Why Athletic Training?
Athletic trainers are healthcare professionals that work with physicians and other healthcare professionals to help individuals return safely to sport, recreational, or work activity.
Athletic trainers typically work in places where physically active people are found, such as high schools, colleges and universities, professional sports, and many more. Employment is projected to grow 37 percent from 2008 to 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations, because of their role in preventing injuries and reducing healthcare costs.
What is an athletic trainer?
Athletic trainers are health care professionals that work with physicians and other health care professionals to help individuals return safely to sport, recreational, or work activity. Athletic trainers are taught how to prevent injuries, clinically assess and diagnosis injuries, provide immediate care to injuries, and rehabilitate injuries. Characteristics that are sometimes necessary for an athletic trainer to have are stamina, adaptability, empathy, a sense of humor, the ability to communicate, and intellectual curiosity. Athletic trainers have many responsibilities, and help make up "the sports medicine team." Though there are many healthcare professionals that service physically active people the athletic trainer is usually the first person contacted in the event of an illness or injury.
Where are athletic trainers employed?
Athletic trainers work in places where physically active people are found such as:
- High schools
- Colleges and universities
- Professional sports
- Hospitals, clinics, physician offices
- Military and law enforcement
- Industrial and commercial
- Performing arts
Since there is such a wide variety of employment settings athletic trainers have the ability to change work settings many times during their career. By having the chance to work in such a large range of employment settings athletic trainers can have the opportunity to work with different types of patients from recreational to elite athletes.
What is the job outlook for athletic trainers?
Job growth will be concentrated in the healthcare industry, including hospitals and offices of health practitioners. Fitness and recreation sports centers also will provide new jobs, as these establishments grow and continue to need additional athletic trainers to provide support for their clients. Growth in positions with sports teams will be somewhat slower, however, as most professional sports clubs and colleges and universities already have complete athletic training staff.
How do I become an athletic trainer?
You can become an athletic trainer by doing the following:
- Attend a CAATE accredited-athletic training education program. (like the one we have at Kent State)
- Complete the requirements needed to attain your degree.
- Pass the Board of Certification national examination.
There are over 350 Bachelors and Masters degrees in the nation that are accredited by CAATE. A list of all the programs in the nation can be viewed here. All programs must adhere to the standards that CAATE creates in order to maintain there accreditation. Each program decides its own methods to comply with the these standards, the procedures for admission/selection criteria for acceptance into the program, and the number of students that can be in the program.
Additional information about athletic training, what an athletic trainer is, and how to become and athletic trainer can be found at the National Athletic Trainers' Association.
