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I am having a hard time finding quality training staff members. What are some of the best places to find highly qualified trainers?

I would suggest contacting the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA). They have a job listed link and they also have a national convention to post openings.

Maybe a little easy, but we have been successful in-house. We have been able to convert several aerobics instructors and patrons to go for a personal training certification. It is nice to be able to "add hats" to existing staff, that way you know in advance how it is going to work out!

You need to qualify what type of "trainer" you need. Do you need Personal Trainers? Then you should contact the ACSM. Do You need Certified Athletic Trainers? Then you should contact the NATA. Don't assume that one can do the other's job. While there is some of the knowledge base that overlaps,both are highly structured educational programs taht are tailored to different areas. After the recent Roger Clemens debaucle, we need to be very careful to not just use the word trainer. You may not know what you are going to get.

For a personal trainer I'd recommend NSCA or NASM, as well as ACSM.

You need to qualify your question -- WHat type of "trainer" are you looking for?? Personal trainer? Athletic trainer, horse trainer?? You are implying a measure of disrespect (unintended I am sure)by not recognizing the appropriate job title or description. If all you are looking for is a "trainer" and you address that individual as such, it is no surprize that your candidate pool is less than desirable.

If you are looking for highly qualified Athletic Trainers, start at our national website located at www.nata.org.

It's not easy to find good trainers. The industry is becoming saturated with low end clubs,high end clubs, ladies clubs,personal training studios, PT franchises and your club. We all need trainers. The turn over is very high nationwide. You have to be willing to take less for the club and give more percentage wise to find and keep a good trainer. WE are currently splitting the training revenue 50-50 with our quality trainers in order to attact them and keep them.

Another reputable organization providing both Personal Training and Strength and Conditioning Specialist training is the Natioanl Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) The exams and programs are excellent. I myself have a Personal Training certification through the NSCA and have found it to be more applicable than my ACSM certification to my general clients.

We contract with Henry Ford Health Systems - Center for Athletic Medicine. They have a program that provides a certified athletic trainer to local high schools. The trainer works approximately 20 hrs per week (hours are scheduled in advance with the athletic office)and spends the remaining hours working for HFHS in one of their clinics. In addition to working after school for practices and games, the trainer is able to make a telephone call and "streamline" an athlete through the system if the athlete is sent to the emergency room. Athlete and parent response has been very positive. Suggest you contact local hospitals and health systems in your area to see if they have similar programs.

If you are looking for an Athletic Trainer, they must graduate from an accredited school and possess a state license. Go to NATA.org and click on employers and you will get all of the information you need and then some. Jim Johnston, ATC-L Science Teacher/Athletic Trainer Millard West High School/Alegent Sports Medicine 5710 South 176th Avenue, Omaha, NE 68135 402-715-6000 (W) 402-894-9260 (H) Athletic Trainers are musculoskeletal specialists with expertise in the prevention, management, and rehabilitation of injuries incurred in a large variety of athletic and work settings.

a good website to look at to find resumes would be tsata.com, you can also look at swata.com or nata.com. all of these websites are designed for athletic trainers who are seeking employment to post their resumes. if you have any more questions feel free to contact me by email and i will help out in any way i can.

Post job openings on the NSCA job site. You can put down that you want certified trainers - CSCS or NSCA-CPT. There are many folks looking for jobs and go to the sight. I'd also contact local universities and colleges with students graduating with degrees in the area. They might need to have getting to the level you're looking for, but they would have the base to start off - and not just be a "I work out and really like it alot - so I want to be a trainer" person off the street. Not saying that some of those folks don't end up being great trainers - and those with degrees end up selling shoes; but you know you have someone with a base knowledge of the body and of exercise.

Depending on where you are I may be able to help. I certify personal trainers and maintain a mailing list of thousands. Email me. ACSM is a very good cert but its not the only one out there (e.g. NSCA, NASM, NPTI etc). Certification's are only one criteria for quality staff. The hard thing is finding one who is educated, stays educated and is good with people. Joe Cannon, MS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT www.Joe-Cannon.com

I would first state "Athletic Trainer" or Personal trainer in your job search. If looking for an athletic trainer, contact the NATA (www.nata.org)about placing an ad for job placement on the website. The NATA site is were the majority of the AT Programs direct the new grads for job placement. You may also contact any local college/univeristies that offer athletic training as a major OR who hire ATC's to work in the athletic department. ATC's are very well connected and willing to help spread the word for open jobs. The final issue would be financial, be sure to offer the "going rate" in your area for the type of service you require. All of these suggestions require a little work on the empolyers side but I believe it to be worth the time to get a GREAT ATC to come work with your site.

A little premature now, but in the future, try to develop a relationship with certifying agencies. Most of the time, if you have a group of trainers or instructors that need CEC's or certifying,in turn, you can have access to a list of certified trainers and/or instructors. Also, put and add out or review sites such as Craig's List for trainers/instructors looking for a position. Be cautious, check experience, education, and certifications before hiring, and testing is customary protocol for hire.

Contact your local college, especially those that have a Masters program in Athletic Training. We have had a very good relationship with our local university for getting a certified trainer work for our school while they are working on their Master's degree. The cost for our school has been very reasonable considering the time and professional service we receive.

Try universities or colleges that have external programs beyond academic. or LERN or Specific Agencies related to the topic or Google all work for me.

I have been lucky enough to find three good trainers from www.craigslist.com. The other place I've found good trainers is from placing a listing on the NSCA job posting. I think the key is how you set up the job description and your requirements. One of the good things about Craiglist is that you can list anonymously. This allows you to just delete the unqualified applicants with no reply. FYI, I've tried the "local classified" listing and will never do it again. First, you get too many useless applicants. Second, it's way to expensive for what it returns. In my opinion because most trainers are, or should be, tech savvy you are better off with word-of-mouth, and those I listed above. Jason Rulo CSCS, CISSN, HFI

The short answer is you have to develop them. Hire for personality,maturity,a passion for fitness and how well they can relate to your client base. Then indoctrinate and train them for 4 to 6 weeks with your best people leading the way. The results have been very gratifying for us.