Bones and muscles in our bodies can suffer a wide variety of problems, especially in an athletic or sports environment.
Physical injuries or accidents can seriously affect our mobility and our overall health.
If you are fascinated by how the muscles and bones in our body work, and have the vocation to help others, becoming an athletic trainer might be the right career for you.
In the next few sections, we’ll talk about this profession, what you need to become one and how much athletic trainer school costs.
Table of Contents
What Is an Athletic Trainer?
An Athletic Trainer is a professional that prevents, diagnoses, and treats bone and muscle diseases and injuries.
Athletic Trainers focus on problems mostly generated in an athletic or sports setting, providing assistance to players or athletes when they need it most.
There are other areas where Athletic Trainers are also needed, such as schools, universities, or even law enforcement and the military.
What Does an Athletic Trainer Do?
Some of the duties of Athletic Trainers are to diagnose bone and muscular injuries, create and develop preventive and rehabilitation programs, treatments and administer emergency or first aid care, among others.
Athletic Trainers work with other healthcare professionals, such as Physicians, in order to offer a more complete and comprehensive evaluation and treatment of the illnesses or injuries suffered.
Athletic Trainer vs. Personal Trainer
A common mistake is to believe that Athletic Trainers and Personal Trainers are the same.
Personal Trainers’ main concern is to develop programs for their clients to become and/or stay fit and healthy through exercise.
It’s not necessary to have a higher education degree to become a Personal Trainer.
It’s possible to pursue this career with a high school diploma.
There are associate’s or bachelor’s degrees in the fitness and healthcare field that can be obtained to improve and update the knowledge of this area.
Athletic Trainer vs. Physical Therapist
Another profession that is sometimes confused with Athletic Training is Physical Therapy.
Physical Therapy mostly focuses on the recovery or rehabilitation of physical injuries, and these professionals generally work by themselves in a clinic or medical setting.
Physical Therapists treat not only injuries but also illnesses that can affect the mobility of an individual.
Should I Become an Athletic Trainer?
This generally depends on your personality traits and your preferences.
If you enjoy sports and athletic environments, if you like the idea of helping others, you possess the ability to remain calm in moments of crisis or emergencies, and if you work well in a group setting with other professionals, then Athletic Training might be the best fit for you.
This profession has been constantly growing in the last few years, which means that there is a great demand in the job market for Athletic Trainers.
What Do I Need to Become an Athletic Trainer?
There are several options to become an Athletic Trainer.
Needed Degrees
For undergraduate degrees, the most common options are to obtain a Bachelor’s degree with a major in Athletic Training or a Bachelor’s degree that has science and health subjects in its program.
After gaining one of these degrees, most Athletic Trainers continue to pursue a Master of Science degree in Athletic Training, which will give them the clinical tools, knowledge, and experience to practice this profession.
Athletic Trainers can also obtain terminal degrees, such as a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) or an EdD (Doctor of Education).
Certification
Additionally, you will have to present and pass the BOC (Board of Certification) exam to be certified.
How Much Does Athletic Trainer School Cost?
The cost of going to Athletic Trainer school generally depends on the type of institution you choose and the city where you live.
Athletic Trainer school can cost between $5,000 and $50,000 per year.
Mandatory fees, books, and other expenses can cost on average from $1,000 to $3,000
