Athletic trainers take care of everything from taping ankles for practices to assisting an injured player’s rehabilitation.

But now that treatment is facing a manpower shortage at the University of Hawaii.

This academic year, eight student trainers are assisting UH sports programs in exchange for college credits and required clinical hours. But all are completing their clinical hours at the end of this semester, and replacements might not be available because of a curriculum restructuring.

UH’s Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science (KRS) program requires entry-level master’s candidates to earn  clinical hours, which can be amassed as student trainers.

“It’s a great benefit because of the educational aspect (for the student) and it helps with staffing,” said Eric Okasaki, UH’s head athletic trainer.

But because of finances and other concerns, the KRS program is not accepting candidates nor offering classes for the 2013-14 academic year. It will resume the following year.

The one-year hiatus is creating a potential manpower shortage for an athletic training department that already is understaffed.

“We rely so much on student help, and they do such a nice job,” UH football coach Norm Chow said.

The Warriors already have been directly affected. Running back John Lister, who has two years of eligibility remaining, had hoped to earn a bachelor’s degree in May, then enroll in the KRS master’s program. Because no applications are being accepted for the fall semester, Lister requested a release to explore other programs on the mainland.

“He’s still working on that,” Chow said. “I told him he can come back if he can’t find another place. We’d love to have him back. He’s a serious-minded student. He has to do what’s best for him.”