You may think of athletic trainers as those staff that you see on the sidelines of football games, running on the field if a player gets hurt. But athletic trainers work in schools, medical offices, hospitals, and they even provide care to veterans. In fact, athletic trainers are part of a larger group of occupations with practitioners who help to diagnose and treat sports-related injuries as part of their duties. These occupations are projected to have employment growth that is faster than the average for all occupations, and several are projected to have growth at least three times faster than the average.

Demand for these occupations’ services will stem, in part, from an aging population that remains active, even athletic, and from heightened attention placed on injuries like concussions. In this Beyond the Numbers article, we’ll look at some occupations that help to diagnose and treat sports injuries, and explore why employment is projected to grow rapidly.

The term “sports injuries” refers to any injury that happens during exercise or playing a sport. Falls or contact with other players can cause injury. Injuries can also occur when someone does not stretch properly or does not wear the proper equipment. The most common sports-related injuries are sprains, strains, swollen muscles, fractures, dislocations, knee injuries, and shoulder injuries such as those to rotator cuffs.1 As part of treating sports injuries, people in these occupations develop and carry out rehabilitation programs, which typically include a mix of hands-on care, such as therapy, and exercise. In some cases, they are first responders to injuries and provide first-aid.

Sports injuries can affect anyone who is active—or attempts to be active—at any age. This includes members of the baby-boom generation, Americans born between 1946 and 1964, who are now entering retirement in large numbers. According to Walter Jenkins, president of the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) Sports Physical Therapy Section, “The baby boomers have this mindset of trying to remain active for their lifetime. That is a positive thing because it’s good for their general health, but at the same time you can have increased incidence of injury.”2 As the baby boomers remain active, they will need services provided by those who work in the occupations below.

Projected employment growth by occupation

The Employment Projections program at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases long-term employment projections for more than 800 detailed occupations, including those involved in sports medicine. Some of these occupations include first responders to a sports injury and providers of ongoing treatment. Exercise is often used as a recovery method, so exercise physiologists and fitness trainers may also be classified in this field.

The average employment growth for all occupations is projected to be 7.4 percent between 2016 and 2026. The selected occupations below that help to diagnose and treat sports injuries are projected to have faster-than-average growth during the 2016–26 decade. Several are projected to grow much faster than the average. (See table 1.)
What evidence, in addition to the aging population, does the article provide for why demand for exercise-injury occupations will increase in the future?

A) the incredible boom in the stock market regarding the exercise equipment
B) the popularity of extreme exercise shows like American Ninja
C) the increased attention paid to the seriousness of receiving a concussion
D) the evidence of rising pay scales in all professions, including health care