7+ Best Schools for Athletic Training in the US (FAQs, Career) | 2022

Best Schools for Athletic Training

Best Schools for Athletic Training: In the physical education profession, athletic training is one of the most highly sought-after majors.

As a result of this, many colleges offer the degree, making it difficult for you to decide which school to attend.

If you wish to identify the best schools for athletic training in this US, then follow this article to the end.

Who is an athletic trainer?

In sports medicine, an athletic trainer is a health care provider that works with athletes and professionals to help them avoid, diagnose, and treat injuries.

They use their vast training and extensive knowledge to build treatment and rehabilitation plans that take into account not just the medical history of the individual that they are dealing with, but also their athletic objectives.

Is an athletic trainer a good career?

Become an athletic trainer, and you’ll have an excellent chance of finding work.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment in this profession will increase by 23% between 2016 and 2026, which is three times faster than the overall average.

Let’s look at it this way: A visit to an athletic trainer can help anyone who works in a physically demanding career, whether or not they are currently injured.

Athletes and professionals who want to keep their careers and their quality of life intact need to focus on injury prevention. So, preventative care is a major concern for athletic trainers.

Doctors and other medical professionals rely on them to keep their patients healthy. However, they are also involved in clinical evaluation and diagnosis, emergency care, and rehabilitation.

Athletic trainers are typically employed by organizations rather than by specific individuals, therefore they are also concerned with ensuring that the organization is run in a way that is beneficial to the health of its athletes or professional staff.

On the other hand, athletic trainers made a median wage of $48,440, greater than the national average of $39,810.

From $38,000 to $82,000 a year depending on where you work and the company you work for, your level of experience is also a factor.

What’s the difference between an athletic trainer and a personal trainer?

There is some ambiguity in the name because Athletic Trainers do not train athletes in the traditional sense of the word.

As a result, Athletic Trainers are healthcare professionals who treat athletes and non-athletes alike.

Since most states require an ATC license before they can practice their profession, earning the ATC® credential requires a bachelor’s degree from a CAATE accredited program, extensive clinical practice time under the supervision of an ATC credentialed professional, and repeated demonstrations of proficiency in over 680 clinical skills.

Unlike healthcare experts, personal trainers are trained in the field of fitness and are NOT medically trained.

There is little or very little regulation of their professional practice, and obtaining a personal training credential is extremely simple (some of which can be obtained with as little as a weekend course).

Athletic trainers and personal trainers have only one thing in common: they both work with athletes. In order to become a personal trainer, you need look into the Kinesiology major’s Fitness Studies Option.

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Is being an athletic trainer stressful?

Taking care of someone’s health, dealing with time constraints, and dealing with high expectations are just some of the stresses that come with being an athletic trainer, according to a recent study.

All athletic trainers have had to deal with stress and unpleasant situations on a daily basis.

Rather than working with the general population, athletic trainers are typically employed by a business, school, or sports organization.

More than overall fitness, they’re focused on injury prevention and therapy. As a medical practitioner, athletic trainers often hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

Best Schools for Athletic Training:

1. University of Connecticut Storrs:

The University of Connecticut is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, which is a village in the town of Mansfield. 

They provide a wide range of programs, such as the athletic training program that may be found in the department of kinesiology.

You can major in either the social science of sport or exercise science and then specialize in coaching and administration or sports management.

Most students majoring in sports training at UConn go on to pursue graduate studies.

You may earn a master’s degree in exercise science, or you could earn a master’s degree in sports management or even a doctorate in sports management.

In addition, students can get their Doctor of Physical Therapy degree through the department.

As one of the best schools for athletic training, you’ll get hands-on experience in the Athletic Training Learning Laboratory, which features a student-to-instructor ratio that’s 6:1 for classes that take place there.

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2. Indiana University Bloomington:

University of Indiana Bloomington, which is in the city of Bloomington, Indiana, is a public research university.

There is a strong focus on robust, reproducible, and transparent research at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington in order to prevent disease, promote well-being, and educate the public.

The facilities at IU include fifteen locations for athletic training, including Sembower Field, the university gymnasium, tennis, and aquatic centers, and more.

Kinesiology students begin their clinical rotations during their sophomore year, and they culminate their studies with an in-depth experience in one sport or setting during their final year.

You could also choose to major in exercise science, physical education, or health and fitness while studying kinesiology at the university level.

As one of the best schools for athletic training, the department helps train fitness specialists for the bases of the U.S. Navy in San Diego, Norfolk, and Pearl Harbor.

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3. Baylor University, Waco, Texas:

The Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation (HHPR) at Baylor University works on many different aspects of health, activity, recreation, and quality of life.

They  have probably never paid so much attention to fitness, sport performance, health, and recreation in the history of their  country.

Additionally, the department confers a Doctor of Philosophy degree with a concentration in sports training.

You will spend anywhere from 12 to 20 hours per week working with Baylor’s Big 12 Division I student-athletes or off-campus sites while pursuing your bachelor’s degree in education with an athletic training major.

You can also consider earning degrees in exercise physiology, physical education, recreation, and leisure, or health sciences as part of your preparation for a career in physical therapy, medicine, or another health-related field.

As one of the best schools for athletic training, the US Army and Baylor University work together to teach future physical therapists at the PhD and master’s degrees.

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4. School of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy at the University of Central Florida (UCF):

The Athletic Training Program, the Division of Kinesiology, and the Division of Physical Therapy are all a part of the School of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy at UCF.

An impressive number of clinical sites are available to students enrolled in the School of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy at the University of Central Florida.

This school is housed within the College of Health Professions and Sciences.

Students can better prepare for their chosen careers by working in places like local high schools, community hospitals, and even the Kennedy Space Center.

The athletic training department at UCF strongly emphasizes student choice, as evidenced by the numerous available paths.

The program’s goal is to give students the confidence to follow their interests and make their education fit what they are most interested in.

The accomplishments of UCF alumni indicate this strategy’s efficacy, which places the student at the center of the learning experience.

Students at the University of Central Florida improve the health of people worldwide, as this case indicates.

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5. Ithaca College:

Ithaca College’s athletic training education program is considered among the nation’s oldest and most prestigious because it was established in 1975.

As a major in Exercise Science and Athletic Training at Ithaca College, students get to combine academic theory with hands-on experience.

A wide range of opportunities await their undergraduate students upon graduation, including professional and doctoral programs of study as well as clinical practice in sectors related to health care.

The Master’s in Exercise & Sport Science that we provide allows you to specialize in the area of exercise and sport science that interests you the most at the graduate level.

Students who plan to enter the workforce or pursue a doctorate after graduation will benefit from the school’s well-rounded curriculum.

They have earned this respect by creating a curriculum focusing on medical science.

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6. University of Georgia:

The athletic training program at UGA lasts for two years and six semesters.

It prepares students to become highly skilled and confident health care workers in the field of athletic training who can work in a variety of clinical settings.

The Master of Science degree in athletic training is a program that can be completed in two years and is housed in the Mary Frances Early College of Education.

This degree prepares graduates for a variety of different careers.

After graduating from this program, students pursue a wide variety of occupations, including those in the performing arts, police enforcement, and even careers working in professional sports.

The program begins with a curriculum based on the scientific field’s principles. Students receive instruction in various topics, including clinical anatomy and evaluation, clinical innovations, and more.

Students can get the theoretical and practical medical training they need to work with patients if they have access to this material.

Students initially test their abilities on student-athletes at the University of Georgia, overseen by faculty partners.

But after a short time, they move on to other things, like internships in high schools, medical offices, and other businesses similar to what they did before.

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7. Florida State University (FSU) College of Health and Human Sciences:

The athletic training degree offered by the Florida State University (FSU) College of Health and Human Sciences prepares students for graduate study in athletic training, physical therapy, physician assistant, and medicine.

This course is suitable for students interested in getting clinical experience in injury prevention, recognition, and immediate care, rehabilitation, health care management, and professional development in a sports medicine setting.

Students have the opportunity to do clinical rotations in a range of settings and with a wide array of patient demographics.

The Master of Science in Athletic Training program offered by Florida State University is recognized as one of the most rigorous and comprehensive in the country.

As one of the best schools for athletic training, FSU has a rigorous curriculum that expects the best from its students. It also has a great group of students with whom its students can work.

It is not hard to understand why Florida State University produces some of the most qualified sports trainers in the country, given the caliber of its teaching staff and the achievements of its students. 

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8. University of Hawaii, Manoa:

The only athletic training program in the state of Hawaii is at the University of Hawai’i at Mnoa (UHM). It’s called the MS in Athletic Training Program.

Their program is dedicated to giving students a wide range of experiences in a learning environment that is rich in culture and preparing them for athletic training in the local, national, and international communities.

In one of the most breathtaking settings on the planet, students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa study medicine to improve the health of the human body.

The University of Hawaii is a top-tier research institution that integrates rigorous academic research with the rich cultural traditions of the islands.

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Frequently Asked Questions on the Best Schools for Athletic Training:

What is the best major for an athletic trainer?

There are a wide variety of athletic training, exercise science, and related fields of study, including kinesiology, human physiology, and injury prevention and rehabilitation.

Is it hard to become an athletic trainer?

There is a lot of hard work involved in becoming an athletic trainer. Every athlete, from golfers to football players, faces the possibility of injury. Even the slightest twist of the ankle can result in terrible pain and weeks of total immobility that can be fatal to a professional athlete’s career.

Is becoming an athletic trainer worth it?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for an athletic trainer is about $48,420 per year, with the lowest 10%of trainers making $36,960. (BLS). Trainers who are good at what they do can make six figures, especially if they work with professional athletes.

Is athletic training a difficult major?

Athletic Training is a highly competitive major. The Athletic Training Committee has a tough time admitting students who do not intend to practice sports medicine over those who do.

Conclusion:

Athletic training is concerned with preventing, examining, diagnosing, treating, and rehabilitating injuries and illnesses, whether they are sudden, acute, or long-term.

In order to become a certified athletic trainer, one must complete a medical-based education program.

Biology, anatomy, nutrition, sports medicine, and kinesiology are among the subjects you might anticipate to take.

Licenses and certifications are almost universally required for athletic trainers in almost every state.

In order to be an athletic trainer, one must have a strong work ethic and endurance. Each and every athlete faces the possibility of suffering an injury, whether they are playing golf or football.

Small ankle sprains can lead to terrible pain and weeks of immobility that can have a disastrous effect on a professional athlete’s career.

Awesome one; I hope this article answered your question.

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