At a meeting convened by the Connecticut Department of Public Health task force, clinicians, school officials and higher‑education program directors outlined a statewide shortage of athletic trainers and sketched policy options including targeted grants, student‑loan relief and reduced certification costs.

Task‑force members said the shortage affects high schools, colleges and clinical settings and has persisted since the pandemic and the profession's transition to master's‑level entry. “We saw a decrease in athletic training, student wise and professional wise,” Gary Moore, professor and chair of health and movement sciences at Southern Connecticut State University and a task‑force co‑chair, said in opening remarks.

Why it matters: Athletic trainers provide on‑site emergency planning, sideline care and continuity for student athletes. Members said gaps have led districts to rely on per‑diem coverage, left some games without on‑site medical staff and driven experienced clinicians from the field. The group discussed short‑term funding models used by other states, education and recruiting strategies and ways to reduce the ongoing cost burden on early‑career clinicians.

Members described the scale and causes. Moore said a quick search found about 20 full‑time athletic‑trainer positions in Connecticut that were open and unfilled. Moore and other presenters summarized program data: 25 athletic‑training graduates in the state in 2024 and 42 graduates across 2022–2024, of whom about 21 remained working in Connecticut during that period. “If the people aren't there, that becomes a major issue,” Henry Rondon, assistant executive director at the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC), said.

Speakers emphasized three drivers: compensation and career structure, work‑life balance for second‑shift schedules, and perceived value or support within school systems. Jen Tarrillo, an athletic trainer and private practice owner, said many clinicians leave for reasons she summarized as “burnout. It's salary. It's, at the end of the day, an uneven energy exchange.” Stephanie Arles Mayer, a primary care sports medicine physician, added that lifestyle pressures and weekends‑and‑nights schedules push clinicians toward office‑based or non‑sideline roles.

Participants reviewed states' policy options. Moore cited Delaware's $2 million block grant to help schools supplement athletic‑trainer salaries and Louisiana's program that provides up to about $6,000 a year (to a maximum cited of $30,000 over five years) for graduates who remain in state. The group discussed Alabama's and other states' loan‑repayment or grant models and Connecticut programs such as the Connecticut Health Horizons initiative that currently targets nursing and social work.

Cost burdens beyond salary also surfaced. Task‑force members noted recurring certification and licensure expenses: national and state registration, association dues and continuing‑education costs. One presenter summarized the typical annual cost to maintain certification and licensure at about $600, with the Connecticut state licensure fee cited as $205 of that amount.

Recruitment and retention proposals discussed included:
- Short‑term targeted grants or a state fund districts can access to subsidize athletic‑trainer salaries (a model members said Delaware and Alabama use).
- State or employer‑backed loan repayment or tuition‑assistance programs patterned on other states' offerings to reduce new graduates' debt burden.
- Reduced or deferred certification/licensure fees or other administrative relief for early‑career clinicians.
- Coordinated stakeholder education campaigns (schools, athletic directors, school nurses, boards of education and local media) to clarify the athletic trainer’s scope of practice and the “iceberg” of preparatory work that occurs off‑field.
- Mentorship and clinical support networks for new graduates to prevent early departures from the profession.

Task‑force members emphasized tailoring solutions to both large and small schools. Sarah Montati, the Department of Public Health representative, cautioned that smaller schools can still have intense night and weekend schedules — e.g., all‑day wrestling tournaments — so staffing models must account for variation in sports and local schedules. Bob McKee, a district director overseeing two high schools, described cases where a long‑time trainer left and districts scrambled to contract replacement coverage at short notice.

No legislative action was taken at the meeting. For next steps, Moore and the meeting organizer agreed to draft a summary of options for the Public Health committee and to circulate it to task‑force members for feedback before submission. Peter Kolakowski, a public health clerk administering the task force, said he would provide an administrative summary by the following Monday.

The meeting closed with members agreeing to continue the work during the legislative session and to gather additional state‑level examples and data from NATA, KSI and others to refine funding and program proposals.