National Football League

NFL to help fund athletic trainers

Published May. 29, 2014 1:37 p.m. ET

foxsports

WASHINGTON (AP) NFL teams and the league's foundation will fund trainers in underserved high schools nationwide in a $1 million program.

An announcement was made Thursday as part of a White House summit on youth sports safety.

The program, a collaboration with the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) and the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS), is part of $25 million committed by the NFL Foundation over the next three years toward health and safety projects.

According to NATA, only 55 percent of high school athletes nationwide have access to a full-time certified trainer. Access is particularly challenging in low-income and rural communities.

The outreach program will provide certified trainers in NFL communities. NFL teams will identify schools in their region that are eligible.

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