How to Become an Athletic Trainer

If you’ve ever seen an athlete get hurt during a football or basketball game, you probably saw someone rush from the sidelines to help. That person was likely an athletic trainer. Athletic trainers (AT) are highly skilled healthcare professionals who treat injured athletes and help them through rehabilitation. They also teach athletes how to train to prevent injuries, from the way they stretch their muscles to what they put in their bodies. If you love sports and want to help others safely pursue their passions, a career as an AT might be right for you. You’ll need to earn a degree and your license before you can start this all-star career.

What Education Do I Need to Become an Athletic Trainer?

Before you can become an athletic trainer, you’ll need to go through some training of your own. A bachelor’s degree is required to begin work in the field, but most ATs go on to acquire more advanced degrees. A bachelor’s program will teach you how to care for athletes from both scientific and psychosocial perspectives. You’ll learn about the fundamentals of athletic training, which includes the types of injuries that can be sustained from playing sports, how they occur, and how you should treat them.

You’ll also need to become well versed in kinesiology, human anatomy, and physiology as well as the proper medical terminology so you can communicate accurately and clearly with the physicians and nurses you may work with. And you will need a good understanding of the healthcare delivery system as a whole to understand how to conduct yourself both professionally and ethically. You can also expect to take a few psychology courses, which can help you better understand the tenets of disease prevention, safety, and lifestyle behaviors.

A master’s degree program in athletic training will give you more in-depth knowledge and the actual clinical experience that will be a differentiator for your career. You’ll learn how to provide hands-on care to athletes such as injury evaluation and diagnosis, therapeutic interventions, and proper taping and bracing. You’ll be well-trained in general medical conditions and emergency response, as well as how to respond to particular injuries, especially those of the brain or spine.

Be certain any program you choose is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, which means that the curriculum meets industry standards.

Do I Need Certification to be an Athletic Trainer?

In addition to a degree from an accredited program, you will need to earn a certificate or license, depending on the rules of your state. You will need to pass an exam administered by Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer to become certified and also meeting ongoing continuing education requirements. Each state sets its own criteria. For example, in South Carolina, you must submit a verified transcript from your school and pass the Board of Certification exam. The exam costs $330 and contains 175 scored and unscored questions on:

• Injury and illness prevention
• Assessment and diagnosis
• Emergency response
• Therapy
• Healthcare administration

After you earn your certification, you will be required to pay an annual maintenance fee to the BOC. The fee will vary based on your membership status. You’ll also need to demonstrate ongoing certification in emergency cardiac care, and complete continuing education courses, or CEUs within a year or two of certification.