the CATA held it first annual meeting in Toronto. The CATA has continued to hold annual meetings at their National Conference. CATA originally stood for Canadian Athletic Trainers' Association, and the word Trainers' was dropped in favor of Therapists to represent the changing landscape of Sport in Canada. It was at this meeting that the first executive was selected. The first President of the CATA was Mert Propeht.[1] The current (2009/2010) president of the CATA is Ms. Kerri Downer. A new President-Elect is chosen annually; at the CATA Annual General Meeting at the yearly Conference; along with other executives in the Association.
There are currently 7 CATA Accredited Athletic Therapy programs in Canada. The Athletic Therapy program at Sheridan College was the first program of its kind in Canada, and was founded in 1973. Camosun Collage was the most recently added program, receiving full accreditation in 2009.
Canadian Athletic Therapy Association
[edit] Certified Athletic Therapist
A Certified Athletic Therapist or CAT(C) is a health care professional that provides care to the active individual through assessment, prevention, emergency care, and rehabilitation of sports related injuries. Along with other members of the health care system the Athletic Therapist can help provide an optimal environment for healing to occur and return an individual to an active and healthy lifestyle. The Certified Athletic Therapist uses a variety of rehabilitative techniques, supportive taping and bracing, Therapeutic modalities and rehabilitative and strengthening programs to ensure their athletes and clients have a safe return to sport participation.
Certified Athletic Therapists have an extensive educational background in the following areas: HumanAnatomy and Physiology, Injury Prevention, Care, Assessment/Evaluation, Pre-hospital Emergency assessment and management, Risk Management/Health Care Administration, General Medical Conditions, Pharmacology, Physics, Therapeutic modalities, Nutrition, Psychology, Kinesiology, and Biomechanics.
Certified Athletic Therapists also have extensive education and training in:
- The thorough assessment and appropriate management of concussions, heat-related emergencies, MRSA, and sudden cardiac death
- Equipment fitting, maintenance, and emergency removal
- Supportive taping and bracing application
- Making appropriate and unbiased sideline return to play decisions
- Comprehensive injury management from onset of injury, through injury rehabilitation, to appropriate return to play
Certified Athletic Therapists should not be confused with Certified Athletic Trainer, "Trainer", Personal Trainer, or Physiotherapists.
[edit] Certification Candidates
A Certification Candidate is a member of the CATA. They are non-voting members and are usually students. These members are working towards their certification. Certification Candidates need to collect 1200 field and clinical hours before they can attempt the certification exams. A Certification Candidate may already have collect their internship hours and are in the process of completing their certification exams.
[edit] Certification
In order to become a Certified Athletic Therapist, an individual must complete an academic program at one of the accredited post secondary institutes. These schools include: Mount Royal University (Calgary), Concordia University (Montreal), Camosun College, York University, Sheridan College, University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba. They must then pass a certification exam the has both comprehensive written and practical components. The minimum grade required to pass the written portion of the exam is 70%. The practical exam tests the Certification Candidate in all aspects of the field of Athletic Therapy including; on field emergency care, supportive taping/bracing, the use of modalities, injury assessment and rehabilitation. All Certification Candidates must have a valid First Responder Certificate at the time they apply for their written and practical exams.
Athletic Therapists are required to maintain their certification every three years. They must get 21 continuing education units over the three year period in order to maintain certification. This can be done in a variety of manners like taking courses, working full time in a clinical or field setting, sitting on committees and attending conferences. As part of their certification maintenance, Ceritified Athletic Therapists are required to have current CPR certification at the level of Health Care Practitioner.
[edit] Provincial chapters
The CATA has several provincial chapters: Athletic Therapists' Association of British Columbia, Alberta Athletic Therapists Association, Ontario Athletic Therapists Association, Saskatchewan Athletic Therapists Association, Atlantic Provinces Athletic Therapists Association, Corporation des Thérapeutes du Sport du Québec/Quebec Corporation of Athletic Therapists, Manitoba Athletic Therapists Association
Athletic Therapy Association of BC
[edit] Employment opportunities
Private Clinics
Athletic Therapists work on a fee for service basis in private Athletic Therapy Clinics, Sports Medicine Clinics and Multi-disciplinary Clinics across Canada.
University/Colleges
Athletic Therapists work as part of the medical staff providing their services to varsity athletes in Universities and Colleges across Canada.
Professional Sports Teams
Athletic Therapists can be found as members of the medical team for a variety of different sporting organizations in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and Cirque du Soleil.
National Athletes and Teams
Athletic Therapists work as members of the medical team for National teams in sports like hockey, basketball, softball and others; and at events like Canada Games, or Provincial Games. They can be found working on the medical staff for International events like the Olympics, Pan Am Games, and Commonwealth Games
[edit] Mutual recognition agreement
In 2005, the National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Certification and the CATA signed a mutual recognition agreement. This allows certified members of both associations to take each others exams, and creates opportunities for those who pass the certification exams to work in both countries.
[edit] See also
- Athletic training
- Sports medicine
- Exercise physiology
- Kinesiology
- Sport psychology
- Orthopedics
- Sports injuries
- Massage
- Osteopathy
- Physical therapy
- Motor learning
- Pathology
- Health
- Exercise equipment
- Board of Certification, Inc.
