AMTA & NCBTMB Launch New Sports Massage Specialty Certificate Program

Burr Ridge, Ill. / Evanston, Ill. (July 13, 2016)  The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) and the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) are excited to announce a new sports massage certificate program for massage therapists. The new education program culminates in the opportunity for massage therapists to earn the AMTA/NCBTMB Sports Massage Specialty Certificate. The content was developed through a rigorous process in collaboration with some of the top sports massage educators, medical doctors and sports science experts in the U.S.

This new continuing education program focuses on advanced sports massage scenarios and settings, with a goal of providing superior learning and an exam to demonstrate completion of the course of study. The new program is backed by AMTA’s attention to developing high level continuing education and a specialty certificate exam administered by the NCBTMB.
“We are excited about this specialty certificate program jointly developed by AMTA with the NCBTMB,” says AMTA President Nathan Nordstrom. “It takes advantage of the strengths and expertise of both of our organizations to put forward a quality education experience.”
“The NCBTMB has worked closely with AMTA to create an exam for this program that will provide value to massage therapists and advance their education,” confirms NCBTMB Chair Bruce Baltz.
A Specialty Certificate symbolizes advanced education and training in a particular massage approach or for working with a specific population. While not a full certification program or an exhaustive study of every component of this specialty, the AMTA/NCBTMB Sports Massage Specialty Certificate Program provides a solid foundational overview on the subject via a series of online classes looking at the science and settings for sports massage and is enhanced by a face-to-face workshop featuring techniques and applications most appropriate when working with athletes. Practitioners have the option to take individual courses of their choosing or to complete the series and sit for the certificate exam. The subject matter was designed to provide newer practitioners an overview of this important area of practice, while still being detailed enough to give more veteran therapists a helpful refresher of the current science in the field.
Each of the AMTA sports massage courses in the series meets the standards of state boards and the NCBTMB. The NCBTMB certificate exam will be available online in August 2016. Visit www.ncbtmb.org/specialty-certificates or www.amtamassage.org/sports for more information.
About AMTA
The American Massage Therapy Association is the largest non-profit, professional association for massage therapists, massage students and massage schools. The association is directed by volunteer leadership elected by the membership and fosters ongoing, member involvement through its 51 chapters. AMTA works to advance the profession through ethics and standards, the promotion of fair and consistent licensing of massage therapists in all states, and public education on the benefits of massage. The association actively promotes its members to the public and potential employers. Visit www.amtamassage.org.
About NCBTMB
The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) is an independent, private, nonprofit organization founded in 1992. The mission of NCBTMB is to define and advance the highest standards in the massage therapy and bodywork profession. In support of this mission, NCBTMB serves the profession through Board Certification, Specialty Certificates, an Approved Provider Program, and an Assigned School Program. For more information, please visit www.ncbtmb.org.
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