Personal Career Plan: Kinesiology, Athletic Trainer

Abstract

As people become more active, the demand in injury prevention increases. There are many occupations that provide injury prevention and diagnosis to those who are physically active. However, this paper will focus on athletic training as it is part of my personal career plan. My personal career plan consists of an organized description and strategies describing my career plan in Kinesiology. This will include my objective, mission statement, skills I have acquired for this career, long term goals, and a back up plan.

My passion to pursue a career in Kinesiology all started in high school. I was a student athlete who played soccer, ran cross country, and track. Due to my engagement in sports throughout my four years, I spent a lot of time in the athletic trainer’s room recovering from injury or working on preventing one. The more time I had spent with the athletic trainer the more I knew I wanted to purse a career in Kinesiology. Throughout my four years of high school, I received a lot of help from the athletic trainer and my goal is to show my gratitude by becoming an athletic trainer and helping athletes or those who are physically active. I aspire to make a positive difference in lives of student athletes and in any organization I will be associated with.

Mission Statement

With optimism and desire to make a difference I am committed to finish my career plan in Kinesiology with a concentration in exercise science to become an athletic trainer. As an athletic trainer I will take responsibility of providing a learning climate that will assist my clients in learning new skills, knowledge, and behaviors that will help them reach their greatest potential and enhance their active life. It is the obligation of an athletic trainer to prevent, recognize, and rehabilitate injuries that have resulted from physical activity all while being able to effectively respond to the changing demands within the profession. Using social skills, I will build social relationships with clients, to make evaluation and treatment much more effective and to avoid unnecessary medical treatment. With enthusiasm and a motive to make a difference, I will continue to learn new skills as an athletic trainer to provide exceptional help to any client.

Skills Acquired

Aside from knowledge, there are many skills one must obtain to become an athletic trainer such as flexibility, communication skills, and compassion. Through experiences and education, I have acquired skills that will help me in my career. For example, flexibility is a skill I have gained over time because being a full-time student and having a job requires a wide range of flexibility in my schedule to manage both work and school. Being flexible is a skill all athletic trainers must have because an athletic trainer’s schedule is always subjected to change. This occurs if the athletes practice or game has been delayed or postponed. Communication skills are also an important skill for an athletic trainer because it can help them build relationships with their clients and make the treatment or rehabilitation process easy. Good communication skills are a skill I have required over time from my current job. As a tutor of an after-school program it is important for me to have good communication with students and parents for our program to run smoothly. Finally, compassion is essential for an athletic trainer and through my personal experiences I have gained this skill. Compassion is an important skill for an athletic trainer to have because when an athlete gets injured it can be devastating especially if the injury ends the athletes season. Showing compassion to athletes who are injured is crucial because they may be going through a difficult time. Compassion is a skill I have acquired through personal experiences because I was once an athlete who had experienced serious injuries that had kept me from playing for a season. From experience, I understand that showing compassion and remaining optimistic will help athletes during their long recovery process.

To achieve my long-term goals, I must first accomplish my short-term goals. My short-term goals include finishing my studies at California State University, San Bernardino and earn my bachelors in Kinesiology. In addition, I will join programs such as Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) or the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) and complete internships to further my knowledge and prepare myself for my long-term goals. Another short-term goal would be to get a job right after graduation no matter the salary or place to get experience in the field. Some of my long-term goals would be to continue my studies and obtain a master’s degree in athletic training and pass the Board of Certification exam to become a certified athletic trainer. Ideally, after getting experience I would apply to schools to be an athletic trainer at a high school. If I can achieve each goal I will then return to school and get a teaching credential to teach physical education at an elementary school. Overall, the plan is to continue to learn new skills to help others stay healthy and physically active.

Back-Up Plan

Although my goal is to become an athletic trainer at a high school, if things do not go as planned there are many alternative careers I could consider. Due to athletic trainers being trained in injury prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation these skills exceed the environment of sports and can be useful in many other environments. Settings such as performing arts, industrial, and tactical, can all be alternative paths an athletic trainer may take. Besides high schools, athletic trainers can also be needed at colleges, clinics, physician offices, professional sports and more. If through experience I learn athletic training is not what I want to purse I would continue my career in Kinesiology to become a physical education teacher.

Conclusion

Ultimately, I am committed to expand my knowledge to provide a comfortable learning environment for all clients so they may reach their best capabilities. Through experience I will continue to gain skills needed as an athletic trainer along with improving my skills of flexibility, communication skills, and compassion. I am determined to accomplish my short-term goals now to provide gain wisdom for long term goals. Although my goal is to become an athletic trainer, being open to different career paths is crucial especially when there are many different setting athletic trainers may work at. I hope to live an enjoyable life as an athletic trainer who can give back to the community and be at a well-established site where I can utilize my knowledge to its fullest.