At College of the Canyons, sports medicine plays a critical role behind the scenes, supporting athletes through injury prevention, treatment, and recovery so they can safely compete.
As awareness around athlete health continues to grow, so does the need for trained professionals, making sports medicine an increasingly important part of athletics at every level.
“Our job is to keep them healthy and to work on those problems that they’ve never known they’ve had,” said Erick Buitrago, a COC Athletic Trainer.
“We try to correct those issues that they have to make them better athletes so that you can keep them healthy longer.”
“With us being a community college, we’re a stepping stone for them going to the four-year level,” said Buitrago.
That focus on long-term health goes beyond treating injuries in the moment, addressing underlying issues that can impact an athlete’s performance over time.
And as the field expands into more settings, from schools to professional sports and rehabilitation clinics, the role of athletic trainers continues to evolve.
“I think because a lot of doors have opened in different settings, especially for athletic trainers, people are just more educated on what athletic trainers actually do, although it never ends, you know, we’re always telling people or teaching people what we educate people on what we do, but it’s definitely grown,” said Buitrago.
At COC, three athletic trainers work directly with student-athletes while also helping bridge the gap between education and real-world experiences.
The program also serves as a clinical site for CSUN’s Master of Athletic Training program, giving graduate students the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in a fast-paced, hands-on environment.
“I’ve learned to become more confident, which is really nice. Erick, Patty, and I, who are the athletic trainers here, do a really good job of teaching me and letting me be on my own,” said Keili Butler, a COC Athletic Training Student.
“But also being there in case I don’t know what I’m doing, ‘cause I’m still a student, so obviously I want to learn but in an environment that’s safe for me.”
With growing demand and expanding opportunities, sports medicine is becoming essential to modern athletics and programs like this are helping ensure athletes stay healthy, competitive, and ready to perform.
