To become a certified athletic trainer, you need a degree in a fitness-related field, hands-on experience, and passing an exam from a state-level agency. This certification can lead to various career paths in sports, fitness, and rehabilitation.
Obtaining athletic trainer certification is necessary if you want to work as a personal trainer in any type of professional sports club, as well as many health clubs and gyms. Because a coach’s job involves understanding the function of the body and mind, becoming a certified athletic trainer isn’t for everyone. However, if you feel called to become a personal trainer or work at a sports clinic or fitness center, here’s what you should do to get your certification.
Your first step on your journey towards athletic trainer certification is to earn a degree in a fitness-related field. In many cases, you’ll need to earn at least a bachelor’s degree in fields such as nutrition, physical therapy or fitness. Courses like human anatomy and psychology are also very helpful for people who want to become fully certified as sports coaches.
With an accredited degree in a related field, the next step is to secure hands-on experience under the direction of a certified instructor. Most of the time, this type of on-the-job training will be recognized as an internship by many of the agencies empowered to award athletic trainer certification. During this time, you are likely to be involved in situations involving everything from preparing athletes for competition to providing follow-up physical therapy after the conclusion of competitions and sporting events.
Once you have hands-on experience to go along with your educational credentials, you can contact the agency responsible for granting athletic trainer certification in your area. In the United States, this function is performed by state-level agencies. It is not uncommon for a written or oral exam to be required as part of the assessment process. To ensure that you have met all the necessary requirements for certification in your area, it is a good idea to contact the agency in advance and obtain detailed information about what is and is not required in your jurisdiction.
Once you’ve met all of the local agency’s requirements, you’ll earn your athletic coaching certification and be able to pursue any number of different career paths. In addition to starting your own personal training business, you could also seek employment on a professional or semi-professional sports team, work at a high school or college as part of the athletic department, or even become a staff member at a fitness center. rehabilitation . As your certification is generally recognized outside your local jurisdiction, you may be able to get work in other areas of the country simply by filing your existing certification with the agency that oversees the area where your new job is located.
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