Unique Perks Await A Career As An Athletic Trainer
If you love sports, working as an athletic trainer may be just what you are looking for. This challenging and demanding position will not make you rich, but it comes with some nice perks for you as well. The privileges that you will have as an athletic trainer are unique from those in all other professions.
If you are lucky enough to work for a sports team, you will have sideline seats to every game along with all expenses paid travel and accommodations for working and viewing the game. You will also have access to world class workout facilities. You will also meet and work closely with a wide array of people from diverse backgrounds. This will give you an opportunity to work with and become close to a wide variety of people, from star athletes to the guy in the neighborhood.
Depending on the work settings, the hours can vary greatly. If you enjoy being outdoors, then working for a sports team is probably better for you, although you will probably have long hours with a varying schedule. If you want a more traditional schedule, then working in a non sports environment is probably for you.
As an athletic trainer, your clients will potentially include everyone from professional athletes to factory workers. The American Medical Association recognizes the field of athletic trainers as allied health professionals. Athletic trainers specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of muscle and bone injuries and illnesses. Ad an athletic trainer, you will be one of the first healthcare personnel on the scene after an injury occurs. You must be able to recognize, evaluate, and assess injuries and give immediate medical treatment when it is needed.
You will also work to prevent injuries by working with you clients on ways to reduce their risk of injury and by training them on the proper use of the equipment, better exercises to improve balance and strength, and therapy programs after an injury.
The education required for this field is quite extensive. In order to be eligible for nearly all jobs in this field, you will at a minimum need to have a bachelor’s degree. The degree may be from a variety of disciplines, and you will need to take classes in human anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and biomechanics. As of 2009, there were over 350 accredited undergraduate programs nationwide. In order to be eligible for the best job in the field, you will want to get a master’s or a doctorate degree. Nearly seventy percent of all athletic trainers have a master’s degree or higher.
