Discuss the Employment Trends in Athletic Training
Employment opportunities for women in athletic training have grown exponentially over
the past six decades. The first female athletic trainers entered the workforce in 1956. In 2006,
that number climbed to 48%; in 2011, that number grew to 53% (Kahanov & Eberman, 2011).
Kahanov and Eberman (2011) also researched employment trends of female students enrolled in
athletic training programs that showed this percentage would continue to increase as they
graduate and enter the workforce. Despite an increasing trend in women employed in athletic
training, few hold the position of head athletic trainer (AT). Dr. Lindsey H. Schroeder
conducted an exploratory study of women in leadership roles within the Division I NCAA
setting. Dr. Schroeder surveyed 350 institutions from 32 conferences and found that 286 of the
institutions employed a male head of athletic trainers, 60 employed female head of athletic
trainers, and four had dual representation. Dr. Schroeder looked further into the five power
conferences (part of the 350 total NCAA DI institutions) within NCAA DI and found that 60
institutions employed a male head of athletic trainers, four employed a female head of athletic
trainers, and one had dual representation (Schroeder, 2018).
Women as Caretakers
The challenge of balancing career and family is hardly new for women. While men are
taking on more of the caretaking burden, a study in 2013 by Pew Research Center indicated
women are still three times more likely to face hardships in work-family conflict than men are.
Despite more men being present in the caretaker role in the family model, the bulk of caregiver
responsibility still falls on the mother. In my review of literature, I will discuss studies done by
Fuegen et al. (2004); Sayer (2005); Kamphoff (2010); Inglis, Danylchuk, and Pastore (2000).
These studies discuss the societal pressure of guilt placed on women who chose to have careers
and families.
Although work-life enrichment is increasingly recognized as a benefit of working while
simultaneously engaging in a parental role, athletic training leaders are not seen to be helped by this
benefit" (Mazerolle & Eason, 2016a). Nearly all mothers working in athletic training report conflict
in balancing their personal life and work life. Work-life conflict can arise from time spent at work,
travel requirements, and inflexible schedules. "Conflict is also exacerbated by a variety of
individual contributors, such as the need to parent and complete household responsibilities such
as cooking, cleaning, laundry, and other domestic tasks" (Mazerolle & Eason, 2016c). This
study shows that work-life conflict does not arise from a single factor; instead, it is a complex
network of elements contributing to work climate, responsibilities, and personal values.
Goodman et al., (2010) referenced three studies; one by Price (2001); Price and Mueller (1981),
and the other by Balogun, Titiloye, Balogun, Oyeyemi, and Katz (2002). The Price study
focused on turnover and the effect (positive or negative) of administrative support on job
satisfaction, commitment, and retention. The Balogun study found that supervisor and colleague
support was critical in minimizing stress in physical therapists.
Mazerolle and Pitney (2012) examined work-life balance for athletic trainers working in the
clinical rehabilitation setting. In this study, 65% of participants believed the clinical rehabilitation
setting was more suitable for work-life balance versus the traditional collegiate setting. The authors
indicated three factors that were beneficial to work-life balance in the clinical setting. These factors
were work schedules, supportive work environment, and separation of work and personal life.
Work schedules in a clinical setting provided a structured and static schedule along with flexibility.
Participants repeatedly mentioned that having supervisors with family first mentality was crucial to
supporting work-life balance—couple that with supportive co-workers, and survey participants
believe they could successfully manage a career and family life. The last factor noted was
separation from work and personal life. In the clinical setting, certified athletic trainers can leave
work at work. There is no expectation of being on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as there
is in the collegiate setting. This allowed the certified athletic trainers who work in a clinic to feel
fully present as a parent/spouse when at home.
Work Demands
Work demands can be broken down into three subcategories. These categories include
working hours/travel, role conflict, and role overload. The average amount of hours spent at
work by an athletic trainer (male or female) during in-season sports coverage is 70 hours per
week. "In college athletics, as with other corporate settings, the concepts of work and career
trajectories have become institutionalized. For instance, working excessive hours has commonly
translated into a sign of commitment, productivity, and motivation for advancement" (Bruening
& Dixon, 2008). The pressure to win and the financial incentive attached to success has
translated into increased pressure to work excessive hours, and for many, log an obscene
number of miles traveled, providing coverage to team competitions. These exact expectations
are passed down to the support staff of the athletic program. For dual-career mothers in athletic
training, trying to compete in the pressure of this male-dominated culture is nearly impossible.
This pressure to maintain the high expectations of work in collegiate athletics results in an
absence from the family role and often has negative consequences for their marriage (Bruening
& Dixon, 2008).
Support Networks
Mothers in athletic training indicated strong support networks as the primary reason for
their success in maintaining work-life balance. These support networks came in the form of their
spouse/partner, their administration, and athletic training coworkers. This section will focus
solely on the effect that administrative support has on mothers in athletic training.
The administration establishes workplace environments. They can write and promote policies
that enable a family-friendly atmosphere and help employees with work-life balance. Also,
organizations that make an effort to support their employees' work-life by offering programs
like flexible scheduling, on-site childcare, fitness facilities/memberships, and paid time off
(PTO) have a positive effect on work-life satisfaction and retention of employees (Mazerolle et
al., 2015b).
Effective administrators acknowledge the importance of solid role modeling for their
department. For effective role modeling in collegiate athletics, work-life balance strategies must
be put into practice by the administration, head coaches, and heads of the support staff areas.
"Head ATs lead by enabling and modeling for their athletic training staffs, which explains why
this group used and modeled effective work-life balance strategies to help facilitate the same for
their staffs" (Mazerolle et al., 2015b, p 86). In athletic training, where autonomy is granted
based on administrative support, the head AT must be modeling a balanced lifestyle and
promoting the same for their staff. "A supervisor who shares the same personal and family
philosophy as his or her staff has been discussed as helpful in the pursuit of work-life balance
for ATs employed in the rehabilitation setting" (Mazerolle et al., 2015b, p 86).
Communication and cooperation are critical factors in supporting a healthy work-life
balance in athletic training. Many athletic trainers feel they cannot step away from their team
obligations because of the intimate knowledge they have of the athletes and their sport demands
and injuries. This sense of responsibility can hinder work-life balance. Encouraging an
atmosphere of cooperation can help alleviate the stress of needing to be present at all times.
"The creation of a group of staff members working toward the same goals and supporting one
another was viewed as a means to gain work-life balance in the collegiate setting" (Mazerolle et
al., 2015b, p 85). Encouragement of activities outside of the workplace has a positive effect on
preventing burnout in mothers in athletic training. "Prioritizing personal time has been cited
consistently in the literature as crucial for ATs to take care of themselves, their families, or both
if necessary" (Mazerolle et al., 2015b, p 86).
Many of the studies reviewed thus far have indicated that athletic administrators'
support plays a crucial role in retaining mothers in athletic training. However, the researcher
has not found any research that discusses how the athletic administrator provides this support to
women in athletic training. The researcher will explore other areas of research of theme in the
collegiate setting.
The researcher will conduct a qualitative phenomenology study with an advocacy
lens. Specific demographic information will be sought out to select the sample for the
interview. Next, participants will be asked interview questions relating to perceptions of
factors that facilitate the retention and attrition of female certified athletic trainers at the
NCAA DII collegiate setting. This study will focus on phenomenology as the researcher
seeks to determine what factors experienced by a specific group of individuals have led to
female certified athletic trainer retention or attrition in the NCAA DII collegiate
setting. Finally, I will use an advocacy lens to improve career conditions for female certified
athletic trainers. I will focus on an advocacy lens because of the lack of action being taken to
improve retention rates, despite the numerous studies that have shown what factors lead to
women leaving the profession.
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