What You'll Do

  • Conduct an initial assessment of an athlete's injury or illness to provide emergency or continued care and to determine whether they should be referred to physicians for definitive diagnosis and treatment.
  • Care for athletic injuries, using physical therapy equipment, techniques, or medication.
  • Evaluate athletes' readiness to play and provide participation clearances when necessary and warranted.
  • Apply protective or injury preventive devices, such as tape, bandages, or braces, to body parts, such as ankles, fingers, or wrists.
  • Assess and report the progress of recovering athletes to coaches or physicians.
  • Collaborate with physicians to develop and implement comprehensive rehabilitation programs for athletic injuries.
  • Advise athletes on the proper use of equipment.
  • Plan or implement comprehensive athletic injury or illness prevention programs.
  • Develop training programs or routines designed to improve athletic performance.
  • Travel with athletic teams to be available at sporting events.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 4.0/5
Speaking 3.88/5
Critical Thinking 3.88/5
Monitoring 3.88/5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.88/5
Reading Comprehension 3.75/5
Active Learning 3.75/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.75/5
Instructing 3.62/5
Service Orientation 3.62/5
Writing 3.5/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.25/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Helper: Supporting people and making a difference matters to you.
  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.

Common styles

Integrity, Concern for Others, Dependability, Self-Control, Attention to Detail

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Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Problem Sensitivity 4.12/5
Oral Expression 4.0/5
Written Comprehension 3.88/5
Speech Recognition 3.88/5
Speech Clarity 3.88/5
Written Expression 3.75/5
Deductive Reasoning 3.75/5
Inductive Reasoning 3.75/5

Technologies & Tools

BioEx Systems Exercise Pro Database software Digital Coach AthleticTrainer Email software ImPACT Applications ImPACT Injury tracking software Keffer Development Services Athletic Trainer System ATS Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Word Premier Software Simtrak Mobility Scheduling software Spreadsheet software Web browser software Word processing software

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Integrity (High importance: 4.89/5)
  • Concern for Others (High importance: 4.83/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.73/5)
  • Self-Control (High importance: 4.6/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.59/5)

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How to Become One

This career requires extensive preparation, typically including a graduate degree (Master's or Doctoral) and several years of experience. Most professionals in this field have invested significant time in education and training.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Athletic Instructor Athletic Lecturer Athletic Trainer Certified Athletic Trainer Clinical Athletic Instructor Clinical Athletic Trainer Fitness Specialist Licensed Athletic Trainer On-Site Industrial Athletic Trainer Outreach Athletic Trainer Personal Trainer Physical Trainer Resident Athletic Trainer Sports Athletic Trainer Sports Medicine Trainer Sports Trainer Women's Athletic Trainer