Have you ever thought of training in sports massage? Not sure if its for you?
I have put together this information to help shed some light on this style of therapy for you.
I aim to answer any questions you may have, and if there are still unanswered questions for you, and you are still unsure if you want to enrol on a sports massage training course, then please do not hesitate to reach out to us and ask. We are happy to help.
We currently offer the following regulated qualifications in sports massage:
VTCT level 3 Diploma in Sports Massage Therapy
VTCT Level 4 Certificate in Sports Massage Therapy
And, coming soon:
VTCT Level 5 Certificate in Sports Massage Therapy
Let me break this down further for you. VTCT are the exam board, and stands for Vocational Training & Charitable Trust. They are OFQUAL regulated, so you can be assured that the qualifications are regulated and recognised. This is different to an accredited qualification, that are approved and verified by an accrediting body. I have written 2 blogs, one on accredited qualifications and one on information on The VTCT, they are listed at the end of this blog for you to explore further.
For this particular qualification, you would begin at level 3 and work up to level 4 and 5, if you wish.
Here is what is covered within each level:
VTCT Level 3 Diploma in Sports Massage Therapy
The VTCT Level 3 Diploma in Sports Massage Therapy (QCF) is a technical level qualification aimed at developing the knowledge, understanding and technical skills needed for a career as a Sports Massage Therapist, either employed or self employed.
This qualification was developed collaboratively with the following organisations; Active IQ, Central YMCA Qualifications, CIBTAC, ITEC and VTCT with input from the industry through the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) and the General Council for Massage Therapies (GCMT).
What does this qualification cover? The content of this qualification is comprised of all the required elements needed to work effectively and efficiently as a sports massage therapist. This includes anatomy and physiology, professional practice, an understanding of the principles of health and fitness and how to provide sports massage treatments. The level 3 sports massage therapist will be able to work safely and effectively on dysfunctional tissue in a range of context, to include:
Pre-event massage
Post event massage
Intra-event and maintenance massage
Progression
You would not be qualified to work with injuries at level 3, but this is covered in level 4.
Graduates of this qualification will be able to gain employment as a Level 3 Sports massage practitioner, providing pre, post, intra/inter and maintenance massage. This may include working in clinics, for sporting teams or as a mobile therapist. This may be in an employed or self-employed context.
Graduates will be able to progress onto the VTCT Level 4 Certificate in Sports Massage (QCF) which will build upon the skills, knowledge and understanding gained at level 3. It will introduce more advanced massage and assessment techniques, preparing you to work with non-acute injury and pre-existing conditions.
National Occupational Standards (NOS)
This qualification is accredited on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and has been mapped to the following NOS:
• CNH1 - Explore and establish the client’s needs for complementary and natural healthcare
• CNH7 - Provide massage therapy to clients
• CNH20 - Plan, apply and evaluate massage methods
This qualification is approved and supported by Skills Active, the sector skills council for active leisure and learning.
VTCT Level 4 Certificate in Sports Massage Therapy
The VTCT Level 4 certificate in Sports Massage Therapy is focused towards those seeking to gain employment as a sports massage therapist providing sports massage to prevent and manage injury.
Through this qualification you will develop the skills, knowledge and understanding needed
to apply sports massage methods competently to recent non-acute injury and pre-existing
conditions.
This will include a range of massage techniques additional to those acquired at Level 3, which include:
connective tissue
soft tissue release
corrective frictions
trigger points
muscle energy techniques
You will develop your subjective and objective assessment skills to include clinical reasoning
and the use of a wide range of special and functional muscle test. You will be able to
give advice on treatment modalities used to support soft tissue repair at each stage of
injury. In addition you will explore a wide range of patho-physiology and acquire a deeper
understanding of anatomy and physiology through the practical application of the newly
acquired objective tests.
Progression
Graduates of this qualification will be able to gain employment as a Level 4 Sports massage practitioner, providing a range of advanced sports massage techniques for recent non-acute injuries and pre-existing conditions.
This may include working in clinics, for sporting teams or as a mobile therapist and may be in an employed or self-employed context.
Graduates will be able to progress onto the VTCT Level 5 Certificate in Sports Massage which will build upon the skills, knowledge and understanding gained at Level 4, introducing more advanced massage techniques (myofascial, PNF and active isolated stretching), assessment techniques for ligamentous and neural conditions.
National Occupational Standards (NOS)
This qualification is regulated on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) and has been mapped to the following NOS:
• CNH21This qualification is approved and supported by Skills Active, the sector skills council for active leisure and learning
I hope this gives you a little insight into sports massage therapy. We offer these courses here in Devon. You would attend a number of practical training days with 3 assessments for each qualification. In level 3 you will sit a formal exam too based on anatomy & physiology. There are no formal exams for level 4. In addition to the practical training days, you will receive online tuition and access to the course material on our online course platform, so the theory can be studied in your own time, at your own pace.
Thank you for reading :-)
Karen xx
