title: Identifying context-specific competencies required by community Australian Football sports trainers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  First-aid is a recommended injury prevention and risk management strategy in community sport; however, little is known about the sport-specific competencies required by first-aid providers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To achieve expert consensus on the competencies required by community Australian Football (community-AF) sports trainers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A three-round online Delphi process.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community-AF.
  
  
  METHODS
  16 Australian sports first-aid and community-AF experts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rating of competencies as either 'essential', 'expected', 'ideal' or 'not required'. Results After Round 3, 47 of the 77 (61%) competencies were endorsed as 'essential' or 'expected' for a sports trainer to effectively perform the activities required to the standards expected at a community-AF club by ≥75% of experts. These competencies covered: the role of the sports trainer; the responsibilities of the sports trainer; emergency management; injury and illness assessment and immediate management; taping; and injury prevention and risk management. Four competencies (5%) were endorsed as 'ideal' or 'not required' by ≥85% of experts and were excluded from further consideration. The 26 competencies where consensus was not reached were retained as second-tier, optional competencies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sports trainers are important members of on-field first-aid teams, providing support to both injured players and other sports medicine professionals. The competencies identified in this study provide the basis of a proposed two-tiered community-AF-specific sports trainer education structure that can be implemented by the peak sports body. This includes six mandatory modules, relating to the 'required' competencies, and a further six optional modules covering competencies on which consensus was not reached.
authors: Room 315, Building 70, Clayton Campus, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia. alex.donaldson@monash.edu
authors: Alex
authors: A
authors: Donaldson
authors: Caroline F
authors: CF
authors: Finch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D005392:First Aid / Q000592:standards*; D005538:Football / Q000293:injuries / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000592:standards; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards*; D013178:Sports Medicine / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards*