A physical therapist may choose to work in the field of sports medicine for a variety of reasons. Professional Olympic athletes and those in the National Basketball Association, National Football League, and in Major League Baseball often require the services of a physical therapist. Professional athletes may even be easier to work with than other populations because they are so motivated to return to competition as quickly as possible. Participating in their sport of choice is often their livelihood – their job.

Sports medicine is a division of medicine that deals with treating injuries often sustained during athletic competitions or practices that impacts sports performance. Sports medicine also focuses on the prevention of such injuries so an athlete can achieve optimal health and peak performance in their sport. Some of the most common sports-related injuries include ankle sprains, knee dislocation or cartilage tears, tennis elbow, and shoulder injuries. Physical therapists are vital in rehabilitating athletes with these types of injuries so they can return to competition.

Referrals to treat elite athletes usually come from networking. Due to their high profile status, athletes are a close group and word-of-mouth referrals are common. A physical therapist interested in serving this population will need to practice in an area where professional athletes reside. It’s also important to establish a reputation as a committed and expert therapist with an in-depth knowledge of strengthening and conditioning programs. Sports-specific knowledge is also critical. Certification as a board-certified sports clinical specialist is highly recommended. A physical therapist interested in gaining experience treating competitive athletes may involve first volunteering with a local high school, Little League, or club sports teams.

Physical therapists often travel with sports teams or work full-time with them. The drawback of this arrangement is that a lot of time is spent away from family. Most physical therapists that work with professional athletes don’t work a regular 40-hour week. Of course, the benefit of this arrangement is the opportunities afforded for extensive travel. There are some agencies that specialize in recruiting physical therapists who are willing to travel. A recruiter typically asks about a therapists goals when offering contract work. A therapist interested in working with professional athletes should share their goals with the recruiter. The agency may just have an assignment of this type for the physical therapist.

Payscale.com reports that the average median annual salary of a physical therapist working for a sports team in 2009 is $65,147. This is based on 18 therapists self-reporting their income to Payscale.com’s database. This is the top paying sector of employer behind those that are self-employed and those employed by the federal government.

A physical therapist interested in becoming board-certified as a sports clinical specialist must meet several minimum requirements outlined by the American Physical Therapy Specialties. These requirements include certification in CPR and first aid. The therapist must also submit evidence of 2,000 hours of direct patient care in the area of sports activity in acute and rehabilitation settings or submit evidence of the successful completion of an APTA-credentialed post professional clinical residency in sports physical therapy. The therapist must also pass a written examination which assesses advanced knowledge and clinical skills related to the sports specialty. The fees associated with acquiring this clinical specialty status are hefty. American Physical Therapy Association members must pay $1,300 for examination and application review costs. The fees for non-members of this organization are charged $2,370. These costs are current for 2009. A physical therapist who successfully completes this process will earn the right to list the initials “SCS” after the title of physical therapist as an indication that they are board-certified as a sports clinical specialist. There are currently 708 therapists in the U.S. who have earned a clinical specialty in the area of sports.