Athletic Trainer - Genesee Community College

Name: Eric Sandler
Major: BS Physical Education (Concentration in Athletic Training), MS
Exercise Science
Job Title: Athletic Trainer
Employer (optional): GCC
# of years working in the field: 7
1. What is your job like? (A typical day? What are the duties/functions/responsibilities of your
job?)
a. Busy. My typical day includes athletic injury evaluation, administering all aspects of
physical therapy to our student-athletes, coaching teams and individuals on weight
training techniques, mentoring students, possibly teaching classes or covering a home
game in case injuries occur.
2. How did you get your job? What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position?
a. I was made aware of my current job through a mutual friend that works at the college.
My mentor in graduate school knew that an opening occurred and recommended I
check it out. She thought it would be a good fit for me, and she was right.
3. Do you find your job exciting or boring? Why?
a. Too exciting some times. Every day is different. You never know who, or what, is going
to walk in needing your attention. I have seen a wide variety of injuries, from typical
sprains and strains to a fractured jaw to concussions to bones sticking out. It’s par for
the course in athletic training.
4. What are the skills that are most important for a position in this field?
a. Communication. Its imperative an athletic trainer is able to communicate well with
their student-athletes to be able to assess their injuries. Also, an athletic trainer is
responsible for communicating with the coaching staff if the student-athletes have
limitations at practice or games.
5. What is the salary ranges for various levels in this field? Is there a salary ceiling?
a. Starting salaries are typically in the $30,000 range depending on the setting (high school
vs. college vs. industrial settings). On average, athletic trainers will make an average of
$40-45,000 with ten years of experience.
6. If you could do things all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? Why/Why
not? What would you change?
a. Absolutely. I love what I do. I’m able to have an impact on our college teams, but also
help to develop our student-athletes for transfer to their next school, or the
professional levels.

7. How well did your college experience prepare you for this job? What courses have proved to be
the most valuable to you in your work?
a. In athletic training, you accumulate about 1000-1500 hours of supervised work
experience as part of the educational process. These clinical experiences are vitally
important to the development of the skills of student athletic trainers. I particularly
liked the exercise physiology and therapeutic exercise classes in college.
8. How important are grades/GPA for obtaining a job in this field?
a. Certification is more important than grades. However, acquiring that certification is not
easy and the national pass rate is currently under 50% for first time takers.
9. What are the typical entry-level job titles and functions? What entry-level jobs are best for
learning as much as possible?
a. There are two ways one would typically enter the profession. The first is as a Graduate
Assistant Athletic Trainer. These jobs involve working for a college athletic department
part time while attending graduate school. Many of these schools will include a tuition
waiver as part of their compensation package. The other route for entry into the field is
as a high school athletic trainer. This gives the newly certified athletic trainer an
opportunity to gain real work experience on their own right away.
10. What special advice do you have for a student seeking a position in this field?
a. Intern, intern, intern. Meet as many professionals as possible to network with. It may
lead to a job opportunity someday. In this field, there are so many ways to treat each
injury and everyone does things just slightly differently. The more educational
opportunities you have to observe and work with others in various settings, the better.