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Sometimes my best trainer's come straight from my member base. They must be certified, but a lot of times they are the most passionate about a healthy lifestyle and working out. Be observant of who is working out in your faclilty and how they are with the other members. If they have been a member for a while, the loyalty is usually there and you know they are sold on your facility.

If you are looking for someone to provide medical coverage in case of athletic injuries at sporting events, you need to have a Certified Athletic Trainer; someone who has earned the ATC credential from the NATA. There is a big difference between an ATC and a personal trainer who may have taken CPR and first aid training.

We are fortunate to use the services of San Jose State's Graduate Program. San Jose assigns a trainer for a 2 year assignment as they complete their level II requirements. They are responsible for day to day duties (as assigned). They are assigned 20 hours a week, but many put in more than needed.

Ryan, I have been in the personal trainng business for over a decade and have been involved with Professional Fitness Personal Training for just over 6 years. I have previously been a gym owner and curretnly work with over one hundred health clubs across the country that have dealt with the same issues you are currently experiencing. Thus the reason for our company Professional Fitness. We are a nationwide personal training company that conducts the personal training business within health clubs including the hiring and management of the training staff so that you and your membership sales team can concentrate on what you do best...keeping your current members while generating new ones. I would love to chat with you at your convenince, perhaps over a cup of coffee or a protein shake to discuss how our businesses can work together. Please feel free to contact me at your convenience. I can be reached at the email address (craig.geraci@gmail.com) or by phone at 909-319-1680. You may also feel free to review our website at www.professionalfitness.com for additional information. I look forward to hearing back from you.

Judging from the name of your facility and your job title, it appears you may be looking for someone who specializes in strength and conditioning of athletes, or a Trainer who specializes in sport specific training. If this is the case, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is the way to go to find qualified help. They have a very talented group of members, whose backgrounds cover many different genres. They also have a job board on which current openings can be posted. Above all, ensure that ALL of your staff is Certified by a reputable, nationally accredited organization like NSCA or ACSM. ACSM tends to focus more on the clinical side of exercise physiology and their members are also exceptionally qualified. Pick the organization that matches your needs the closest and post your job listing there. This will allow you to weed out those who really aren't qualified. In addition, I worked in collegiate recreation several years ago and the Fitness Director there would give a written and practical fitness exam to every applicant. I found this to be an excellent way of ensuring you get the best of the best in your facility.

Another way to find trainers in your area is to host continuing education workshops. Contact NSCA, ACSM or ACE for their continuing education programs and schedule workshops on a regular basis. It's a great way to meet potential new trainers for your facility that already have experience. It's also a great way to keep your trainers up on current information with a host facility discount savings.

In order to properly answer that question you need to specify the type of "trainer" in which you are seeking. Are you looking for a personal trainer, a sports trainer, an athletic trainer.

If your in the Akron, Ohio area try Human Potential Labs! www.humanpotential-labs.com

Yes you can go to ACSM as a good source but also the America Council on Exercise. Locally, you might want to checkout your community colleges or universities. Most all of them are looking for good facilities where their students can intern. You then have an opportunity to try them out, so to speak. We have a local community college that offers a very thorough fitness professional certification program. Their students then take the ACSM or ACE exams to get their creditals. Good Luck!

The first thing you need to do is identify what type of “trainer” you are looking for. There are personal trainers and there are athletic trainers. If you are pursuing a highly educated health care provider who can assist you in the prevention, care and rehabilitation of injuries sustained by physically active individuals and who can also administrate high quality physical conditioning programs,an athletic trainer is exactly what you need.

All certified or licensed athletic trainers must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited college or university in order to practice athletic training. Degrees are complementary to accredited athletic training majors and include established academic curricula. Athletic trainers’ bachelor’s degrees are in pre -medical sciences, kinesiology, exercise physiology, biology, exercise science or physical education. Professional content of academic coursework for athletic trainers includes study includes risk management and injury prevention, pathology of injury and illness, orthopedic examination and diagnosis, acute care of injuries and illnesses, administration of therapeutic modalities, rehabilitation, pharmacology, psychosocial interventions, nutrition, and health care administration. Academic programs are accredited through an independent process by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).

Once students complete their college coursework and graduate from an CAATE-accredited institution, they become eligible to sit for their national exams. The independent Board of Certification Inc. (BOC) nationally certifies athletic trainers. Athletic trainers must pass an examination and hold an entry-level bachelor’s or master’s degree to become a certified athletic trainer. To retain certification, credential holders must obtain 75 hours of medically related continuing education credits every three years and adhere to Standards of Professional Practice.

Most athletic trainers are not satisfied with an undergraduate education. Nearly 70 percent of ATC credential holders have a master’s degree or higher advanced degree. Reflective of the broad base of skills valued by the athletic training profession, these master’s degrees may be in athletic training (clinical), education, exercise physiology, counseling, health care administration or health promotion.

Once certified, athletic trainers work in a variety of settings. Athletic trainers are most noticeable in their positions with high school, college, and professional sports teams, but they also are working in rehabilitation centers, alongside physicians, in business and industry settings, and even in the military. Athletic trainers don’t just work with athletes, either. Anyone who is physically active can benefit from the expertise of an athletic trainer.

While practice act oversight varies by state, athletic trainers practice under state statutes recognizing them as health care professionals similar to physical therapists, occupational therapists and other health care professionals. Athletic training licensure/regulation currently exists in 46 states, and aggressive efforts are underway to pursue licensure in the remaining states.

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), founded in 1950, represents more than 30,000 members of the international profession. To learn more about athletic trainers, visit the National Athletic Trainers’ Association website at www.nata.org.

I'll keep this short as many people have contributed great answers. As a former Manager of trainers I have recruited from nearby schools(colleges, and community colleges, etc..) and spoken with the school gym and/or EXSS department's internship director. Having been a trainer for the college and the former lead trainer, it was easy for me to request to speak to the current training staff at the school and treat it like a mini seminar covering many topics of interest. The target focus during that seminar is to show them that there are opportunities after college with EXSS degrees and/or related degrees. Sometimes looking for "veteran" trainers may not be the route you want to choose especially if you are trying to achieve a certain vision or goal and it does not align with their philosophy or intentions. I have learned the hard way in the past with seasoned trainers. I grand opened a gym in 2005 and staffed it with trainers I personally hired, guided through their national certifications, and trained and developed to a team that broke many goals that were set for them. It was very different from past experiences with seasoned trainers. So essentially, you have to look at the dynamics of your gym, your philosophies and goals for your company, and the different resources you are planning on acquiring your trainers. Whether it comes from a certifying body that lists them in the area, you personally recruiting them, Colleges, or some other method. In the end, your quality interview and judgement will be the icing on the cake. Hope that helped... P.S. If your looking for Athletic Trainers (ATC), then colleges are still the best in my opinion. Excited, bright, impressionable, and ready to go. Again, the dynamics are different for the culture of the club and your needs. I have had a staff of 22 and as low as 3 depending on which location I was managing.

Unfortunately a trainer can have all the credentials in the world it doesn't make them any good. You have to interview and test everyone to see if they are someone your best person would hire. Make sure they actually know how to do the things they say they can. Or in the very least make sure they have the personality and love of fitness and then train them to perform your services. Athletic trainers have a lot of education but tend not to have a clue on weight training and most Personal trainers are not familiar with plyo exercises and sports specific training. Post your needs on nationally recognized certification websites such as ACE, NASM, ACSM, and then hope for the best.

Try using the free trainer search tool locateds at www.personaltrainer.cc The trainer listing will let you locate and compare trainers based on the combination of thier certifications, education, and experience. Trainers are rated 1-5 stars based on the combination of the above criteria. Good Luck!

We hired an outside agency called Accelerated Rehabilitation. In the Chicagoland area, it is pretty common to hire an outside group.

Fremont HS contracts with the Fremont Area Medical Center for training services. These are provided to our school in return for recognition and advertising of there services in various manners at our school. Materials used in our training room are purchased by our school. We have a full-time trainer that works daily from 2:30 to end of the day's activities, with coverage at all home events. Supplimental trainers are used when multiple events are hosted. Referals for injuries and medical treatment usually go through FAMC, so it is a positive for both groups to have this service.

There are many resources available for you to pick from. Some excellent sources are the headquarters offices of the NSCA, NASM, IDEA and ACSM. These sites can be found online, and your state will have a chairman who can supply you with certified trainers in your area. I would specifically look for only legitimatelycertified trainers for your staff. Another great source are the colleges and universities in your area who have sports managment, sports medicine and ATC trainer certification courses. They often can supply you with a list of canidates who are completing their studies in these areas. Just remember, a knowlegeable trainer is an educated one, and they are (next to your front desk attendent), you best face for your business to the customer.

Go to the website for the National Athletic Trainers Association, www.nata.org. You can also go to the website for each district the NATA is divided into.