Careers in Sport, Fitness, and Exercise: A Guide to Kinesiology Professions

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, personal training and management
• Strength and conditioning training
• Physical education teaching and coaching
• Sport officiating
• Sports marketing and management
• Athletic training, sports medicine, and rehabilitation
• Allied health and public health sciences
• Physical therapy
• Sport psychology performance enhancement
• Sport performance science in industry
• Higher education and professorship

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.

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.