Foreword: The Role of a Team Physician and an Athletic Trainer

Over the past century, medical coverage of American football teams, from youth to professional players, has evolved significantly. My involvement began as a resident in the early 1970s covering college football camp. Then in the late 1970s, as an attending physician at Hospital for Special Surgery, I participated in team coverage at a local college. One day in the early 1980s, I received a call from Ronnie Barnes, head athletic trainer of the New York Giants. Was I interested in working with him and the team? This introduced me to a fine and enjoyable experience; over several decades as head team physician, I have learned how critical it is to have clear communication with the head athletic trainer.