Can you work with athletes as a physical therapist?
Well, that depends on how you define “athlete.” In a typical outpatient orthopedic clinic, you’ll probably treat a bunch of high school athletes and weekend warriors. If you’re close to a college, you might get to work with some athletes there as well. Or you might not. I work near Cornell University and Ithaca College and we rarely treat college athletes since most stay on campus and work with their athletic trainers.
The same applies to professional sports. Almost any team you can think of has athletic trainers and physicians on staff, but not all have physical therapists – although this number is growing.
So, what should you do if you want to be a sports PT?
Many sports PTs start off as athletic trainers since they more commonly work with athletes. But some of the downsides to being an athletic trainer are salary and autonomy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while the mean salary for physical therapists is $95,620, it’s only $48,420 for athletic trainers. AT’s also must practice under physicians, whereas physical therapists are autonomous.
Aside from considering AT, you most likely need to become an official sports specialist or SCS to work with professional athletes. (This shouldn’t be confused with the CSCS – certified strength and conditioning specialist – which might also be helpful, but is much easier to obtain). An SCS, or sports clinical specialist, is a board certification in sports physical therapy. Just getting through this step is tough. To even qualify to sit for the exam, you have to apply after first gaining 2,000 hours working in a sports setting (many of which have to be direct sports coverage) or going through a residency program. This process is strictly regulated, time consuming, and expensive.
Aspiring sports therapists also must take a class in Acute Management of Injury and Illness as they’ll need to respond to more emergent situations than the typical physical therapist.
Some PT schools (including my own) offer clinicals with professional sports teams, but this doesn’t necessary translate into having a job with one in the future. Many sports PTs get their start by volunteering and networking with different sports groups to gain experience and make connections. Additionally, most sports physical therapists I know tend to have a background of their own in competitive sports.
Even with all of this, it can be hard to break into professional sports. There are many more people who want to work in sports than there are jobs. You may have to start off in a less desirable sport or semiprofessional league while working your way up. I know a few physical therapists who have made this leap, however, proving that it can be done!