6 Steps to an Online Athletic Training Degree

Athletes normally go for excellent training to be physically fit and also to be the best at what they do. They achieve this because they have athletic trainers that help them keep fit. Read through this article to find out more!

Athletes require vigorous training to be able to participate in races and other sports activities that require strength and physical skill. To do so, they need the assistance of athletic trainers that will help them achieve physical and healthy fitness. Athletic training is a rewarding field that combines highly sought-after fields: health care and athletics.

 Athletic trainers are often thought of as working for a collegiate or professional sports team and running out on the field of play whenever an athlete goes down with an injury during a game. There is a whole lot more to the job than just knowing how to treat an athletic injury on camera, but it shows how high-profile, pressure-packed, and exciting the job can be.

According to the national athletic trainers association (NATA), athletic trainers (ATs) are highly qualified, multi-skilled healthcare professionals who provide service or treatment, under the direction of or in collaboration with a physician, following their education, training, and the state’s statutes, rules and regulations.

Athletic trainers work to prevent, diagnose and treat musculoskeletal injuries, especially among athletes. They help people learn to exercise safely and effectively, and they guide patients through rehabilitation from musculoskeletal injuries. This is a rewarding career path for people who are passionate about athletics and interested in the health problems common among athletes.

To become an athletic trainer, you must pass through an accredited college to get a baccalaureate or master’s degree. Moreover, not everyone has the opportunity to pass the 4-walls of college and grab their desired degree. Some people, due to one obligation or another, can’t just go on-campus for lectures, so these athletic training degrees are provided online, so you can still further your education without compromising your other responsibilities. You can check out this article on how to obtain a sports analytics degree online if interested.

Online Athletic Training Degree

What is an Online Athletic Training Degree?

An online athletic training degree is a bachelor’s or master’s degree in athletic training that is gotten online. You have to choose an online program from an institution accredited by the commission on accreditation of athletic training education. A lot of universities offer online courses on athletic training and a lot of these programs are available online for you to take up in the comfort of your home.

How much does an Online Athletic Training Degree Cost?

The cost of an online athletic training degree program varies depending on the school that offers the program. It also varies depending on whether the student offers the program full-time or part-time. For the current academic year, the average tuition of colleges offering an Athletic Training/Trainer program is $29,225 for undergraduate programs and $20,985 for graduate programs.

6 Things you can do with an Athletic Training Degree

 There are numerous jobs and professions that one can undertake with an athletic training degree. Earning an athletic training degree and license can help you pursue any of the following careers. They are as follows;

  • Sports Athletic Trainer
  • Performing Arts Athletic Trainer
  • Sports Coach
  • Physician Assistant (PA)
  • Occupational therapist
  • Exercise physiologist

Online Athletic Training Degree – 6 Steps to Obtain

Before you obtain an online athletic training degree, you must follow some important steps. You start by doing the following;

1.      Research colleges and universities that offer online athletic training programs.

This is the first step you should take because not all schools offer online athletic training programs. In addition to finding a school that offers this program, you should also make sure the program you choose is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education(CAATE). This can mean that your program may offer training and instruction in line with the certifying body’s exam requirements.

2.      Obtaining  your bachelor’s degree

The next step to follow is to complete your bachelor’s degree in athletic training at the desired school hose by you. During your bachelor’s program, you are expected to study topics such as first aid, anatomy and physiology, human movement, emergency care, and injury prevention techniques.

3.      Completing your Clinical Training

As you complete your bachelor’s program, you may also participate in clinical training. During your clinical training, you may be directed by a professional and licensed athletic trainer. Additionally, the topics you study in your bachelor’s program may be the skills you use in your training, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and emergency training, and the athletic and movement-based skills you learned during your program.

4.      Taking and passing your certification examination

After completing your bachelor’s degree program and clinical training, you can sit for the athletic trainer certification exam through the certifying body. Depending on the state you seek licensing in, you may also be required to obtain an additional basic life support license. After you pass the exam, you are eligible to obtain your certification.

5.      Gaining work experience

As you complete your education and training programs, you should also consider opportunities to gain professional experience. For instance, you might apply for a summer internship as you study for your exam. You might also volunteer at a local gym or fitness center to show employers the skills and expertise you gained through your training. As you finish your degree and certification, gaining work experience in this way can help add relevant skills and experience to your resume when you start looking for employment.

6.      Staying up to date on your certification renewal

After obtaining your athletic trainer certification and working in the field, you may be required to renew your certification. Many states may require you to complete continuing education or training as a requirement of certification renewal. Organizations like the Board of Certification ( BOC) may also offer specific certification maintenance requirements that include yearly reporting of continuing education and additional related certification.

List of Schools that offer Online Athletic Training Degrees

As I said earlier in this article, not all schools offer online athletic training degrees. So, I will be making a list of the schools that offer it below. They are as follows;

  • University of Florida
  • University of Miami
  • Georgia Southern University
  • University of Georgia
  • Florida State University
  • Troy University
  • University of Central Florida
  • Indiana State University
  • Ohio State University
  • Nova Southeastern University
  • University of South Florida
  • University of Iowa
  • The University of Texas at Austin
  • University of South Carolina
  • Concordia University Chicago
  • Temple University
  • University of Western States
  • Michigan State University
  • University of Utah
  • Concordia University, St. Paul
  • Sacred Heart University
  • University of Virginia
  • Fresno Pacific University
  • George Washington University

Conclusion

Now that you have seen the necessary steps needed in becoming a professional athletics trainer online. You can go ahead and enroll in any school of your choice and obtain the desired degree.

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