Inclusive Steps for Paving the Path for Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Athletic Training Research.

As identified by the Board of Certification, approximately 20% of athletic trainers (ATs) identify as a race or ethnicity (or both) other than White. Although we have seen an increase in racial and ethnic diversity in athletic training over the past 10 years, candidates who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC) still face significant challenges completing the Board of Certification examination and becoming certified ATs. Furthermore, in a field that is currently advocating to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) in clinicians and how we treat our patients, recruiting and retaining members of marginalized communities as athletic training clinician-scientists are immediate needs. In a push to ensure that our clinicians are engaging in DEIA strategies to enhance patient care, it is also important to make sure that BIPOC individuals are helping to create evidence that is relevant to marginalized communities and taking action to create equitable solutions. In this commentary, we will (1) discuss our personal experiences as women of color in athletic training research and (2) provide a call for action to recruit and retain BIPOC athletic training researchers.