Athletic Training

University of Idaho's outstanding athletic training education program prepares you to address health care issues of athletes and the physically active individual. The program integrates academic concepts with a strong and comprehensive clinical experience. As a graduate of the program, you will be eligible to sit for the Board of Certification national examination.

Since high schools are increasingly hiring certified athletic trainers/teachers, we highly encourage students to consider earning their teaching credentials in addition to an athletic training degree. At the University of Idaho, you have the option of completing your Master's Degree in Physical Education immediately following completion of your Athletic Training Degree. Completion of the Master's Degree usually takes an additional year and a half, and makes you eligible to obtain teaching certification.

As a student in the athletic training education program, you will learn about the prevention, acute care, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and illnesses. You will also learn about athletic training administration and professional development. This knowledge and understanding is obtained in both the classroom and clinical setting.

There are generally about 25 students in the athletic training program, allowing close interaction with your professors.

Prepare for Success

Athletic training students must be physically capable of handling the duties required in the clinical setting. If you want to pursue the athletic training major, you must provide proof of immunization for polio, measles, mumps and rubella. You must also provide proof of vaccination for tetanus within the last 10 years.

Athletic training students are strongly encouraged to receive the Hepatitis B vaccination. The series of three Hepatitis B shots are provided to athletic training students as they enter the program. Expenses are paid by the Department of Athletics. If the student has already received the Hepatitis B series, he/she must provide proof of immunization. Students will be required to sign a waiver if they choose not to receive the vaccination.

Your First Year

You will complete pre-professional courses during your first year at the University of Idaho. You will apply to the professional phase of the athletic training education program the spring semester of your freshman year and you will begin your clinical experience the following year. Prerequisites for application to the athletic training program include: 

• PEP 101 – Introduction to Athletic Training
• H&S 245 – Introduction to Athletic Injuries
• H&S 288 – First Aid/Emergency Response
• PEP 171 – Clinical Experience I - Observation
• Biol 120 – Anatomy
• Biol 121 – Physiology

What You Can Do

Career opportunities for athletic trainers are excellent. The profession grows by nearly 10 percent each year. The United States Department of Labor (USDL) has predicted a 24% growth in the athletic training field from 2006 to 2016. For more information about the job marketin in athletic training, please visit the US Department of Labor. Certified athletic trainers work in cooperation with physicians and other health professionals as a member of a health care team in colleges and universities, secondary schools, sports medicine clinics, professional programs such as sports teams and health care environments. Many corporations hire athletic trainers to work with employees.

For more information about the profession of athletic training, visit the National Athletic Trainers' Association and Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer.

Opportunities

Certified Athletic Trainers with a Bachelor's Degree earn about $36,000 per year, while Certified Athletic Trainers with a Master's Degree earn $44,000 annually. Certified Athletic Trainers who work with professional teams may be paid from $75,000 to $125,000 per year. Benefits usually include paid vacations, health insurance and pension plans.

Graduates of the University of Idaho athletic training program can be found working in a variety of settings, including high schools, colleges/universities, clinics and professional sports organizations. You may find some of the former students working at:

• Alvernia College, Reading, PA
• Arizona Health Sciences, Tucson, AZ
• Concord High School, Concord, NH
• Drayer Physical Therapy Institute, Lexington, KY
• Morehead State University, Morehead, KY
• Mountain View High School, Meridian, ID
• MVP Physical Therapy Clinic, Lakewood, WA
• University of Nevada, Reno, NV
• Orange Lutheran High School, Orange, CA
• Oregon Health Sciences, Portland, OR
• Peak Performance Physical Therapy, Missoula, MT
• University of Puget Sound Physical Therapy School, Tacoma, WA

Current Research

Current research in the University of Idaho Athletic Training Education Program includes:

• Ground reaction forces among gymnasts and recreational athletes in drop landings
• Perceptions of quality for graduate athletic training
• Ethical considerations for graduate assistantships
• A model for clinical education in Athletic Training
• Physiologic profile of the fitness status of collegiate cheerleaders
• Rehabilitation Adherence
• Modality Research
• Low Back Pain Research

Activities

Athletic Training Students’ Club 

Hands-On Experience

A degree in athletic training includes a professional phase, which involves important, hands-on experience. Students complete pre-professional courses during their first year at the University of Idaho and then apply to the clinical setting in the spring, following a 20-hour observational period in the athletic training facility.

Facilities

The athletic training facility is housed in the ASUI Kibbie Dome, home to Vandals athletics. The athletic training facility has more than 1,900 square feet of space dedicated to the prevention, care and rehabilitation of the Idaho intercollegiate student athletes. Equipment is state-of-the-art and is continually upgraded to stay abreast of the rapidly changing field of sports medicine.

The athletic training facility, within the Vandal Athletic Center, allows athletic training students the opportunity to gain experience in a coeducational facility. Another facility that is utilized to assist in the education of the student is Gritman Medical Center. In addition to providing computerized tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, general radiology and both inpatient and outpatient services, Gritman Medical Center also allows the athletic training students to observe specific surgeries. This enhances the learning process for the athletic training students by providing an opportunity for them to follow an injury from the initial evaluation on the field, through surgery, and then through the rehabilitation process in the athletic training facility.

More information about the activity facilities at the University of Idaho can be obtained from these links:

• Memorial Gymnasium
• ASUI Kibbie Dome
• Swim Center
• Student Recreation Center

Faculty Involvement

There are two athletic training faculty members and approximately 20-25 students.

Alan Nasypany, Ed.D., LAT, ATC
Athletic Training Education Program Director
Research interests: Back pain; Chronic pain; Psychology of injury; Injury pathomechanics; Clinical education
» View Alan Nasypany's Profile

Jeff Seegmiller, Ed.D., LAT, ATC
Assistant Professor
Research interests: Musculoskeletal injury mechanisms and injury prevention. Focus areas: Landing mechanics; Ankle inversion and fibularis latency; ski equipment and its effects on the lower extremity biomechanics; models and quality in professional and post professional education programs.
» View Jeff Seegmiller's Profile