<p>My son is a high school sophomore and I'm trying to help him identify smart career options so that we can aim for a particular college. He is a B student but is a strong soccer player, wrestler, and track and field athlete. He has great social skills. Any ideas?</p>
<p>Assuming he does not beat the long shot odds and become a professional athlete, you and he may want to consider what else he may be interested in, just like any other person.</p>
<p>A few possibilities where the sports interest can help include coaching, fitness training, PE teacher, physician in sports medicine, and the like. But you and he should not limit the possibilities to those.</p>
<p>I’m not sure that I understand the question…does he want a career that is athletic/sports related?</p>
<p>If not, then the athlete part seems irrelevant. HS athletes can major in and have a career in anything. HS non-athletes can major in and have a career in anything. Athletes and non-athletes can have great social skills.</p>
<p>Physical therapy</p>
<p>I am a Certified Athletic Trainer. It’s a career that kind of found me. </p>
<p>When I was your son’s age I had one thing in mind: Go to West Point and be an officer in the US Army. Kept that idea alive and was in the process of going that route until the middle of my fall semester of my senior year. </p>
<p>I found out that I couldn’t leave athletics. I was hooked after growing up a coach’s kid, was a 8-time varsity athlete and got to know the athletic trainer at our school. 4 years later I graduated with a bachelors degree in athletic training and work for a PT clinic and at a high school. I love my job.</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply. I think my son would enjoy working as an athletic trainer. What colleges offer a BA in athletic training and what kind of salary can one expect?</p>
<p>I don’t know of many that offer a BA in athletic training, but there’s something like 300 schools that offer a bachelors degree in athletic training. Mine is a BS ;)</p>
<p>Things to look for: CAATE accreditation is required for a university to offer a program that allows a student to sit for the BOC exam at the conclusion. Passing the BOC exam is required to become a Certified Athletic Trainer. It is a rigorous exam. Currently Texas is the only state where one can be an athletic trainer without being nationally certified. </p>
<p>Salary is going to vary greatly depending on the location and setting that one works in. Our athletic trainers make low $30s but that is on the lower end of the spectrum. Some places they can make closer to $80-90k and possibly more than that. </p>
<p>If he has questions, feel free to contact me via PM and we can discuss it more.</p>
<p>valstrmom’s son sounds just like my son. My son is leaning towards some type of business degree. He would be great in sales.</p>
<p>Sports management (athletic directors), sports marketing, scouting, athletic training, to list a few. You may be surprised though, he could have completely different interests outside of athletics</p>
<p>Serious high school athletes in my family have gone on to careers as:
High School Phys. Ed. teacher and football coach
College Phys. Ed. professor and basketball coach
State government human resources director and weekend basketball referee (this second job pays for lots of fun extras that would otherwise be unaffordable)
Chiropractor and HS football team trainer
High School Speech/Theater teacher, drama coach, and kiddie soccer and swim coach
MS in Exercise Physiology now working in Cardiac Rehab
Physical Therapist (one recent graduate and one just enrolled)
State Government Lobbyist - same competitive spirit but channelled in an entirely different direction
Stay-at-home Dad and kiddie soccer coach</p>