Athletic Training
What is Athletic Training? | Related Career Titles |
Related Major Skills | Job & Internship Search Links |
Career Planning Links | Professional Association Links |
Additional Resources | UNCW Dept. of HAHS |
What is Athletic Training?
Athletic Training is an allied health care profession recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA) that specializes in the prevention, evaluation, treatment, management and rehabilitation of athletic related injuries and illnesses.
The Certified Athletic Trainer (AT) is an allied health care professional that is certified by the Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC). Certified Athletic Trainers are also sometimes referred to as sports therapists or sports medicine practitioners and are the centerpiece of the sports medicine team. They serve as a liasson to the athlete, coach, physician and other supplemental personnel providing care to athletes sustaining physical or emotional trauma. Specifically, the Certified Athletic Trainer's role delineation encompasses six domains:
- Athletic Injury Prevention and Risk Management
- Recognition, Evaluation and Assessment of Injuries and Illnesses
- Immediate Care of Injuries
- Treatment, Rehabilitation and Reconditioning
- Health Care Organization and Administration
- Professional Development and Responsibility
Related Career Titles
Many athletic training majors find employment in the areas listed below; however, several of these careers may require education beyond a bachelor's degree.
High School Athletic Trainer | Sports Physical Therapist | Strength & Conditioning |
Team Physician | Massage Therapist | Assistant Athletic Trainer |
Fitness Consultant | Personal Trainer | Fitness Instructor |
University Athletic Trainer | Teacher | Coach |
Sports Club & Resort Mgr | Aerobics Instructor | Sports Dietician |
Exercise Physiologist | ||
Employment Settings for the Athletic Trainer | ||
Public & private high schools |
Sports medicine clinics |
Health and fitness centers |
Related Major Skills
Problem Solving | Operating modality machines and other training equipment |
Analyzing Injuries | Deductive Reasoning Skills |
Taping, Bandaging, and Stretching Athletes | Referring athletes to appropriate physicians when necessary |
Motor Skills | Maintain poise in emergency situations |
Communication (inform proper nutrition & diet for athletes) | Recording, organizing and storing information on injuries and rehabilitation |
Monitor rehabilitative programs | Implement exercise & rehabilitation programs for athletes |
Basic First-Aid and CPR Skills / Certification | Good judgment and decision-making |
Proficient knowledge in anatomy, physiology and biology | Working with People |
Work well under stress | Demonstrating physical stretches and rehabilitative movements |
Job & Internship Search Sites
- Handshake -- UNCW's Online Job & Career Portal
- Job Search Resources
- North Carolina Athletic Trainers Association
- Blue Fish jobs
- Team Work Sports Jobs
- Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society: jobs, internships
- American Coaching Academy
- Jobs in Sports
Career Planning Links
- Candid Career Videos
- Occupational Outlook Handbook
- O*NET OnLine
- NC Tower
- Human Kinetics: careers in athletic training and related career fields
- Allied Health Profession - Athletic Training
- Athletic Training Career Overview
- Net Wellness
- Sports Medicine Careers
Professional Association Links
- North Carolina Athletic Trainers' Association
- Southeast Athletic Trainers' Association (SEATA)
- Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education
- NATA Research & Education Foundation
- National Athletic Trainers' Association
- American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine
- National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Certification
- American College of Sports Medicine
- National Collegiate Athletic Association
- National Exercise & Sports Trainer Association
- American Physical Therapy Association
- American Society of Exercise Physiologists