Athletic trainers evaluate, advise, and treat athletes to assist recovery from injury, or maintain peak physical fitness (“29-9091 Athletic Trainers”). During the 5th century, Herodicus of Megara (aka father of sports medicine) was the first to combine sports with medicine. After World War (1916) trainers played a bigger role, and began to work at the college level. A year later (1917) Dr. S. E. Bilik wrote “The Trainers Bible” (“History of Athletic Training”).
Now athletic training is more advanced with its requirements and qualifications, working conditions and salary, it’s days you spend listening and learning, and its future needs and developments. Career Requirements and Qualifications The minimum education required for this career is a bachelors, and the maximum is a masters. About 4-8 years of school. You also need a license and a certificate and you have to pass a board test (“29-9091 Athletic Trainers”). I plan on going to Oklahoma State to get my degree at a division 1 school.
The cost is about $19,000 a semester (“Oklahoma State University Medical Center – Home”). You need to have a wide variety of skills for this job. Some of these skills are: -active listening (being able to listen to what people tell you and ask them questions) -critical thinking (using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or take corrective action) -speaking (talking to others to convey information effectively) active learning (understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem solving and decision making) (“29-9091. 00 – Athletic Trainers”). Working Conditions and Salary Athletic trainers normally work in High schools, colleges, Universities and with professional sports team. The beginning wage is usually around $40-$42,000 a year. The maximum salary to expect $45-$50,000 (“ExploreHealthCareers. org”). Some of the potential health risks and/or safety issues are biohazards and blood pathogens (Hargis).
The factors affecting your salary are obviously based on where you work, depending on the school, college, university, or professional sports team. A few of the expenses are for some of the board tests you have to take and pass to get certified (Hargis). One of the benefits is that you get paid to watch sports (Hargis). The days may be full of listening and learning but in the end it is very rewarding. Typical Day After speaking with Geoff Hargis he told me that his typical day starts off with preparing for practice, treatments, and rehab with athletes.
His usual hours on regular days are 8:00am5:30pm, but on game days it is 8:00am- 10:30-11:00pm. The best parts of the day Geoff said was” When I’m here, even though I’m at the clinic during some days I’d rather be here. ” The most challenging thing for him is dealing with coaches and athletes who do not understand that long term injuries happen when they do not let the injury heal right. (Hargis) There are few various needs for a future in this career. One of them being able to get hired, employment is projected to grow 19% from 2012- 2022 (“Athletic Trainers and Exercise Physiologist”).
Which is faster than the average for all occupations (“Athletic Trainers and Exercise Physiologist”). There certain certain classes you have to take in this major and a few of them are risk management and injury prevention, orthopedic assessment, acute care of injury and illness, therapeutic modalities, and there’s some more but here is a few of them (“The Towson University Athletic Training”). Some of the future needs is obviously new technology/equipment and techniques to prevent and help strengthen injuries in athletes.
The career might change depending on on the invention of new technology, like I mentioned in the last sentence it could definitely help with the prevention and/or faster healing of injuries. This career is needed all over the U. S. and I am sure in other countries as well. Just as long as there is an opening at a school, college, university, or a professional sports team. Interest in the Career I’m really interested in this career because I just want to help athletes be able to play the sport they love.
The main reason | became interested in this career was because my freshman year I completely tore two of my major ligament in my ankle and I was out for two years. The recovery process was long and difficult because every time I would try to come back and play on it I would hurt it again and again and again. During my recovery I became very intrigued by athletic training. Mainly because I want to help athletes get back as fast as possible, because I know it is pretty depressing not being able to do the one thing you love.
A plus is you get paid to watch sports which I mean come on how is this not a cool a job? Next year I plan on being a football trainer to get some hands experience and after I graduate from Harrah I hope to attend OSU and further my experience at the division 1 level in their allied health department, and hopefully get to shadow a professional trainer at the college. One day I’m hoping to be at the top level of athletic training such as working with NFL players, MLB players, and the best one yet NBA players. Personal Interview After interviewing Mr.
Geoff Hargis I learned that “you get out what you put in” something he tells me all the time since I’m always talking to him about my future with this career. He is experience is from going K-State and shadowing and learning at the division 1 level (which is the best level to learn at), now he is our school’s athletic trainer. His recommendation to me was that I should not slack at the beginning of my courses and that I take all of it very seriously. He also told me that I should get into a good school and have some hands on experience with division 1 sports and high school sports. (Hargis)
Athletic training will continue to get more advanced in the future with its requirements and qualifications, working conditions and salary its days of listening and learning new things, and its future needs and developments. With all the requirements of schooling, learning and studying, the training, the salary of $40 grand, and just getting to help athletes it excites me so much. I just want to help athletes as best as I can just so they will not have to experience what I experienced. I know enduring through all the schooling and training it will be very very rewarding in the end.
