Terminology Matters

"Athletic trainer" or "AT" are the preferred terms. NEVER use "trainer" or "certified trainer."

Use "AT" as the abbreviation for athletic trainer. "ATC" is a credential that belongs after a name, not as a pronoun/title.

"Athletic training" and "athletic trainer" are not capitalized unless they are part of a proper noun/title.

Avoid using "AT" as an acronym for the term athletic training as a noun. It may be used as an acronym in the adjective form.

• Correct: "The new AT facility was unveiled."

• Incorrect: "When studying AT, a student should..."

The preferred term is "athletic training clinic."

DO NOT USE "training room" or "athletic training room." The doctor's office is not called a physician's room; it is called a clinic. So too should athletic training facilities be referred to as clinics since we are healthcare professionals.

High school students are referred to as "athletic training student aides" or "student aides," NEVER "student trainers."

College students are referred to as "athletic training students," NEVER "student trainers."