Athletic training was founded in the early 1950's. At first there were only a few members centered mostly in colleges and universities. Today, athletic training has grown to 22,700 certified and student members" worldwide. For a student to become certified they must first get a four year college education with a bachelor's degree. After that they have to volunteer at a clinic or hospital and gain hands on experience, some students work for their perspective universities. Then they must also pass a license and certification exam. The certification exam consists of a written test of didactic information, a practical demonstration of athletic training skills, and a written simulation that tests problem solving, decision-making, and critical thinking. Once they complete all of these tasks they become a certified athletic trainer.
For a student at Indiana State to get a athletic training degree, they must take the following classes: prevention of athletic injuries, evaluation of athletic injuries, 1st aid and emergency care, therapeutic modalities and exercise, administration of athletic training programs, human anatomy, physiology, exercise science, kinesiology, biomechanics, nutrition, psychology, personal/community health, and instructional methods. Once one becomes certified, there are a wide variety of job fields to go into. One could work in a private or public high school or work for a college or university. Some others include; professional sports teams, amateur sports teams, sports medicine clinics, corporate settings, hospitals, health and fitness centers, U.S. Olympic centers or teams, and International athletic organizations.
What exactly do athletic trainers do? Well, the first and most important job is recognizing, evaluating, and the immediate care of athletic injuries. Other job responsibilities include; prevention of athletic in juries, rehab.
