Choosing a Career in Athletic Training: Exploring the Perceptions of Potential Recruits

Abstract

Context:The success of any academic program, including athletic training, depends upon attracting and keeping quality students. Therefore, understanding potential recruits' perceptions of athletic training is important.Objective: To (1) gain insight regarding undergraduate students' decisions to enter or not enter an athletic training education program (ATEP), and (2) examine potential athletic training recruits' perceptions of the roles and responsibilities of certified athletic trainers.Design: We used a descriptive study employing a grounded theory approach to explore perceptions of the athletic training profession by college students with various levels of interest in athletic training.Setting: Athletic training education program from a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I research-intensive university.Patients or Other Participants: Forty-six undergraduate students (23 interested in applying to an ATEP and 23 who were aware of but not interested in applying to an ATEP).Main Outcome Measure(s): Data from in-depth, semi-structured interviews were transcribed and analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding procedures. Member checks and peerdebriefing techniques were used to ensure trustworthiness of the study.Results: Three contributing factors appeared to influence the recruitment of students to a career in athletic training: (1) a strong affiliation to a sports/team model, (2) initial exposure at the high school level, and (3) an incomplete understanding of athletic training.Conclusions: Awareness of how students are recruited into ATEPs is important information for our profession. Educators and administrators must create a comprehensive recruitment strategy using factors that influence potential recruits' decisions to enter the athletic training profession, specifically their association with sports and their experiences during high school.Key Words: socialization, subjective warrant, recruitment, career choice Key Points• Secondary school athletic trainers appeared to be the primary socializing agents for college preparatory students.• The primary attractor to a career in athletic training was the relationship with sports and the feeling of being part of a team.• Recruits' understanding of the athletic training profession was limited; providing more accurate and more complete information about athletic training may help to attract a more diverse population.B ecoming a certified athletic trainer (AT) is a career choice. We are unsure of the factors that influence individuals to choose athletic training and not other health-related professions, but these factors can play a significant role in attracting competent candidates to 1 of the 330 accredited programs. A key concept in any recruitment process involves understanding a potential recruit's perceptions of the skills and abilities necessary for preparation and practice in the chosen field. 1 Once candidates have chosen to major in athletic training, correcting any flawed perceptions is a key function of professional preparation program...

Factors of Persistence Among Graduates of Athletic Training Education Programs

“…The semistructured format of the interviews allowed the researcher to ask the participants to expand on answers or to ask follow-up questions for further detail. The questions were devised based on the work of researchers examining initial socialization 4 of current students and persistence 6 of senior AT students. Examples of interview questions are provided in the Table. The interview questions were examined by an experienced qualitative researcher for content and pilot tested with a recently certified athletic trainer for clarity; the researcher and athletic trainer were not authors.…”

“…Time constraints and an interest in a different career were found to be barriers to choosing AT. 4 Although light has been shed on the factors persuading potential recruits to enter the profession of AT 4 and persist to the senior year, 6 the reasons some students graduate from ATEPs and others leave them before completion remain unclear. No researchers have sought data from recent graduates to determine reasons for their successful persistence.…”

“…Other researchers 4 have investigated attractors, facilitators, and barriers to careers in AT of current students. They found that current students were attracted to AT because of the association with sports and athletes and because they like to help people and enjoy being part of a team.…”

“…1 However, recruiting and retaining students is becoming increasingly important to faculty because the number of programs has increased dramatically in recent years, giving students more options from which to choose. 4 Maintaining high retention rates is important to preserving the reputation and quality of ATEPs and institutions. 5 In particular, high attrition rates can threaten the financial stability and vitality of the program.…”

The Role of Personality in Job Satisfaction Among Collegiate Athletic Trainers

“…Additionally, it represents the largest clinical employment setting for ATs 4 and, therefore, a setting of great interest for ATs. Investigators have suggested that ATs enter the profession because of their attraction to sports and their desire to help people, 5 and some select the setting because of the competitive atmosphere and collegiality of coworkers. 6 However, what makes these dedicated ATs remain in the profession and accept the low pay, long hours, and work-family conflict that lead many others to leave or change job settings?…”