The NATA has roughly grown to more than 35,000 members and is still increasing day by day. Many people join the profession for the many benefits that it provides, such as knowing injuries and how to prevent them, and how to properly heal those injuries. The mission of the NATA is to advance the program and to help enhance the quality of the health care provided by athletic trainers. Students interested in athletic training must undergo two years of academic clinical education. These classes will help give the student a hands on experience of injuries and how to treat them while also being under the supervision of a professional. In order to technically be certified, you have to fully demonstrate the capabilities you have to take on the field without causing threat of harm to the public. The Board of Certification often holds examination meetings in which athletic trainers and experts of the science of athletic training get together and develop, discuss, and validate the problems in the field. The three main categories in which your knowledge and skill is evaluated as an amateur athletic trainer are understanding, analyzing, and applying, knowledge and decision making, and special performance abilities. Athletic trainers can help avoid