Athletic Trainer Timeline by Journi Alexander

Kinesiology Major

alexan93 — 2024-12-07 00:31:11 UTC

At Miami, I chose to major in kinesiology. I chose this major to start the beginning of my education and career in athletic training. I have always loved sports and have played them my entire life. I knew I wanted to do something sports-related for my job but I didn't want to be a pro athlete. Being an athletic trainer will allow me to be in the sports scene while also helping people.

Organizations

alexan93 — 2024-12-07 00:37:05 UTC

In the future, I plan to join the Athletes in Action organization. It is a good opportunity to become more involved in the sports life at Miami. Becoming immersed in sports is a good way to ensure that this is what I want to do and to get a better understanding of what could be going on around me in the future.

Regional Orgs.

alexan93 — 2024-12-07 00:42:46 UTC

Where I am from (Cincinnati) I was an athletic training assistant at my high school Walnut Hills. I plan to go back this summer and continue to learn from and assist the athletic trainers there. It is a great opportunity to further educate myself on athletic training and gain experience. Shadowing them is not only fun but it is a good jumpstart to my future career.

Help on Campus

alexan93 — 2024-12-07 00:49:37 UTC

A good way to seek out support on campus is by reaching out to your EHS academic advisor. When I talked to my advisor about my interest in athletic training she connected me with the director of the Athletic Training program. I got to meet with him and learn about ways that I can get involved in the MAT program and he helped me understand the basics of completing the requirements for the kinesiology major.

Internships

alexan93 — 2024-12-07 00:56:14 UTC

To be considered for an internship in athletic training you must get a C or higher in the following subjects: anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, psychology, and physics. You must also complete the required KNH courses. Once you successfully complete those courses you can apply for an internship at Miami. Miami offers new internships every year for athletic training and undergraduate students can become involved that way.

Education Requirements

alexan93 — 2024-12-07 01:14:44 UTC

In order to be an athletic trainer, you must graduate from a Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education accredited master's degree program. I plan to enroll in a combined bachelor/master's program to begin getting my certifications. I plan to attend one at either Xavier University or The University of Cincinnati because they both have really good Athletic Training programs and they are close to where I live.

Possible Jobs

alexan93 — 2024-12-07 01:27:37 UTC

Once I get my certifications, I have an abundance of places I could work. Athletic Trainers can work at middle schools and high schools, they can work at hospitals, occupational health departments, and clinics with specialties in sports medicine. AT's can even work at places like police departments, fire departments, and branches of the military. So when I am certified I have an array of options.

After Undergraduate

alexan93 — 2024-12-07 01:30:38 UTC

After I graduate from Miami as an undergrad, I plan to either attend Miami University again to continue my education or The University of Cincinnati. Ohio colleges like Ohio State, UC, Miami, and Xavier have amazing athletic programs and are very good and reliable places to receive your certifications. I hope to get into these programs immediately after graduation so there are no gaps in my education and I can get a job as soon as I can.

Application Process

alexan93 — 2024-12-07 01:38:28 UTC

The process to become an AT is kind of intimidating to me but I know that I will be able to do it. First I will attend an athletic training program at one of the top schools on my list, then I will take the national certification exam and pass it. Even though I have a while before I have to take the exam thinking about it makes me nervous. After passing the exam I will shadow and work under a certified AT.

Shadowing

alexan93 — 2024-12-07 01:44:26 UTC

Once I have taken and passed all of my required classes as an undergraduate I will seek out places where I could possibly do clinical and research each organization. I would love to travel so researching places out of state is a good start but organizations in Ohio that I would love to be involved in are FC, The Bengals, The Reds, and Beacon. These are really good and successful sports teams with strong teams of ATs.

End Goal

alexan93 — 2024-12-07 01:47:48 UTC

For the peak of my career, I hope to work in professional sports. By working my way up from working at High Schools, to colleges, I will seek out professional teams that need trainers. Specifically, I want to work for an NFL team or an NBA team. Being able to work in those organizations after watching the games and watching how the trainers respond to hurt players has inspired me to want to be a part of that and I hope to achieve that with my hard work.