{"id":5301,"date":"2025-06-22T21:59:26","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T04:59:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pacific.edu\/blog\/?p=5301"},"modified":"2025-07-30T15:29:34","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T22:29:34","slug":"how-to-become-an-athletic-trainer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pacific.edu\/blog\/2025\/06\/22\/how-to-become-an-athletic-trainer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to become an athletic trainer\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Athletic<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Arguably the best 3-point shooter in NBA history, it\u2019s hard to imagine basketball without Golden State Warriors\u2019 star Stephen Curry. But when the Warriors extended his rookie contract in 2012, it was considered a risky move. The main reason was his injury-prone ankles<\/a>, which caused Curry to miss dozens of games in prior seasons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After getting ankle surgery that year, Curry and his trainers worked to mitigate that issue with targeted exercises<\/a>. The treatment drastically reduced his number of injuries and kept him on the path to stardom. His experience shows the importance of athletic trainers in sports.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Athletic trainers work with health care teams to prevent, treat and rehabilitate<\/a> injuries and other medical conditions.  They often work under or alongside physicians to provide services like wellness education, examination, therapeutic intervention and emergency care.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the name, athletic trainers don\u2019t work exclusively with athletes. They also work with physically active people in commercial settings, performing arts, civil servants and the military.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The profession requires a mixture of specialized health care, therapeutic and human body knowledge. You need to complete an accredited master\u2019s degree<\/a> and pass a national exam<\/a> to become a certified athletic trainer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can see the importance of athletic trainers in Bureau of Labor Statistics data<\/a>: it projects a 13% increase in employment by 2033. That\u2019s more than triple the average employment increase, which sits around 4%.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being an athletic trainer isn\u2019t just about working in an expanding field. It\u2019s about helping people. Aron West, who earned an athletic training master\u2019s degree from  University of the Pacific, says that\u2019s why he does it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI went to a small high school. So, when I got injured during team sports, I had no one to advise me or even let me know what was wrong with my body,\u201d West says. \u201cOne of those instances caused me to almost lose my leg. If I had an athletic trainer, I would have been hurt two weeks instead of months and would not have needed three surgeries.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what you need to know about becoming an athletic trainer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does an athletic trainer do? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A key part of an athletic trainer\u2019s job is to prevent injuries, whether they happen in practice, during a game or in the workplace. In sports, for example, they conduct physicals, create conditioning programs and educate patients about proper warm-up routines.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite this preparation and risk-mitigation, people do still get hurt. Athletic trainers, especially in sports, are trained to assess an injured person and provide immediate first aid. In emergencies, they stabilize the person until more thorough medical care is available.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After an injury, athletic trainers also develop rehabilitation plans to help people heal as quickly and safely as possible. These treatment plans can include exercises, therapeutic intervention and other technologies so the injured person can return to a high level of performance and prevent reinjury.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This work is vital for professional sports leagues, but that\u2019s just part of the story. Many other institutions like universities, hospitals and businesses also rely on these professionals to keep people healthy.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, the National Athletic Trainers\u2019 Association estimates<\/a> around 50% of all athletic trainers work for universities, colleges, middle- and high schools. Athletic trainers also work in fields you might not expect, like the performing arts, the military, in occupational health departments or in commercial industry.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

West works as an injury prevention specialist for Amazon, where he tracks and mitigates occupational health concerns that can result in doctor\u2019s visits and lost worktime.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cIt\u2019s just as busy as an athletic training room,\u201d he says. \u201cIn this field, people work their body hard and for long hours, just like our athletes, so we refer to them as industrial athletes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Undergraduate education<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While many fields have a \u201cstandard\u201d undergraduate degree, like psychology or biological sciences, this is not the case for athletic training. Master\u2019s degree programs in athletic training don\u2019t require a particular degree. They do, however, require coursework in areas like biology, anatomy and physiology.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if you want to get a master\u2019s degree, you should research programs you\u2019re interested in and keep their requirements in mind as you choose your classes. Degrees in sports medicine or kinesiology are good options, although they aren\u2019t offered at all universities.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another good option is a bachelor\u2019s degree in health and exercise sciences. <\/a>This degree offers an interdisciplinary education to prepare you for careers or advanced study in athletic training, occupational therapy or physical therapy.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Master\u2019s degree programs also require a certain number of clinical observation hours verified by a certified athletic trainer. Many undergraduate programs build internships into the degree, but you can also look for opportunities with athletic trainers in high schools, community colleges or universities.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graduate school<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In a Master of Science in athletic training program<\/a>, you learn proven techniques to minimize injury risk, handle emergency situations and recover from injuries.  When you chose a program, there are a few things to keep in mind.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should be sure the program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education<\/a>, also known as CAATE. Only those programs make you eligible to take the Board of Certification test<\/a> required to become a certified athletic trainer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the measures of a program\u2019s success rate is its first-time BOC exam pass rate. In its most recent review<\/a>, 86% of Pacific\u2019s graduates passed the exam on their first try.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your clinical education is one of the most critical parts of your athletic training master\u2019s degree. That\u2019s where you\u2019ll get hands-on opportunities under the supervision of a certified athletic trainer, learn to apply your knowledge and build connections in the industry.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, when you\u2019re choosing a master\u2019s degree program, look at what kinds of clinical experiences they can offer you. In Pacific\u2019s program, there are extensive opportunities for direct athlete care at the university itself, with other universities and with sports teams like Sacramento Republic FC and the San Jose Sharks <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students in Pacific\u2019s program have also done independent internships with the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Diamondbacks.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI got to work with hundreds of athletes,\u201d West says. \u201cI worked with multiple D1 teams, best-of-the-best athletes whose bodies went through a lot. I worked in a physical therapy clinic as well, so I saw a variety of injuries and learned so much from different experts in the field.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve finished your master\u2019s program, there is still a major step you need to take before you can start practicing as a certified athletic trainer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Athletic trainer certification<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Board of Certification for Athletic Trainers<\/a>, more commonly known as the BOC, sets the standards for athletic training practices, certification and continuing education the U.S. It is the only body in the U.S. where you can get an certification as an athletic trainer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get this certification, you need to pass the BOC certification exam<\/a>. The exam tests you on the five domains of athletic training:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n