Specialization Committee

What is sport specialization?

Sports specialization is a branch of physical therapy focused on preventing, diagnosing, and treating injuries related to athletic activities. It combines knowledge of musculoskeletal function, biomechanics, and sports science to help athletes recover from injuries, enhance performance, and prevent future injuries. Sports physical therapists work with athletes of all levels, from amateurs to professionals, providing personalized treatment plans that include exercise, manual therapy, and educational interventions. The goal of sports specialty practice is to develop and maintain high quality, physical therapy professionals in this specialty practice area.

How to become a sport certified clinical specialist

Residency track

If you are a student or licensed physical therapist, or a residency program, looking for specific information related to sports physical therapy residency programs, please reference the American Board of Physical Therapy Education Residency and Fellowship page

Sports Physical Therapy Residency Match

The majority of Sports Physical Therapy Residency programs participate in a match process to fill program vacancies with high-quality, residency candidates.

Important Program & Applicant Dates for the 2026-2027 Cohort:

• September 15, 2026 – Applications OPEN!
• December 1, 2026 – Initial INTERVIEW OFFERS sent out!
• February 22, 2027 – RANK LIST due!
• March 1, 2027 – MATCH DAY

*Please reference program-specific website for application due dates and program-specific contact information

Payment Link for Residency Programs Participating in the Match Program

• Single Program Track  
• Program with 2-5 Tracks 
• Program with 6+ Tracks

Non-residency track

If you are a student or licensed physical therapist looking for information regarding sport specialization outside of residency education, please reference the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists page

What you’ll find here: 

Information to help you navigate requirements to successfully maintain your Sports Specialist Certification through resources and communication

Maintenance Requirements

• Checklist (link to “Checklist.PDF”)

Maintenance Resources

• Requirements tracking form (link to “MOSC_Tracking”)
• Emergency Response for the Athlete (ERA) Requirement: Approved courses
• Athletic Venue Coverage Hours Requirement: Hours description

What is sports fellowship / sub-specialization?

A sports fellowship program is a post-professional, planned learning experience comprised of a curriculum encompassing the essential knowledge, skills, and responsibilities of a physical therapist with advanced training within a defined area of subspecialty practice.

Currently accredited physical therapy fellowship programs within the sports academy include:

• Sports Division I Fellowship Practice
• Upper Extremity Athlete Fellowship Practice

Qualifications for Sports Fellowship Training

A clinical fellowship candidate has either completed a residency program in a related specialty area or is an American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties board-certified specialist in a related area of specialty.

For a list of currently accredited sports fellowship programs, please reference the Program Directory here

What you’ll find here: 

Information to help connect you to other Academy committees and special interest groups to further your specialty practice knowledge

AASPT Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

AASPT Committee Newsletters