Athletic Therapist

Department

• Athletics and
• Recreation
• Job
• Type: Limited Term

Full-Time/Part-Time

Part Time (>910 hrs/year) Campus: Waterloo Reports to: Manager, Sports Medicine & Athlete Performance Employee Group: WLUSA Application Deadline: June 24, 2026 Requisition ID: 11376 Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading multi-campus university that excels at educating with purpose. Through its exceptional employees, students, researchers, leaders, and educators, Laurier has built a reputation as a world-class institution known for its rich student experience, academic excellence, and global impact. With a commitment to Indigenization and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, Laurier’s thriving community has a place for everyone. Laurier has more than 21,000 students and 2,100 faculty and staff across campuses in Waterloo and Brantford, as well locations in Kitchener and Milton. The university is committed to providing an inclusive workplace, a flexible work policy and employing a workforce that is reflective of local and national demographics. Laurier's Waterloo, Kitchener, and Brantford campuses are located on the shared traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnaabe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. This land is part of the Dish with One Spoon Treaty between the Haudenosaunee and Anishnaabe peoples and symbolizes the agreement to share, protect our resources, and not to engage in conflict. Laurier's Milton campus is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and part of the Nanfan Treaty of 1701 between the British Crown and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. This job posting is for a current vacancy.

Position Summary

Reporting to Manager Sport Medicine and Athlete Performance. Athletic Therapists (ATs)- are orthopedic specialists who are primarily responsible for the acute care, assessment, and management of musculoskeletal injuries, including the rehabilitation and return to play of varsity student-athletes at Wilfrid Laurier University. At Laurier, there are 22 interuniversity teams, 22 sports, comprised of approximately 550 student-athletes that receive care from three full-time ATs. ATs are responsible for on-field coverage at practices and competitions as well as clinical treatments. A typical varsity season requires at least 80+ games of Athletic Therapy sideline coverage of home events including exhibition, regular season and playoff games. The number of clinical assessment and treatments exceeds 3,000 clinical visits per year to fully support the care of the student athletes. Additional AT responsibilities include pre-competition screening protocols such as reviewing medical history forms, neuro-cognitive (concussion) baseline testing, injury prevention programming of warm-ups and cool downs, arranging referrals to appropriate healthcare providers, and recruitment, training, and supervision of 2- 5 student trainers for each varsity team. ATs have additional administrative responsibilities such as scheduling of appointments, charting and filing of medical records, ordering of braces and clinic supplies, purchasing and maintenance of clinic equipment, policy creation and implementation, surveillance and reporting of injury statistics, and writing departmental annual reports. An AT acts as the contact/resource person for the USports and Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) doping control program providing educational information in accordance with the USports & CCES doping policy. Departmental responsibilities include creation of informative talks for first year orientation events, attending monthly Athletic Therapy meetings, and participation in all department mandated trainings and meetings Accountabilities 1) Sports Injury Assessment, Rehabilitation and Management

• Administers pre-season medical screening including neuro-cognitive baseline testing for all varsity athletes Reviews all medical history questionnaires to identify any pre-existing injuries or medical conditions that may preclude an athlete from competing safely.
• Responds immediately to acute injuries that occur during training sessions and / or competitions.
• This can include minor injuries such as strains or sprains as well as serious injuries such as fractures, major lacerations, spinal injuries and concussions and performs in game assessment to determine initial care required in consultation with the Emergency Action Plan that has been pre-arranged including sideline assessment Educates an injured athlete by providing home advice for self-care to promote the recovery process.
• Monitors athletes following a practice or competition to ensure that no other injuries have occurred and provides exercises and techniques to manage conditions Debriefs any injuries with the team’s student trainers and coaches, so they understand the athlete’s injury and the athlete’s injury status.
• The AT will also provide an injury report to the head coach and indicate an appropriate timeline for return to play.
• Follows up with all injured athletes in the Laurier Therapy Clinic during the week.
• Assessments and protocols are increased and more defined including recording a detailed history of an athlete’s chief complaints including identifying aggravating and alleviating factors as well as previous injuries.
• Observes the injured area, makes postural observations and performs a gait assessment.
• Performs functional movement tests to determine an injured athlete’s range of motion, strength and pain.
• These tests are followed by specific orthopedic tests which help determine which structure(s) may be injured and the degree / severity of the injury.
• Performs a careful and specific palpation of the injured and surrounding areas.
• Upon conclusion of the clinical assessment, the AT can determine the suspected condition.
• Determines if an injured athlete requires a referral to a Sports Medicine Physician once a clinical diagnosis is confirmed.
• The AT works closely with the Sports Medicine Physician to ensure the injured athlete receives prompt and thorough care.
• Outlines the plan for injury rehabilitation based on the stage of healing.
• This treatment plan may include the use of modalities (ultrasound, muscle stimulation), manual therapy techniques and flexibility and strengthening exercises.
• Works closely with Laurier’s Strength & Conditioning coaches to ensure that proper exercise modifications are being made for an injured athlete.
• Accompanies athletes to specialist appointments as appropriate Facilitates many professional relationships with the local healthcare community which allows for an expedited process of injured athletes consulting with orthopedic surgeons.
• Determines when bracing is required to assist an injured athlete through his / her rehabilitative process.
• The AT will fit an athlete with a non-custom or custom brace as required.
• Reassesses the athlete’s ability to meet the return-to-play criteria for their sport once the athlete has progressed through the rehabilitation process.
• Guides the athlete through this progressive process of incremental stages of specific exercises and closely monitors the athlete for any re-emergence of symptoms.
• This progressive return-to-sport will be not only sport specific but position specific with a sport (eg. goalie).
• Attends practice sessions to assist with the athlete’s reintegration into full practice.
• Updates with coaching staff occurs daily with full assessments & progression plans provided as needed.
• Follows a specific process of assessing and monitoring suspected head injuries (concussions) as outlined by Laurier’s Concussion Protocol and Rowan’s Law.
• Arranges daily follow up therapy appointments which include monitoring of symptoms and manual therapy techniques. assistance with academic responsibilities (deferred exams, extra time for exams) then the AT facilitates an appointment with The Accessible Learning Centre on Campus to provide additional resources in consultation with Coordinator, Athlete Services.

2) Clinical Organization and Administration

• Maintains detailed and accurate charts for each athlete visit.
• Storing all medical documentation for ten years as required by law.
• Facilitates under the direction of the Manager Sport Medicine and Athlete Performance with the Coordinator of Web andTechnology, and university legal council to update the athlete health assessment forms Develops a Student Trainer Code of Conduct outlining employment and behavioral expectations.
• Collects student trainer payment information for the purposes of processing the student trainer honorariums.
• Organizing and scheduling doctor’s appointments for the varsity athletes.
• Collaborates with Manager, Facility & Events to create and update an Emergency Action Plan for each venue which outlines the procedures if an emergency were to occur.
• Scheduling annual maintenance appointments with Facilities Coordinator and industry experts for clinical equipment such as the modalities to ensure their safe working order Collaborate with Coordinator, Athlete Services to facilitate clothing for the student trainers and therapy staff.
• Fitting and ordering and payment generation of generic and custom braces.
• Maintaining an inventory of braces at the clinic.
• Monitors inventory of all current medical supplies and identifying when items need to be replaced.
• Collects quotes for all supplies prior to placing an order and being fiscally responsible with the Athletic Therapy Equipment Budget.
• Contacts new suppliers and requests sample products to ensure procurement policies are being followed Facilitates enhancements/new initiatives to student athlete treatments (i.e.
• Massage Therapy) Corresponds frequently with other OUA Athletic Therapists regarding injury policy, physician renumeration and injury trends.
• Maintains communication with the Neuropsychologist Consultant for the ImPact Concussion testing system to ensure proper access and function of this baseline testing system.
• Collects and analyzes injury statistical information to look for injury trends and provide coaches with injury statistics for their athletes (number of treatments, types of injuries).
• Attends annual conferences and pursues professional development opportunities to stay up to date on the latest research trends and techniques and advances in technology in the profession.
• Acts as the contact/resource person for the USports & CCES doping control program.
• Helps implement and maintain a comprehensive safety plan for sport and recreation facilities used by internal and external stakeholdersComplete collaborative Injury Reports on a weekly basis Attend weekly Integrated Support Team (IST) meetings with primary programs overseeing Liaison with Strength and Conditioning staff on Return to Play processes.
• Attend Therapy Unit and Sport Performance Team meetings, as scheduled.

3) Laurier Student Athletic Therapy Training and Mentoring

• Operates a Laurier Athletic Therapy Club with 75 -100 students to promote Athletic Therapy and provide volunteer opportunities in the therapy clinic and with varsity and club teams.
• Prepares and presents practical learning sessions on a monthly basis to students.
• Provides volunteer shadowing placements in the therapy clinic for approximately 20 -25 students per year.
• Creates educational materials for students including informational posters and a student trainer manual.
• Prepares and presents a promotional recruitment session at Sheridan College to attract quality Athletic Therapy students to choose Laurier as their placement.
• Reviews resumes and interviews prospective students on a yearly basis for student trainer positions with varsity teams.
• Organizes and executes the training of Laurier Kinesiology students and Sheridan College students who assist the ATs with emergency on-field coverage, pre / post practice and game care and managing of the athletes return-to-play process.

Scope I Dimensions

• 200 varsity student athletes Recruit and train a minimum of 5 student trainers Student clinical volunteers have constant daily supervision by the AT as their role is primarily observatory.
• The AT also has the responsibility of supervising a Sheridan Co-op Kinesiology student for a complete semester every day, which totals 420 hours.
• Student trainers with varsity teams may work independently at certain times; however, they are aware of how to access the AT or other advanced care if an emergency situation arises.
• The AT provides group training sessions to approximately ten club team student trainers on topics such as head injury recognition and management.
• The AT has consistent daily communication with the student trainers to provide injury updates.
• The AT is responsible for the hands-on skill training (taping, acute injury management, exercise prescription) for the student trainers.

Qualifications

Bachelors Degree, from a CATA accredited institution in Canada Minimum of 3 years experience in a relevant work environment. Preferably at the professional, University or College Level Certified physiotherapist or athletic therapist and in good standing with the CATA First Responder & Basic Life Support Certification Current First Aid and CPR & AED certification Strong organizational skills Ability to work with others in an environment that requires quick decisions that protect the safety and well-being of the student-athlete. Experience working with high performance athletes and coaches Valid ‘G’ Drivers License required Criminal Background reference check required Knowledge of sport science theory, nutrition and CSCS considered an asset

Hours of Work

This position is a part-time, limited term role with an approximate end date of March 26, 2027. Primary workdays will be Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, with additional hours scheduled as needed based on operational requirements. Every effort will be made to manage the schedule so that weekly hours do not exceed 20. Due to game schedules and clinic coverage needs, flexibility to work evenings and weekends is required. This role requires daily in person attendance and is not eligible for a flexible work arrangement as per Policy 8.14 (Flexible Work Policy).

Compensation

• Level:
• F
• Rate of
• Pay: $47.26 per hour to $49.97 per hour with an annual step progression on anniversary date up to $54.01 per hour. Considerations for new hire step placements include, qualifications and length/depth of required experience, relevant market rates for similar jobs, internal equity, and estimated learning curve in starting the job. Wilfrid Laurier University endeavors to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors. Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity deserving groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility. We have strived to make our application process accessible, however if you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact Human Resources. Contact information can be found at careers.wlu.ca/content/How-to-apply/ Should you be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please visit www.wlu.ca/careers for additional information and the online application system. All applications must be submitted online. Please note, a resume and cover letter will be required in electronic form. Please note, when pre-screening questions are used as part of the application process, AI is utilized to score responses. All other aspects of the hiring process are reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team.