Athletic Training

The American College of Sports Medicine has more than 50,000 members and certified professionals strong from 90 countries around the globe. Representing 70 occupations within the sports medicine field, ACSM is the only organization that offers a 360-degree view of the profession. From academicians to students and from personal trainers to physicians, our association of sports medicine, exercise science, and health and fitness professionals is dedicated to helping people worldwide live longer, healthier lives.

Our mission is to be the premier global, sports medicine organization representing the interests of orthopaedic surgeons and other professionals who provide comprehensive health services for the care of athletes and active people of all ages and abilities. We cultivate evidence-based knowledge, provide extensive educational programming, and promote emerging research that advances the science and practice of sports medicine.

The American Society of Biomechanics (ASB) was founded in October 1977 by a group of 53 scientists and clinicians. There are several regional and national associations – the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Orthopaedic Research Society, for example, which regularly or occasionally assign portions of their meetings to biomechanics. These however, are generally attended by those people associated with the parent field. As a result, there is little opportunity for the kind of exchange between people working in different fields of application that would clearly benefit all concerned. The American Society of Biomechanics was formed to meet this need.

Founded in 1985, the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) is the leading organization for sport psychology consultants and professionals who work with athletes, coaches, non-sport performers (dancers, musicians), business professionals, and tactical occupations (military, firefighters, police) to enhance their performance from a psychological standpoint.

The College Athletic Trainers' Society was founded to provide high quality care to our student-athletes, to foster a close working relationship with organizations whose interests are to promote intercollegiate athletics, and to address the needs and concerns of full-time head and assistant athletic trainers at colleges and universities.

The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization currently incorporated in the State of Texas. The mission of the CAATE is "defining, measuring, and continually improving AT Education."

The International Federation of Sports Medicine / Fédération Internationale de Médécine du Sport (FIMS) was established in 1928, shortly after the first Olympic Games as we know them today had been held. Physicians from eleven countries founded the “Association Internationale Médico-Sportive” (AIMS), the name was later changed. Today, FIMS is a structured and well-organised international association, strongly committed to the promotion and development of Sports Medicine throughout the world. FIMS is home to four Continental Sports Medicine Associations and 117 National Sports Medicine Associations worldwide, uniting 125.000 sports physicians from 117 countries.

The dual purpose of the Academy of Kinesiology shall be to encourage and promote the study and educational applications of the art and science of human movement and physical activity and to honor by election to its membership persons who have directly or indirectly contributed significantly to the study of and/or application of the art and science of human movement and physical activity.

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) is the professional membership association for certified athletic trainers and others who support the athletic training profession. Founded in 1950, the NATA has grown to more than 45,000 members worldwide today. The majority of certified athletic trainers choose to be members of NATA to support their profession and to receive a broad array of membership benefits.

In 2005, following a distinguished career as a clinical neuropsychologist, professor, researcher, and entrepreneur, Dr. Tony L. Strickland established the Sports Concussion Institute and Clinics (SCI) to provide state-of- the-art assessment, diagnostic, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention services to:
1) Address the comprehensive concussion care needs of athletes and other active persons of all ages playing high velocity sports; and
2) Provide specialized neurological and neurobehavioral care to people with head injuries, post-concussion syndrome, balance/vestibular disorders, acute/chronic pain, and memory/learning disorders.

The World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy (WFATT) is a coalition of health care professionals in the fields of sport, exercise, injury/illness prevention and treatment. The primary objective of the WFATT is to promote the highest quality of health care and functional activity through the collaborative efforts of its members.