Are you considering a career in sport, fitness, or exercise?
As interest in physical activity continues to expand, so do career opportunities in the field. Written by experts from various areas in the physical activity sciences,
Careers in Sport, Fitness, and Exercise: A Guide to Kinesiology Professions, Second Edition, is the ultimate guide to career paths in kinesiology. With information about 36 career tracks, it is a must-have for anyone who wants to make an informed career decision.
You will feel equipped to compare career paths after learning about the educational and certification requirements needed to secure and maintain each one. For each career path, you’ll be provided with useful information:
- Job descriptions
- Working conditions
- Salary ranges
- Responsibilities
- Key skills
- Profiles of professionals
The field of kinesiology is broad and offers a diverse range of career opportunities. Throughout the text, student and professional profiles will give you insight into the benefits and challenges of pursuing particular educational tracks. These honest discussions will help you narrow down the careers that appeal to your strengths and interests. Explore career tracks like these:
- Fitness instruction and management
- Strength and conditioning training
- Physical education teaching and coaching
- Sport officiating
- Sports medicine
- Sport management
- Sport psychology
- Allied health sciences
- Physical therapy
- Sport performance science in industry and higher education
Careers in Sport, Fitness, and Exercise, Second Edition, is produced by the American Kinesiology Association, which is dedicated to promoting kinesiology as a central contributor to the understanding of human health and performance. This guide will prove to be an invaluable resource as you contemplate your career path.
Audience
Text for high school and college students contemplating a career in sport, fitness, or exercise. Also for the adults supporting them in their career development.
Chapter 1. Introduction to Careers in Kinesiology
Kim Graber, Penny McCullagh, Thomas Templin, and Shirl Hoffman
Chapter 2. A Guide to Making Intelligent Career Choices
Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko
Chapter 3. Careers in Fitness Instruction, Personal Training, and Fitness Management
NiCole Keith and Rafael Alamilla
Personal Trainer
Group Exercise Instructor
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Fitness Center Owner or Manager
Health Promotion Specialist
Fitness Leader in Gerontology Settings
Chapter 4. Careers in Physical Education, Sport Instruction, and Coaching
Tim Brusseau and Michael Hemphill
Physical Education Teacher
Sport Instructor
Coach
Sports Official
Chapter 5. Careers in Sport Marketing, Management, Administration, and Business
Ketra Armstrong
Sport Administrator
Sport Marketer
Sport Media, Public Relations, and Information Director
Sport Event Manager
Sport Facility Operations Manager
Chapter 6. Careers in Athletic Training, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation
Jolene Henning and DeAnne Brooks
Certified Athletic Trainer
Clinical Exercise Physiologist
Sports Dietitian Nutritionist
Aquatic Therapy Specialist
Chapter 7. Kinesiology as Pre-Professional Training for Public Health and Allied Health Services
Jane Clark
Physical Therapist
Occupational Therapist
Medical Doctor
Physician Associate/Assistant
Nurse
Public Health
Chapter 8. Careers in Performance Enhancement From a Behavioral Perspective
Dan Gould
Sport Psychology Professor and Researcher
Sport Psychology Consultant
Motor Development Consultant
Motor Learning and Control Consultant
Chapter 9. Careers in Exercise and Physical Activity From a Life Science Perspective
Joshua Leonardis and Jack Senefeld
Biomechanics Laboratory Staff
Sports Performance Scientist
Clinical Research Scientist
Ergonomist
Chapter 10. Careers in Higher Education
David Anderson and Kate Hamel
Kinesiology Faculty Member
Kinesiology Researcher
Kinesiology Department Administrator
ABOUT THE AMERICAN KINESIOLOGY ASSOCIATION
The American Kinesiology Association (AKA), an association of over 150 college and university departments, was formed in February 2007 by the Human Kinetics Foundation with the support of the National Academy of Kinesiology. The AKA promotes kinesiology as a unified field of study and serves as an advocate at academic, governmental, and professional levels, both nationally and internationally. The AKA serves the needs of kinesiology departments at colleges and universities, assists scholarly societies associated with kinesiology, and encourages cross-disciplinary study in kinesiology.
ABOUT THE EDITORS
Thomas Templin, PhD, is a professor emeritus of Purdue University, where he served as professor and chair of the department of health and kinesiology and as chair of the department of consumer science. His research has focused on teacher socialization within physical education that is grounded in organizational socialization theory and role theory. During his tenure as associate dean in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan, he was a member of a research team that focused on physical activity interventions in elementary school classrooms. He is author or editor of numerous books and book chapters and has been a reviewer for various journals. A fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology, Templin previously served as president of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and as president of the American Kinesiology Association (AKA), where he now serves as executive director. In 2021, he received the Jerry R. Thomas Distinguished Leadership Award from the AKA.
Kim C. Graber, EdD, is the Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan Professor and head of the department of health and kinesiology at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She is former director of the university’s Campus Honors Program. Her research interests include children's wellness and legislative policy mandates, teacher education, and teacher socialization. She has published over 100 books, book chapters, and articles in peer-refereed journals and has presented her work at dozens of national and international conferences. She is the president of the American Kinesiology Association (AKA) and served as president and secretary of the Research Consortium, president of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), and chair of the Curriculum and Instruction Academy. She is a University of Illinois Distinguished Teacher/Scholar, a fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology, and a fellow of SHAPE America.
Penny McCullagh, PhD, is a professor emerita from California State University at East Bay. Her research interests over the years have focused primarily on observational learning or how we modify physical and psychological behaviors as a function of watching others or ourselves. She has an extensive publication and presentation record. She is a former president of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), the American Kinesiology Association (AKA), the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA), and Division 47 (Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology) of the American Psychological Association (APA). She currently serves as executive director of NASPSPA and editor of Kinesiology Today for AKA. She has been recognized by State University of New York–Brockport as a Distinguished Alumni and is a fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology. In 2025, she received the Jerry R. Thomas Distinguished Leadership Award from AKA.
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