About Us

Athletic Rehabilitation Therapy Ireland (ARTI) is a recently founded professional organization responsible for the promotion, regulation and continued education of Athletic Rehabilitation Therapists. ARTI is dedicated to ensuring that all Certified Athletic Rehabilitation Therapists provide the highest quality of care to all patients and athletes. The BOC and ARTI have a mutual recognition arrangement. BOC Certified Athletic Trainers interested in becoming certified in Ireland, please visit the ARTI website. ARTI Certified Athletic Therapists interested in becoming certified through the BOC, please click here.

• Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC)
• Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE)
• National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA)
• NATA Research & Education Foundation (NATA Foundation)

Each member of the Strategic Alliance serves a distinct group of stakeholders, yet all members have a shared interest in advancing the athletic training profession. The Strategic Alliance collaborate throughout the year to discuss research and deliberate on current topics of interest to the profession; solicit feedback from the public; and communicate findings and positions to all stakeholders. The Strategic Alliance offers its joint statements in an informed manner based upon what is best for students, patients, the public and the profession.

AT Strategic Alliance Vision: The Strategic Alliance will promote worldwide growth, enhanced protection, strategic development and continued advancement of the athletic training profession.

AT Strategic Alliance Mission: Through the collaborative efforts of accreditation, credentialing, membership and research of athletic training, the Strategic Alliance advances the Athletic Training profession by identifying and prioritizing current and future practices and initiatives impacting the profession of athletic training and its stakeholders worldwide.

The Strategic Alliance has issued the following statement:

Legal and Ethical Responsibility to Report Unregulated Practice

The CAATE is the agency responsible for the accreditation of more than 360 professional (entry-level) athletic training programs, 16 Post-Professional Degree Programs and two Residencies. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), and the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) cooperate to sponsor the CAATE and collaborate to develop the "Standards for Entry-Level Athletic Training Educational Programs"

Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE), formerly the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA), is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational, networking and advocacy resources for the credentialing community. ICE's accrediting body, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), evaluates certification organizations for compliance with the NCCA's "Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs." ICE provides educational resources and best practices for organizations with certification programs, whereas, the NCCA evaluates those certification programs based on predetermined and standardized criteria.

The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) is the national membership organization for the profession of athletic training and others who support the athletic training profession. The BOC began as a committee of the NATA until it was separately incorporated in 1989. The mission of the National Athletic Trainers' Association is to represent, engage and foster the continued growth and development of the athletic training profession and athletic trainers as unique health care providers.

The NATA Foundation’s work benefits every AT and every company associated with the profession, as well as the physically active community at large. The NATA Foundation is the only 501 c(3) non-profit dedicated to advancing the athletic training profession through research and education.

The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) is the accreditation body of Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE). The NCCA's mission is to ensure the health, welfare and safety of the public through the accreditation of a variety of individual certification programs that assess professional competency. The NCCA sets standards that include "Essential Elements" that must be met by organizations offering certification programs.

The NCCA "Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs" categories:

1. Purpose, Governance and Resources
2. Responsibilities to Stakeholders
3. Assessment Instruments
4. Recertification
5. Maintaining Accreditation

The BOC meets all NCCA standards; BOC requirements are often originated from NCCA standards. These standards answer questions as to why ATs must complete CEUs and why the BOC and NATA are two separate organizations. Examples include but are not limited to:

• BOC recertification must demonstrate that continued competence is in the best interest of the public and athletic training profession.
• BOC Recertification Requirements must measure or enhance continued competence of ATs.
• The BOC must be structured and governed in a way that is appropriate for the profession, occupation, role or skill and that ensures autonomy in decision making over essential certification activities.

The BOC has the only accredited certification program for ATs in the US. Since 1982, the BOC has been continuously accredited by the NCCA and must undergo review and reaccreditation every five years.

World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy (WFATT) was founded in 2000 with the vision of Athletic Training & Therapy being recognized as an essential part of multidisciplinary healthcare teams worldwide.

Since inception, the WFATT has made it its mission to provide leadership to advance the international interests of its members for the common goal of optimal healthcare for physically active populations.

BOC has been a proud associate member of the WFATT since 2005.