Preparing future veterans, UF equips Reserve Officer Training Corps students with athletic trainers

Athletic trainers are invaluable in military settings. They provide rehabilitation expertise to service members and future veterans, helping them enhance their performance and reduce injuries. But while these professionals are often found in sports settings, it is not common for athletic trainers to work in military programs on Florida college campuses.

At the University of Florida, however, these athletic trainers are integral to the college experience for students in the Reserve Officer Training Corps, or ROTC – a university-based program for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Since 2021, UF’s College of Health & Human Performance, or HHP, has partnered with the ROTC to provide cadets and midshipmen access to athletic trainers through the college’s Doctor of Athletic Training, or DAT, program. 

“To my knowledge, UF’s ROTC program is the only program in Florida that has access to an athletic trainer,” said Patricia “Pattie” Tripp, Ph.D., LAT, ATC, CSCS, CES, a clinical professor and associate director of the Doctor of Athletic Training program. “I am excited that we have support at the university, college, and department levels to engage in the collaboration with the ROTC.”

Prior to the collaboration, UF cadets or midshipmen who sustained injuries would seek medical care from the UF Student Health Care Center, urgent care, a primary care provider, or the emergency room. While these options provided treatment, communication around limitations and return-to-duty guidelines could be unclear.

Through the collaboration, athletic trainers have been preparing students in the ROTC – which encompasses the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force – by educating them on injury prevention, rehabilitation services, and physical and mental wellness. Because many of these students are commissioned upon graduation and move into leadership roles, it is critical that they understand how to care for themselves and their teams.

Providing support

“This program has been a game changer,” said Lt. Col. Michael Caretti, a professor and commander of the UF Air Force ROTC Detachment 150. “It has allowed injured cadets to directly work with an athletic trainer throughout their recovery time, enabling them to maintain their Air Force ROTC fitness standards and successfully reach their ultimate goal of commissioning into the armed forces.”

Capt. John D. LeVoy, a professor and commander of the UF Naval ROTC, said the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps place a strong emphasis on wellness and readiness for life when it comes to training.

“We contribute to that mission by teaching UF Navy ROTC midshipmen about nutrition, physical training, and healthy eating,” LeVoy said. “One key aspect that we cannot teach, and for which our athletic trainers have been invaluable, is the requirement for rest, recovery, and stretching before and after physical training. Thanks to our [athletic] trainers' education and personal interaction, our midshipmen are always ready to exert maximum effort and come back the next day for more.”

Lt. Col. Salvatore Forlenza, a professor and commander in the UF Army ROTC, agreed.

“The Doctor of Athletic Training program has proven to be a combat multiplier in facilitating Army cadets’ recovery from injuries by delivering specialized rehabilitation programs,” Forlenza said. “The holistic approach has ensured that the cadets can return to full operational capability in order to complete the program.”

Addressing musculoskeletal injuries

Each year, cadets and midshipmen endure non-combat musculoskeletal injuries, such as strains, sprains, fractures, and dislocations. These injuries not only impact combat readiness and deployment potential but also impose significant financial costs.

Additionally, research shows that cadets and midshipmen who sustain musculoskeletal injuries during training are more likely to sustain additional injuries in the future. In the U.S. Army, musculoskeletal injuries may account for nearly 60% of soldiers’ limited duty days and 65% of medical non-deployment cases.

Despite studies indicating that musculoskeletal injuries can start in initial-entry training and have long-term effects on active-duty performance, ROTC programs often lack access to healthcare providers – such as athletic trainers – who could help prevent and manage these injuries.

At UF, an athletic training resident from the Doctor of Athletic Training program is fully hands-on – working in the Doctor of Athletic Training program’s Military Wellness Clinic, which is a free, on-site clinic that cares for ROTC cadets and midshipmen. Under the direction of a physician from the UF Student Health Care Center, the Doctor of Athletic Training resident evaluates and treats injuries, coordinates care plans and referrals, develops therapeutic intervention programs, and provides treatments to support recovery.

Prioritizing patient-centered care

Alex Alvarez, DAT, LAT, ATC, OPE-C – a 2024 graduate of UF’s Doctor of Athletic Training program – serves as one of three athletic trainers for 3,000 to 4,000 individuals at the U.S. Marine Corps’ Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan. As part of the Marine Corps Sports Medicine Injury Prevention Program, Alvarez treats injuries, teaches injury prevention, and helps rehabilitate patients.

“It’s been the best job I’ve ever had,” Alvarez said. “To me, it is so gratifying to serve those who serve us. Being able to give back is the most gratifying feeling I have.”

While working as one of the Doctor of Athletic Training program’s first athletic trainer residents at UF, Alvarez treated patients in the Military Wellness Clinic, covered morning physical training, and created educational tools for cadets and midshipmen. Alvarez said that having access to athletic trainers in a military setting plays an important role in taking the strain off the medical system and educating service members on how to prevent short- and long-term injuries.

“UF’s Doctor of Athletic Training program focuses on the importance of patient-centered care and evidence-based practice. It’s all about putting the patient first,” Alvarez said. “It’s also important to look at injury and pain management in the long term. I don’t want you to put your body through the wringer, but instead, to make sure you have a fulfilling life by preventing and rehabilitating from injuries.”

Between January 2021 and May 2024, there were about 225 students in UF’s ROTC program, and an average of 58 students across all branches utilized services from the athletic trainer during the academic year. As a result, the athletic training services that these students received at the Military Wellness Clinic deferred approximately $22,300 in health-related expenses per academic year (about $385 per student).

In addition to treating injuries, UF’s Doctor of Athletic Training residents have helped mitigate risk for students. The athletic trainers participate in on-site morning physical trainings and are present during field training at locations like Camp Blanding in Starke, Florida – identifying and preventing injury risks, and providing emergency care to students as needed. Having a Doctor of Athletic Training resident on-site to coordinate care when emergencies occur reduces the burden on individuals in the cadre, who are not trained healthcare providers.

“Having access to an athletic trainer supports our cadets and midshipmen with injury prevention and the recovery process. The athletic trainer also helps the branch cadre with facilitating medical clearance processes for those cadets or midshipmen placed on medical restrictive status,” Tripp said. “Our cadets and midshipmen have access to the athletic trainer, who can educate them on the importance of reporting injuries early – using the recovery tools available in the clinic for injury prevention and supporting their safe return to activity.”