The first and the foremost duty of the certified athletic trainer is to work with other certified physicians, athletic administrators, and other health care professionals. The work of the certified athletic trainers requires constant interaction with the health care professionals in order to discuss about the extent of the injury, rehabilitation program, treatment, etc. The trainer should be able to work with various medical instruments, should be able to stand for a significant amount of time and should be able to run, crouch, kneel, crawl, etc. The certified athletic trainer will also be required to travel. A certified athletic training job in sports settings requires the trainer to be present for the games and team practices. As most of the games generally take place on holidays or weekends they should be able to spare their time and be present for work. If the certified sports trainers are working with schools, colleges, and universities, they generally have to work for around 40 to 60 hours a week on average. But during practice sessions, training camp, and competitions they may even have to work around 12 hours a day. The work of the certified trainer is full of stress and responsibility. The trainer should be able to make quick decisions regarding the treatment of the athlete.
In order to obtain a certified athletic trainer job you will need a minimum of a bachelor's degree, preferably in athletic training, exercise science, health, or physical education. In addition to this, the certified athletic trainer job also requires the study of nutrition, human anatomy, psychology, exercise physiology, etc.
The entry level athletic training education program consists of traditional classroom based teaching and clinical setting. CAATE which is an abbreviation of Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education accredits education programs related to athletic training in United States of America. The athletic training program should help the students to learn and understand about risk management, normal medical conditions, pathology of illness, strength and conditioning, emergency medical care, weight management, therapeutic exercises, massages, etc.
As the certified athletic trainer has to constantly interact with the athletic administrators, coaches, physicians, and other health care professionals they must have a great command on their communication skills. They should also be able to manage difficult and stressful situations. The certified athletic trainer should possess great time management skills.
The job prospects for certified athletic trainers are very excellent and are also expected to grow in the near future. As per reports and research the employment prospect for such trainers is going to rise by 24% from the year 2006 to 2016. The growth prospect will be more while working with the health care industry and fitness and recreation sports center. Those who are looking for a position with a sports team may face steep competition and growth with a sports team will not be fast as they already have their team of skilled and highly educated health care professionals. This occupation is expected to grow and change significantly over a period of time; therefore the chances for employment within this sector are very bright. There is a great opportunity for the certified athletic trainers to grow in their respective fields. An assistant athletic trainer can become a head athletic trainer. Athletic trainers can also take up a marketing and sales job and use their skills and expertise to sell health equipment.
Certified athletic trainer salaries are totally dependent on experience and responsibilities. The fresher can start his/her earning right from $26,000. Experienced certified athletic trainers can make more than $60,000 annually.
There are so many opportunities for certified athletic trainers emerging round the globe. Certified athletic trainers have many domains to opt for and therefore the job prospects are excellent. So if you want to pursue your career as a certified athletic trainer then it's not a bad sector in any sense.
