OwnATC Launches Platform to Help Certified Athletic Trainers Expand Access to Care in Their Communities

OwnATC helps Certified Athletic Trainers open independent practices and is recruiting a founding cohort to expand access to care beyond traditional settings.

DURHAM, N.C., Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- OwnATC is launching a clinical governance and practice support platform that helps Certified Athletic Trainers move beyond traditional settings and deliver care directly to the public in communities across the country.

Certified Athletic Trainers are licensed sports medicine professionals trained to support athletes with injury management, movement health and ongoing physical readiness. Yet despite their training, many remain concentrated within schools, universities and professional sports organizations, limiting access to their expertise within the broader community.

OwnATC is working to change that.

"Certified Athletic Trainers have a tremendous amount of expertise, but most people never have the opportunity to work with one," said Erik Barr, founder of OwnATC. "We're building a platform that helps these professionals serve their communities directly and bring the kind of care typically available to elite athletes to more people."

A key barrier to independent Certified Athletic Trainer practice is the combination of physician supervision requirements and other regulations that vary by state. OwnATC is developing a centralized model to help affiliated Certified Athletic Trainers navigate those requirements while providing the operational support needed to deliver services successfully outside traditional institutional settings.

The platform brings together clinical governance, supervising physician relationships and quality assurance into a centralized support structure for affiliated Certified Athletic Trainers. The goal is to create scalable infrastructure that helps these clinicians deliver services directly to the public by reducing the administrative and compliance barriers that have historically limited independent practice.

"After spending over a decade supporting collegiate and Olympic athletes, I have seen how valuable consistent access to a Certified Athletic Trainer can be," said Dr. Rae Martin, Certified Athletic Trainer and clinical director at Optimyzed Movement & Recovery. "There are talented Certified Athletic Trainers across the country who have the skills to make a meaningful impact far beyond the sidelines. Creating new settings where they can use the full breadth of their education and experience has the potential to benefit both the profession and the communities they serve."

The model builds on the success of Optimyzed Movement & Recovery, the team's Athletic Wellness clinic in Durham, NC, which serves as a real-world proof of concept for Certified Athletic Trainer-led care. The clinic gives everyday athletes and people with physically demanding careers access to personalized care that supports long-term movement health. Learn more at www.optimyzed.life.

The broader opportunity is tied to growing consumer interest in wellness, longevity and maintaining physical capability throughout life. OwnATC believes Certified Athletic Trainers are uniquely positioned to help bridge the gap between episodic, reactive care and the ongoing support active individuals need to stay healthy, resilient and active over time.

OwnATC is currently recruiting a founding cohort of Certified Athletic Trainers interested in opening independent practices and helping shape the platform as it expands into new communities.

Certified Athletic Trainers, strategic partners and investors interested in learning more about OwnATC can contact Erik Barr at [email protected] or visit www.ownatc.com. 

About OwnATC

OwnATC is building the infrastructure that helps Certified Athletic Trainers open independent practices and deliver care directly to the public. Through clinical governance, physician supervision support and quality assurance, OwnATC reduces the administrative and compliance barriers that have historically limited independent practice.

Media Contact:
Erik Barr, Founder
OwnATC
919-473-3144
[email protected] 
www.ownatc.com

SOURCE OwnATC