Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1037165
A s massage therapy continues to gain wider acceptance among professional sports teams and elite athletes, more massage therapists are considering sports massage as a career option. After all, having massage therapists on staff is now more the norm than the exception for professional sports teams. As in any profession, with greater popularity comes greater competition, along with a host of pertinent questions: How can massage therapists interested in entering this fi eld get a leg up on the competition? What advice do therapists who currently work with professional athletes have for other therapists considering this career? What does it take to make it in the world of elite sports massage? To answer those questions, we reached out to massage therapists who work with professional sports teams or other elite athletes to share their experiences— how they got there and how other therapists can get there too. The answers aren't surprising, but keen MTs will fi nd helpful pearls of wisdom within the basic elements of the stories—common threads that can help shape a path to the career goal they desire. Out of these stories, three overarching themes become clear: gaining knowledge of anatomy and kinesiology, networking with and learning from as many people as possible, and practicing what you preach in order to stay in tune with your own body. By Brandon Twyford What Does It Take to Make It? The World of Elite Sports Massage Yo u r M & B i s w o r t h 2 C E s ! G o t o w w w. a b m p . c o m / c e t o l e a r n m o r e . 75