Our Athletic Trainers play a critical role in the lives of all our students! Damar Hamlin's cardiac event brought heroic athletic trainers into the spotlight as they were critical in saving his life. Twenty-nine people tended to him on the field that night. However, FCPS high schools are not as fortunate to have such a deep lineup of medical staff. Our athletic trainers work tirelessly in the support of our athletes and staff to help with the prevention, examination, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of emergent, acute, and chronic injuries and medical conditions.  They share nutritional advice, mental health support, and other preventative measures while devoting so much of their time and care to everyone they encounter.  

But... did you know that while ATC1s in FCPS are full-time salaried employees with benefits, the ATC2s merely get paid a seasonal stipend of approximately $16,000 spread over three seasons.  As a result, these highly educated ATC2s, who are required to have a master's degree and are nationally certified and licensed to practice medicine in the state, are not compensated in a way that shows their true value.  As a result, many schools throughout the county don't even have an ATC2, and those who do, need to have a second full-time job in order to afford the escalating cost of living. This makes it hard to attract and retain ATC2s.

So... what are we doing about it?!?!?  For years, there has been an effort to get the FCPS budget to include funding for a full-time ATC for all FCPS high schools and Secondary Schools. In an effort to continue educating the community and garner more support, we've made this Change petition to bring awareness to county officials, including school board members, regional representatives, and the Fairfax County Superintendent. We're hoping you'll support this initiative by signing the petition and continuing to use the hashtag #Fund2ATs4AllFCPS on social media.