What Qualifications Do I Need to Become a Sports Therapist?

Becoming a sports therapist can lead to a variety of job roles and opportunities that would suit anybody passionate about sports, healing, and wanting to help others. 

One qualified, a sports therapist can work in a variety of environments such as sports teams, clinical settings like Fire & Earth, hospitals, sports clubs, fitness centres, and more. A qualified sports therapist has the skill and experience to offer assessments and treatment plans to any person in need of assistance. 

 

Becoming a qualified sports therapist is a fulfilling job for anybody that enjoys interacting with others, and offering support, healing, and guidance. Having a love for sport and/or fitness is also very beneficial. 

In order to become a sports therapist, you don’t need to have any prior knowledge before studying for online courses or university degrees. Sports therapy courses can range from 1 year to 3 years and includes an undergraduate degree in Bachelor of Science (Bcs) or a Level 5 in Sports Massage, also known as a higher diploma in Sports Therapy. 

 

During your course, you’ll learn all the baseline knowledge in order to become the best sports therapist. This includes anatomy, injury assessments, injury treatments/rehabilitation, pitch side first aid, and many other added skills such as sports massage, mobilisations, and taping. 

 

There are many universities across the country that are now offering a Sport and exercise therapy course and are accredited by societies. Being a member of a society is not a necessity, however, this shows employers that you have met a certain set of criteria in order to gain your qualification. 

 

In order to gain experience, most courses will require you to go out on placement with a sports team, which can lead to some amazing opportunities once graduated. If pitch side is the direction you want to take your qualification, then a first aid qualification will also need to be achieved. These can sometimes be included in the sports therapy courses; however, they should be updated every year. The level of first aid needed will also depend on the level at which you plan to work. 

 

Once your necessary qualification has been awarded, as a sports therapist you will need to obtain insurance through a society. For example, The Society of Sports Therapists is a very well-known governing body which offering insurance cover for therapists throughout the industry. This allows the therapist to apply their skills while having reassurance for both themselves and their clients that they’re not only knowledgable but also fully insured.