The Kenny Howard Fellowship Program was created to offer certified athletic trainers interested in a career in high school athletic training the opportunity to obtain their master’s or doctoral-level degrees through graduate assistantships.  Students are enrolled in either the Department of Kinesiology or Curriculum and Teaching at Auburn University and are granted assistantships through Auburn University.  Students are placed at participating high schools to assist in the administering of the health care needs of the school’s athletic population.

The program benefits the graduate students as well as the school systems.  The school provides an educational laboratory for the certified athletic trainers and the participating schools have board certified athletic trainers dedicated to their schools alone.  This allows a one-on-one relationship between the athletic trainer and his school.  The coaches, administrators, and parents are reassured the student-athletes’ health care is managed in a safe, efficient manner.  Our optimal goal is to return the student-athletes to play as soon as they are rehabilitated from their injuries.  This is accomplished through a team approach with the athletic trainers, physical therapists, doctors, parents and coaches all well informed of the student-athletes’ progress.

Injury prevention is paramount to what we do.  Our program offers pre-season physical screenings, pre-season conditioning courses, outreach educational programs, and lectures and seminars on adolescent and pediatric athletic health care.  Educating athletes and coaches on appropriate skills and techniques, flexibility, strength and conditioning, and heat and safety issues can help reduce the number and severity of injuries.