Sports Physical Therapist Education and Career Path

Sports physical therapy is a specialized area of healthcare focused on the prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and education of individuals involved in sports and athletic activities. Sports physical therapists employ a holistic approach, utilizing specialized clinical skills in diverse settings such as sports medicine centers, hospital-based clinics, and traditional athletic environments. This article provides a detailed overview of the education, training, and certification requirements for aspiring sports physical therapists, along with insights into the profession and its career prospects.

What is Sports Physical Therapy?

The practice of sports physical therapy is based on a holistic approach of prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and education of the individual. Physical therapists in sports medicine help athletes recover from injuries and prevent future ones. The therapeutic programs they develop center around exercises, stretches, and other forms of physical movements and manipulations, including massage. Their injury recovery and prevention plans typically include a combination of different physical therapy techniques, including:

Monitored exercises and stretches
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
Hydrotherapy
Manual therapy, such as trigger point therapy, myofascial release, and traction
Dry needling

Physical therapists may also create custom plans to support athletes in improving mobility, range of motion, strength, and functionality. They evaluate each case on an individualized basis, making strategic decisions on what is best for each athlete.

A sports medicine practice covers myriad medical and physiological goals and concerns that can and do impact athletes. Such an expansive goal demands a commensurate breadth of practitioners and professionals.

Common issues a sports physical therapist can help with include:

Tennis elbow
Knee injuries
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears
Lower back / lower extremity injuries
Tendinitis
Rotator cuff tears
Ligament tears
Muscle strains
Joint dysfunction

Educational Requirements

Becoming a sports physical therapist requires a significant investment in education and training. The typical path involves several key steps:

1. Bachelor's Degree: The first step is to earn a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. Common choices include biology, exercise science, or kinesiology. Courses in anatomy, nutrition, and physiology can provide a strong foundation for further studies. Estimated time required: 4 years

2. Prerequisites for Physical Therapy School: Depending on the bachelor's degree track, completing specific prerequisites may be necessary for admission to physical therapy school. Potential prerequisites include statistics, anatomy and physiology, or psychology. Online courses can help fill in any gaps before applying to physical therapy school.

3. Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Degree: To become a licensed sports physical therapist, a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree is essential. DPT programs combine classroom learning with hands-on clinical training in settings such as hospitals and sports facilities, providing practical experience. It's crucial to ensure that the chosen program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). CAPTE began requiring the DPT degree as a prerequisite for its accredited physical therapy education programs in 2016. Estimated time required: 3 years

4. Licensure: After earning a DPT degree, the next step is to pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE®), administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, to become licensed. Meeting all physical therapy licensure requirements determined by the state regulatory board is also necessary, and these requirements vary by state. Check with your state board for specific licensing requirements.

Residency Programs

Physical therapists may apply to a clinical residency program after graduation. A sports physical therapy residency is an advanced post professional training program that incorporates advanced skills training, didactic learning, and acute injury and clinical patient management to prepare the physical therapist for specialized care of the athlete. Residencies typically last about 1 year and provide additional training and experience in specialty areas of care.

The USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy’s sports residency, for example, begins in late July and through July 31 of the following year (a little more than 12 months). To qualify, you must be a graduate of an APTA-accredited program in physical therapy and eligible for licensure as a physical therapist in California. Residents are paid for 20-30 hours per week of clinical time, though salaries vary slightly from clinic to clinic. The sports physical therapy residency program has a high program completion rate and a high first-time passing rate for residency graduates on the Sports Clinical Specialty Exam. The rigorous sports residency curriculum uses a combination of formal and informal educational, clinical and academic activities, as well as mentored direct care of patients at affiliated clinics, including the USC Orthopaedic Surgery clinic.

The core of the residency experience is clinical care within the UIC Physical Therapy Faculty Practice alongside UIC clinical faculty. The time in residency will be packed with didactic learning and mentoring. Weekly ½ hour blocks following evaluations ensure dedicated real time feedback. Weekly skills labs are conducted by experts in their respective areas. Residents can also contribute to research in UIC’s state-of-the-art labs, or pursue a clinical educator track, which trains you to teach physical therapy students. Under the mentorship of a senior core faculty member, the clinical educator track teaches you to become a more effective clinical educator for physical therapy students, enrolling in Special Topics in Rehabilitation: Teaching and Education Development. The clinical research track teaches you how to participate in clinical research trials, working through developing the investigation, obtaining IRB approval, subject consent, data collection, and abstract/manuscript preparation and submission. Resident selects project based upon personal interests and future goals.

Board Certification

After gaining work experience, some physical therapists choose to become a board-certified specialist. Earning a sports specialist certification is an optional step. You might also consider becoming a Sports Clinical Specialist (SCS) through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. This certification demonstrates advanced proficiency in sports physical therapy. Certification is available in clinical specialty areas of physical therapy, such as orthopedics, sports, and geriatrics. Board specialist certification requires passing an exam and completing clinical work in the specialty area.

To become a Sports Clinical Specialist (SCS), you must be a licensed physical therapist with a current and unrestricted license to practice in the United States. Additionally, certification requires one of two things:

Read also: Your Guide to Sports Communication

2000 hours of documented direct patient care within the last ten years, 25% of which must have happened in the last three years.
Proof that you completed an American Physical Therapy Association-accredited postprofessional clinical residency within the last 10 years.

Important Skills and Qualities

Several qualities are crucial for physical therapists to perform their duties effectively:

Communication skills: Physical therapists spend a lot of time interacting with patients, so they should have a desire to help people.
Compassion:
Detail oriented:
Dexterity: Physical therapists must use their hands to provide manual therapy and therapeutic exercises.
Physical stamina: Physical therapists spend much of their time on their feet, moving to demonstrate proper techniques and to help patients perform exercises. Because they must often lift and move patients, they are vulnerable to back injuries.
Resourcefulness: Physical therapists customize treatment plans for patients.
Time-management skills: Physical therapists typically treat several patients each day.

Work Environment and Job Outlook

Physical therapists typically work in private offices and clinics, hospitals, patients’ homes, and nursing homes. Physical therapists spend much of their time on their feet, working with patients. Most physical therapists work full time, although part time work is common.

The job outlook for physical therapists is positive. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Demand for physical therapy will come, in large part, from the growing size of the older adult population. In addition, a number of chronic conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, and musculoskeletal disorders (such as back pain and arthritis) have become prevalent.

Compensation

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), physical therapists, like those specializing in sports, made a median salary of $101,020 in May 2024. The lowest 10% made less than $72,260, but the top 10% earned more than $130,870. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.

Additional Sports Medicine Career Roles

Additional sports medicine career roles include:

Certified Athletic Trainer
Orthopedic Surgeon
Sports Neurologist
Sports Cardiologist
Sports Psychologist
Sports Nutritionist / Registered Dietician
Team Physician

Advice for Aspiring Sports Physical Therapists

Jeremy feels strongly that aspiring sports physical therapists be aware of and comfortable with the idea of working as needed. “You’re never going to have a 9 to 5, 40 hour a week job,” he says. “Being a sports professional is a lifestyle choice more than a job.” Jeremy enjoys many aspects of his work in sports medicine, but he especially appreciates the variety. The issues he sees are as unique and varied as human bodies. Never seeing the same thing twice is challenging in the best and most motivating sense of the word. He also faces challenges without silver linings. It can be difficult to manage athletes’ expectations for recovery, especially when they have instant access to intriguing-but often unscientific-tips and recommendations via social media.

Resources for Further Information

Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT)
American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists (AAOMPT)
Bureau of Labor Statistics
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