Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) is Australia's peak authority on all issues relating to sports medicine, sport science and exercise for the physically active

Sports Medicine Australia (QLD Branch) is committed to educating the QLD sport and recreation industry in the prevention, management and rehabilitation of sporting injuries in order to make sport safer for all participants at all levels of competition

SMA offers two levels of training to those involved in sport. Their courses are called "Sports Trainer" Level I or II. The course provide trainers with advanced skills in sport specific injury prevention including the use of strapping/taping and massage. In the case of injury Trainers have advanced first aid, assessment, treatment and injury rehabilitation skills.

The role of the Sports Trainer seems little understood within the wider sporting community. Most schools etc see the sports trainer as only a specialised first aider, but that is just one facet of the skills that a Sports Trainer has.

The role of the trainer is much wider and also encompasses pre match conditioning and fitness training, event specific skills training,  holistic services such as massage, pre event massage, pre event prophylactic strapping and taping, pre event warm up and stretching. The Sports Trainer is a specialised role that is well understood by professional sporting teams such as the Brisbane Lions, Broncos etc. There the sports trainer is an integral part of the medical and conditioning teams that help put teams on the field and keep them there. So next time you see a trainer on the field or watching intently from the sideline watch what they are doing.

The reason they hover and watch the game intently is not so they can enjoy the game but to spot how injuries occur and to render immediate first aid, stabilise the victim and then transport the victim to the medical team. The Sports Trainer then becomes vital in the rehabilitation process as they are able to describe how the injury occurred thereby enabling the medical team to accurately diagnose and treat the injury. Later the Sports Trainer will assist in the rehabilitation process of the athlete with supervising and delivery sports specific rehabilitation programs and pre event prophylactic treatments.

As a Senior Sports Trainer and Level 4 Track Coach I can provide a professional service to your team by planing and delivering pre-season conditioning programs, speed programs, event specific skills training, identifying underlying biomechanical weaknesses in athletes e.g. Osteitis pubis, providing pre-event strapping/taping to reduce on field injuries, on field first aid and supervising and delivering rehabilitation programs to athletes.