Athletic Trainer

An athletic trainer is a healthcare professional who works in the field of sports profession. People often confuse personal trainer with an athletic trainer but they are significantly different. A personal trainer works with an individual to help them gain a better physique and a better exterior but an athletic trainer is a healthcare professional who takes care of sports injury or athletic related injuries. They are one of the first healthcare providers on the scene when injuries occur whether in an official game or practice. Their duties and responsibilities include but not limited to treating injuries for people of all ages, apply protective or injury devices such as tapes, bandages, and braces. They specialize in prevention, assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of the musculoskeletal injuries. They are trained in recognizing, preventing, and managing, and rehabilitating injuries that may have result from physical activities. They also advise people on proper technique in variety of physical activities in order to avoid injuries and it is not uncommon to see some athletic trainers help in strength and conditioning even though they are not personal trainers. They collaborate with physicians to provide best possible assistance and care for an injured athlete. Under direction of a physician, they treat and prevent athletic injuries by developing therapies to reduce pain and improve mobility. They perform varieties of complicated goals and work under a general supervision and reports to a manager or head of unit/department they work under. Athletic trainers in professional sports work with physician, coaches, and management of the team to oversee the overall health of the players on the team. They often work in a f...

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...ome companies even offers tuition reimbursement.

Athletic training career is one of the careers in healthcare that requires hard work, dedication, and patience. It is competitive and because of that, it requires extensive schooling. Most jobs in athletic training field requires a bachelor degree from an accredited program but having a masters degree or a doctorate degree from an accredited program increases one’s chance of getting a better job or qualifying for an affluent position in one’s company. One has to pass the rigorous board exam as well in order to be a certified athletic trainer. Athletic trainer’s job setting varies. Some athletic trainers work in the hospitals, some in colleges and universities, some work in occupational industries, and some work in professional sports. Employment, pay, and benefits is based on one’s experience and qualifications.