Athletic trainers are health care professionals who provide services to physically active people, such as injury/illness prevention, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. Athletic trainers care for people across the lifespan and activity levels, including youth to professional athletes, performing artists, military or civil service personnel, and workers in physically demanding jobs.
To become an athletic trainer, you must complete a graduate degree in Athletic Training in a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). Upon completion of the degree, you must pass the National Board of Certification exam, and then you can start working as an athletic trainer.