Principles of Athletic Training, 8th ed.

This text is the latest edition of one of the most popular athletic training texts on the market. It was originally published in 1963 and has been revised and updated every 4 to 5 years. It is designed as an introductory text for athletic trainers, but would be of some value as a reference to coaches, physical therapists, or other health-related professionals who want to be involved in the health care of athletes, but have limited background or experience in sports medicine.

This edition continues to update and expand the information presented in the seventh edition. Part 1 (chapter 1) deals with athletic training and sports medicine in general. Included in this chapter are requirements for National Athletic Trainers Association certification as an athletic trainer, as well as information on certification for physical therapists as sports clinical specialists. Part 2 (chapters 2 through 5) deals with various aspects of injury prevention. This part gives a comprehensive overview of strength training, flexibility, muscular and cardiovascular endurance, and neuromuscular coordination. Chapters are also included that deal with nutritional guidelines for athletes, including common nutritional myths, types and fitting of protective athletic equipment, and sports psychology as it pertains to athletic performance, injury, and rehabilitation.

Part 3 (chapters 6 and 7) deals with the basics of sports trauma. Strong emphasis is given to mechanisms of injury of various tissues as well as parameters of tissue healing for both soft tissue and bone. Part 4 (chapters 8 through 14) pertains to the daily management skills used by the athletic trainer. Evaluation and treatment of both routine and emergency conditions is stressed in part 4; this part also contains the obligatory chapter on taping and bandaging, which is well illustrated. The McConnell taping technique for patellofemoral dysfunction is included in the chapter on taping. Part 4 also provides the reader with an introduction to therapeutic modalities and sports rehabilitation, although they are not covered in great detail. The chapter on sports pharmacology provides the reader with a concise presentation of commonly used medications, their classifications and how they are to be used, and illegal drug use and signs of substance abuse by the athlete. Of particular help to individuals involved in drug screening of athletes is a list of drugs banned by the international Olympics Committee.

Part 5 (chapters 15 through 25) covers the prevention, etiology, signs, symptoms, and management of some of the most commonly seen sports-related injuries; information is presented by anatomical region. This section of the book contains many photographs and diagrams to supplement the text, including some excellent color photographs to illustrate various common skin disorders. Chapter 25 deals with medical conditions frequently encountered by the athletic trainer, with suggestions on identification and appropriate management. Part 6 (chapter 26) is new to this edition. This chapter addresses the administrative aspects of athletic training including budgeting, purchasing of supplies, training room design, and record keeping.

Overall, this current edition is well-written and well-referenced. its many pedagogical aids make it an excellent teaching text for an introductory sports medicine curriculum. Its comprehensive coverage of the subject matter makes it a valuable reference for anyone involved in sports medicine, and I would highly recommend it for inclusion in the library of any athletic training room or sports medicine clinic.