How to Become a Good Sports Therapist
Helping rehabilitate injured athletes, giving proper training techniques and helping to prevent injury is a tall order to fill. Sports therapists are trained to do all this and more. Working with amateurs and professional athletes, these therapists are a different kind of physical therapist. In order to be good in this occupation, one must love what they do. Once the drive and desire are in place, becoming a good sports therapist is easy.
- Play sports in high school to build the proper physical and mental foundations to becoming a sports therapist. Having a solid knowledge of sports is mandatory.
- Choose a college that offers a sports therapy major. Other related majors include physical therapy and physiotherapy.
- Receive a bachelor of science degree. Essential courses needed to obtain a sports therapy degree include anatomy, physics, chemistry, psychology, and physiology.
- Complete an internship. You will need lots of training on the field to obtain a sports therapist license. Certain universities, Boston University for example, assign internships. These internships can range from sports teams to hospitals.
- Obtain a state-issued license to practice physical therapy. You will need to pass a state-administered test. Be sure to do your research and find out what is required in your state.
- Consider furthering your education with graduate school. The more qualified you become, the higher your salary will be.
- Earn the sports therapy certification from APTA (American Physical Therapy Association). Candidates must have 2,000 hours of clinical practice and be licensed to practice physical therapy. A test must also be taken to receive the certification. Although the requirements are demanding, obtaining the sports therapy certification is well worth the effort and will place you among the highest rated sports therapist around.