Becoming an athletic trainer is one of the allied health professions you can look into if you are interested in teaching people to exercise correctly, avoid injuries, and recover from injuries or illness. As an athletic trainer, you might find yourself working with professional athletes, employees in an industrial factory, a high-school sports team, or patients in a rehabilitation center.
Job Opportunities
Work opportunities include employment with a sports team, a sports park or arena, a high school, or private industry. Professional sports teams rely on athletic trainers during training practices and games to help them prepare for their sport and to take care of injuries that occur. Universities and high schools rely on athletic trainers to educate young athletes and students about good exercise and sports practices and prevent repetitive stress disorders. Physicians rely on athletic trainers to customize safe, effective exercise and physical fitness plans for patients with health problems. Hospitals and other health care facilities rely on athletic trainers to rehabilitate patients who have sustained injuries. Increasingly, industrial managers rely on athletic trainers to prevent work-related injuries.
Necessary Skills
Besides having an interest in healthcare and exercise, athletic trainers should have good people skills, a strong sense of responsibility, and the ability to handle emergency situations. Patience and stamina are useful qualities when working with football players, firefighters, or injured clients. Trainers who work with professional sports teams can expect to keep the same rigorous schedules as the players.
Educational Requirements
Unlike fitness trainers, who only need a high school diploma to look for a job, athletic trainers need to have at least a Bachelor’s Degree in sports science or athletic training, though most go on to pursue a Master’s or Graduate Degree since this opens up much wider employment opportunities. Coursework in such programs includes biology, human anatomy and physiology basics, as well as care of injuries, exercise physiology, nutrition, kinesthetics, biomechanics, strength training, and other professional skills. There will also be some required clinical training. Make sure the program you choose is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) since this will make you eligible to take the licensing exam. Currently, there are 350 such accredited training programs in the United States.
License to Practice
Most states require athletic trainers to be licensed by the Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC) before they can practice. Eligibility for this exam includes:
- Degree from a CAATE-accredited athletic training program
- Endorsement from the Program Director of the training program
- Passing grade on the exam
Once you pass this exam, you’ll be certified to practice. However, you will be required to renew your certification after three years by demonstrating that you have taken a sufficient number of continuing education courses. Athletic trainers who are hired by private institutions are usually given free certification training by their employers. Employment in a high school may also require you to have a teaching license from your state.
Job Prospects and Salary
Because of advances in the field of healthcare and the growing consciousness of promoting preventative health measures, athletic trainers can expect a faster-than-average growth rate for the next coming years, especially in universities and high schools, recreational centers, and hospitals or doctor’s offices. The most competitive jobs (with more competitive salaries) are with professional sports teams.
The average annual salary in this profession is $44,030. Trainers with higher degrees and more experience may earn more, and pay scale also varies by geographic region.
Becoming an athletic trainer with good employment options starts with having a passion for sports and healthcare. After you obtain the proper knowledge, professional skills, and certification, there are many avenues open where you can help prevent injury or help people with injuries to recover.