It takes a lot of time, hard work and dedication to be an athletic trainer. Whether you’re looking to get started in the industry or are looking at ways to improve your performance in your career, below are the top qualities and characteristics that make an athletic trainer successful.

Trustworthy

Trustworthiness is not only important when dealing with ethics in athletic training, but it’s essential for building trust with the athletes themselves.

Flexibile

And no, we’re not talking the physical kind. It’s vital that athletic trainers are able to adapt and adjust to anything that’s thrown at them with ease. When practice and game schedules are modified, delayed, or rescheduled, athletic trainers must be ready to shuffle their schedules around to be present for their athletes.

Decisive

There will be many instances in a typical day for an athletic trainer where you will have to make quick important decisions. AT’s are typically the first to respond to emergency situations and deciding if it’s safe for an athlete to return to the game or not.

Communication

Good soft skills are vital as an athletic trainer. Being able to communicate effectively to an array of athletes in various settings is essential for being a great trainer, not only for building a rapport with the athletes but to ensure they fully understand the extent of their injuries and the treatment procedures.