Sports Massage Therapist

Do you want to become a Sports Massage Therapist?

Massage and Sports Massage is an upcoming field that is just being developed. Sports massage is a growing field working with athletes of all calibers. You can become a massage therapist and learn to work with Professional Athletes and Sports Teams of all types - baseball, soccer, football, golfers, cyclists, track and field, and just about any type of sport.

Sports massage is done during training for seasonal sports, during the season using techniques to support the athletic performance pre-event and post-event and also dealing with any injuries that arise during the training and competitive cycles of athletes. There are some professional sports massage associations that provide free or low cost massage at events where you can promote your business to amateur athletes.

Sports Massage Therapist Salaries: Most sports massage therapists are subcontractors or independent contractors for teams meaning that they are self employed. You may be able to find or create a sports massage job where you are a full employee too. The salary will vary depending on your skills, your ability to sell your self and your self confidence as a massage therapist. Entry level sports massage therapists can expect to charge $60 and more per session. As a business owner you will also have to deduct your expenses. If you are an employee, you can negotiate your salary to meet your needs and skills.

There are also opportunities to work with younger athletes and people of all ages really. Masters athletes are older people who still want to compete in their sports. You can also work with the so called weekend athlete very successfully too. Each group will have different issues and needs that you will need to be aware of. Each sport also uses different physical movements so you will need to know what the major actions and stressful areas that will apply to the sport you will be working with most.

As a sports massage therapist for professional sports teams you will be working closely with the coaches and trainers for the team along with coordinating massage sessions with training and competing. You will have to have a good understanding of the inflammation process, flexibility and strength conditioning principles and know how to apply massage most effective for various situations. The appropriate massage at the appropriate time can enhance training and reduce injuries. If you apply the wrong type of technique at the wrong time you can seriously influence the results of the athlete's performance. It is important that you know what you are doing.

Sports Massage To become a sports massage therapist you will need to go to basic massage school and then take advanced classes and training in sports massage. Some massage schools offer a sports massage elective that will give you a good start but to be a successful you will need to take advanced training.

To learn more about becoming a sports massage therapist read my Ebook - The Massage Career Guide - What massage schools and associations won't tell you about becoming a massage therapist