How To Become An Athletic Trainer

Are you a sports fanatic? If you are, then you must be familiar with athletic trainers. They are often called upon to attend to players who get injured during games. They can also be seen working with athletes to get them into the best possible shape and decrease the possibilities of getting injuries.

Do you think that health and physical fitness is important? Do you think what it takes to motivate others? Can you keep your cool in stressful situations? If you have positive responses to those questions, then you can try and become an athletic trainer. How? Focus on HEALTH.

How to become an athletic trainer

1  Learn about what an athletic trainer does on a day-by-day basis.

Health oriented persons can be good athletic trainers. You can’t attend to others’ needs if you can’t even take care yourself. An athletic trainer works for long hours. Working hours may reach 60 hours per week. They have to endure physical demands of the job such as working with heavy medical equipment, running, stretching, an others. Some athletic trainers have to adjust to different environment conditions because they sometimes have to work outdoors and even accompany their clients for training in other countries.

2  Get an education.

Educational requirements must be met. A four year bachelor’s degree in related courses such as athletic training and sports science is the minimum requirement to become an athletic trainer. Courses may include subjects such as anatomy and physiology, nutrition, strength training, exercise physiology, kinesthetic, and therapy.

Make sure that your degree program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). This organization ensures that programs meet the standards for professional athletic training education. As of the moment, there are about 350 accredited programs in the country.

A Master’s degree is not mandatory, but it can help you perform your duties efficiently. It is also one determinant of the salary you receive from employers and will likely provide you with an edge when it comes to looking for a job. Over 70% of athletic trainers have a master’s degree or better according to the data gathered by the National Athletic Trainers’ Associations (NATA).

3  Get certified.

Apply for the Board of Certification exam. This examination is needed to become a certified athletic trainer. Successful examinees are given the title of ATC or Athletic Trainer, Certified.

• This examination is administered by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Board of Certification (NATABOC).

• Types of examination include: multiple choice questions, a practical section used to evaluate skill components, a written simulation test used to determine the trainers’ ability to solve problems that might occur in the actual practice.

 

The five areas of athletic training included in this examination are:

• Being able to prevent athletic injuries
• Being able to recognize and care for injuries immediately
• Providing rehabilitation of injuries
• Management of health care
• Professional responsibility, as well as further developing your profession

 Recertification is necessary.

• Basic knowledge of Emergency Cardiac Care is needed.
• Continuing Education Units (CEU) must be earned. Every 3 years, a certified athletic trainer must completer 75 CEUS.
• Athletic trainers must strictly follow the Standards of Professional Practice.
• Fees must be paid annually.

 Registration is a must in almost all states.  Exceptions are in California, West Virginia, Florida, and District of Columbia.

4  Continue your education, even after completing school and certification.

Learning must never cease. Opportunities for learning are available through offered continuing education units. The nature of work deals with treating injuries and preventing complications. On some occasions, athletic trainers face life threatening situations therefore adequate training is essential.

There are endless possibilities of what might happen in their daily work. Athletic trainers must see to it that they are capable of handling stressful situations and that they can able to think clearly in critical situations.

5  Develop solid teaching strategies.

Teaching strategies should be well designed and be proven to be effective. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure as they say. Athletic trainers must be creative in teaching their clients on ways how to prevent injuries.

Teaching methods can also help in rehabilitation and reconditioning of injured players. Motivational techniques must also be implemented to hasten recovery and optimizing health conditions. Trainers must be consistent in dealing with their clients. Flexibility is needed in considering appropriate plans; clientele may range from young students to very demanding athletes.

High standards of work must be maintained. In order to become a certified athletic trainer, applicants must be determined to work to the best of their abilities. Since athletic training is considered as a part of the health industry by the American Medical Association, you must have the necessary knowledge and adequate training because you are dealing with lives in this line of work.

Athletic trainers are a part of the health team. Usually, they are the front line of the team because of their presence near their clients. They are the first to attend to any injuries that may happen to their clients. After proper basic first aid, medical or surgical management may be necessary.

They also act as rehabilitation coaches after proper medical treatment. Athletic trainers work after their clients leave a doctors’ clinic. They are in charge of the recovery and rehabilitation phases. It’s their responsibility that their clients reach optimum health and good conditioning after the suffering the injury.

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