Indiana Lawmakers to Address the State's Shortage of HS Athletic Trainers

At West Washington High School in southern Indiana, sports teams have been without an athletic trainer since August 2024. The 412 students there are at the mercy of coaches and the local hospital, 10 miles away, for the care that an athletic trainer would normally provide. While West Washington High School is one of the latest to deal with the athletic trainer shortage in Indiana, it is certainly not alone.

There are 409 high schools in the Indiana High School Athletic Association, and every single one of them is in need of at least one athletic trainer today.

In response to the lack of athletic trainers in the state, Indiana lawmakers have introduced House Bill 1185. The bill aims to support rural athletic trainers by funding a grant to cover living expenses in exchange for a two-year commitment to the area.

According to The Statehouse File, “This fund would come from appropriations from the Indiana General Assembly, federal and private grants, and donations made to the state department. To become an athletic trainer, you must earn a master’s degree from an accredited program. In Indiana, there are 10 schools that offer accredited degrees.”

House Bill 1185 was introduced and written by Steve Bartels, and it is currently with the House Public Health Committee for discussion.

School officials and coaches at West Washington High School told The Statehouse File how important this legislation could be. Darrin Russell, West Washington athletic director said, “Especially as big a deal as concussions are right now, you don’t want to take a chance, and you definitely want somebody who is trained for dealing with that kind of stuff to be the one making the diagnosis.” 

Said Russell, “You’re at the mercy of when a local hospital has availability for them to get in to do the therapy, so that requires kids to miss a half day of school.”