If you love sports and fitness but are not an athlete yourself, you may want to consider a career as a personal trainer. A personal trainer is responsible for educating and perfecting young athletes and helping them achieve their sporting dreams. 
 
If you have been thinking about becoming a personal trainer, you may have a lot of questions. This blog answers all your questions about your responsibilities as a trainer and important steps towards becoming one.
 
Read on to know more. 
 
How can you become a private sports trainer?
 
A private sports trainer is indispensable when it comes to achieving athletic goals. Before we talk about how you can become a certified sports trainer, let’s take a quick look at why this is one of the most rewarding careers:
 
·      You get an opportunity to further your passion for sports. 
·      You get opportunities to enhance your knowledge daily on the field. 
·      It is a great way to work with athletes of all ages and talent levels and transform the way they approach sports. 
·      You join a growing industry that, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is slated to grow at 17% till 2031.
·      In many cases, you can work flexibly according to your schedule.
 
In addition, you have immense employment opportunities. Some of these include commercial gyms, wellness centers, hospitals & clinics, schools & colleges, spas & resorts, and many more. 
 
 
If you are 18 years and above, here are some essential steps that you need to take to become a certified personal sports trainer:
 
Step 1: Decide your specialization
 
What sets you on your path of becoming a sports trainer and determines your success in the field is knowing the area in which you want to specialize. A specialty helps you grow more in terms of your compensation. Some specializations that you can consider include:
 
·      Lifestyle and weight management 
·      Sports and athletics
·      Medical for training people recovering from heart problems, accidents, or orthopedic conditions.
·      Special clientele, which involves working with children or older adults to help them achieve their fitness goals.
 
Step 2: Get a bachelor’s degree
 
An essential step toward becoming a personal sports trainer is to complete your bachelor’s degree. Some degrees, which are ideal for this role are:
 
·      Bachelor of Science in Sports Leadership
·      Bachelor of Science in Sports 
 
You can also consider online courses such as Sports Marketing, Sports Business Management Program, and Sports Business Management from credible private universities.
 
These courses include subjects such as physical education, sports medicine, fitness & nutrition, sports & exercise science, physiology, etc. They help in developing a variety of skills essential for a sports trainer including communication, leadership, interpersonal relations, and the ability to make decisions. 
 
Step 3: Get on-field work experience 
 
While appropriate degrees are critical for pursuing a career as a sports trainer, getting practical experience also counts. The best way to gain experience while studying is to get coaching assignments for either individual athletes or sports clubs at schools or colleges.  
 
This is helpful in not just adapting your mindset to work in a variety of challenging situations, but also in sharpening your management skills. An added advantage of getting practical experience is that you improve your fitness and stamina, which are critical for your role as a personal trainer. 
 
Step 4: Consider getting a Master’s degree
 
An advanced degree is a great way to improve your theoretical knowledge as well as enhance your standing in the industry. Getting a Master’s degree is a great way to help you stand out from other candidates and better your employment opportunities along with your compensation scale. 
 
Step 5: Get certifications
 
Sports certifications, like in any other field, verify your experience, education, and competence as a sports trainer. Not to mention, looking at the increasing competition in the sports training industry, more and more individual athletes and organizations have them as a prerequisite.   
 
Some of the most well-known certifications include:
 
·      The American Council on Exercise (ACE)
·      National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
·      National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
·      National Exercise Trainer Association (NETA)
·      National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT)
·      American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
·      International Sports and Sciences Association (ISSA)
·      American Fitness Professionals and Associates (AFPA)
 
Step 6: Develop your resume
 
Once you have finished your education, gained the requisite practical experience, and the relevant certifications, the next step is to craft a comprehensive resume. 
 
It should highlight your degrees and experience including a statement on how you will add value as a sports trainer to an individual or an organization that takes you on board. 
 
Step 7: Develop a list of potential clients
 
Once you have created your resume, it’s time to list the athletes, associations, or institutions that you aspire to work with. You can even take references from your current professional associates and advertise your services on platforms like Youth Sports Index. This is USA’s leading platform that brings top-notch athletes and trainers on common ground and helps them explore synergies to train better. 
 
Conclusion
 
Youth Sports Index helps you connect with potential candidates in your preferred location and age group. All you need to do is to register on our website and be on the path to a rewarding career in sports training.