I thought I would take a minute to answer a regularly asked and important question. What qualifications do you need for sports massage? There are specific qualifications required and various levels. You can’t just go and be a sports massage therapist although it’s not a regulated industry, you’d never get insurance.
What qualifications do you need for sports massage?
So what qualifications do you need for sports massage? The beginners entry level qualification is the Level 3 Diploma in sports massage. This covers all the foundation knowledge for sports massage. I wrote a blog recently sports massage courses for beginners, this explains a little more about what you would learn. The level 3 sports massage qualification will allow you to get insurance and work either employed or self employed in the industry. Basically, this is the only qualification you need but would very much limit your potential.
What comes next
Once you have completed your level 3 Diploma in Sports Massage you can then move on to the level 4 Certificate in Sports Massage. This would give you greater skills and more extensive knowledge. What comes after that is a level 5 or you can add CPD continued professional development.
What would I suggest?
If you came to me and asked, what qualifications do you need for sports massage or what would I suggested, it would go as follows. You need your level 3 sports massage qualification, and I would recommend your level 4 sports massage qualification fairly quickly after. I would suggest you start treating regularly after completing your level 3 as there is nothing better than experience. After you complete the level 4 I would suggested you carry on working but wait a while before adding more qualifications. It’s potentially a years worth of training to get used to. You have new skills and knowledge to assimilate. That could be a few months or a year, everyone’s a little different.
Areas of interest
Over time you will start to notice areas of interest or areas that need developing that’s when I would recommend starting CPD. The nice thing about CPD is you can pick and choose which areas you want to look at. They are generally short courses, such as a weekend and are fairly inexpensive. Don’t just pick new techniques for CPD, use it as an opportunity to expand your knowledge on how the body works. The more you understand how the body works the less you will need new techniques.
