Ever since I was little I have loved sports. When I got old enough, my mother signed me up to play sports in my hometown. For a while I played softball and basketball for the younger kids. Unfortunately, I never felt like I was good enough to play. When I got to 6th grade I tried out for my middle school's basketball and softball teams. Unfortunately I didn't make it either. At that moment I knew that playing sports wasn't for me, however I still had a passion for sports and wanted to attend it in some way. When I got to eighth grade I started talking to my mom and my counselor at the time to see what careers involved sports without me physically playing. My mother would say a coach or referee and my counselor would say a sports announcer or athletic trainer. I didn't really understand what athletic trainers did, but the title itself seemed interesting to me. I did a little research for the rest of my eighth grade year and finally, when I started my freshman year of high school, I met with the athletic trainer at my high school. I asked if I could shadow him at some football and basketball practices just to get an idea of ​​what he does for a living. I liked what he did, so I asked him if I could be next to him during a real football game. I thought it would be no different than watching the game in the stands since I was in the band and we were almost always with the football team during the games. I was completely wrong because being in the stands playing compared to being on the pitch is completely different. After that first game I fell in love with everything about this job. I liked how the athletic trainers were always training, taking care of the players and having fun one on one with the players without having to play. Not to mention the feeling of excitement and enthusiasm that comes from having a player spend so much time with you due to injury and seeing the excitement on his face that he gets to play again. At that moment I knew deep in my heart that Athletic Training was the path for me and my career. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay According to the National Athletic Trainers Association, to become a certified athletic trainer you must graduate with a bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited professional athletics education program. After earning your bachelor's or master's degree, you will need to pass the comprehensive test administered by the Certification Council. Once you are certified, you must complete all continuing education requirements to maintain your certified status. Athletic trainers must also work under the direction of a physician and within the scope of their state law. When you become an athletic trainer you are not limited to working only in a sports environment. Some of the most common work environments are working with a college, university, or secondary school because of the sports that school offers. Most people don't know that an athletic trainer can also work in a hospital, clinic, occupational medicine, doctor or professional sports environment. While athletic trainers aid in injury recovery, they also aid in injury prevention, making it perfect for athletic trainers to work with the performing arts, NASA, ballet, film, public safety, or industrial environment. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now..