Dec. 16, 2024

The CAATE is proud to recognize the positive achievements and dedicated work of Alvaro García-Romero! Continue reading learn more about his contribution to the CAATE and the athletic training field.

How did you become involved with athletic training?

As a young teenager I always would like to be involved in sports, so when I must choose my future, I would like to choose something that has a relationship with sports. So, I studied Physiotherapy in Spain because was the only opportunity to be able to work in the field. Later, I studied a Master in Sport Physiotherapy what is most likely Athletic Training. I realized about Athletic Training through LinkedIn when I received one morning a text from one Athletic Training Program Director, Anthony Breitbach, who saw that I was Program Director of a Sport Physiotherapy Master, and he would like to share information. I did not know at that moment what was AT, and once I had the opportunity to know I was really engaged. So, from there, I realized that if when I was that teenager, I would have the opportunity to study AT, I would have done it.

How did you become involved with the CAATE?

After some years visiting US, I realized that getting the accreditation from CAATE to our program in Spain would be a great achievement. So, we put in place our resources at UCJC to explore this possibility. At the end, the Program was accredited, being the first international accredited by CAATE. We were proud of this achievement. After this process CAATE proposed me to take a role in the International Committee as a Vice-Chair and later, I have the opportunity to serve as a Chair of the Committee.

What are some highlights from your athletic training career?

I started my career helping in a couple of soccer teams in Spain, but the experience was tough. Nobody taught me during my education that rough part of the sport. But after that, I had the opportunity to work with the Royal Spanish Swimming Federation, finishing my involvement with them at the Olympic Games in Athens 2004. Taking part in the Opening Ceremony in that event was one of the best moments in my career. Now, I am the Head of Performance and Medical at Watford FC in United Kingdom, so being able to have this responsibility, having had the experience to Lead a Premier League team, professionally is a something that I am proud of.

What is a highlight from your involvement with the CAATE?

Trying to explore and support different programs that are looking for accreditation is part of my dedication to CAATE. We had a big challenge in these years, the COVID pandemic, what slow down some of these processes. Nut now, I can see a big flow of interest in the International Accreditation Process.

In your words, how do you believe you are contributing to the CAATE mission? 

(The CAATE mission: Serving as a catalyst to advance athletic training education through the promotion of quality improvement, innovation, diversity, and best practices for student recruitment.)

Being the Program Director of the First international Program Accredited by CAATE expanding the Athletic Training Profession through education in Spain, potentially would be my major contribution to CAATE mission. This spring, we renewed the Accreditation after the change to the new standards, so keeping this level of standard out of US contributes to the CAATE innovation and diversity values.

Why do you believe students, faculty, and athletic trainers should become involved with the CAATE?

Everyone has experiences in life that can help others to understand what they must expect in the future. Being a volunteer in CAATE makes you feel that you are creating some guidelines for the future of the education in this profession. International volunteers can help bring experience and knowledge about education from abroad that can help to funnel new methods to evaluate programs, teaching in class or administer programs.

Can you share words of inspiration or a quote about your experience in athletic training or the CAATE?

Being an umbrella that protects and clarifies ideas for the people who are coming with all their strength will allow them to develop and growth the profession.