COLUMBUS, OH — March 2026 — ProTect Athletics, in partnership with ProTrain College, today announced the launch of the Director of Athletic Safety (DAS) certification, a national program designed to standardize athlete safety and injury prevention across all levels of sport.
This first-of-its-kind certification introduces a proactive, data-driven approach to sports safety, shifting the industry from reactive injury treatment to prevention-focused training.
Learn more about the Director of Athletic Safety certification program.
As player safety continues to gain national attention, the DAS certification establishes a new professional standard. The program treats athlete wellness as a technical discipline, bridging the gap between equipment management and medical science.
The Five-Pillar Courses “Safety Playbook”
The DAS program provides a comprehensive toolkit for the modern safety professional through five core pillars:
- Course 1: Foundational Athletic & Sport Safety Architecture – A technical entry into the landscape of modern sports safety.
- Course 2: Biomechanical Foundations of Injury Prevention – Establishing the anatomical requirements necessary to safeguard athletes.
- Course 3: Applied Kinesiology & Protective Ergonomics – Analyzing body movement to optimize equipment protection for specific muscle groups.
- Course 4: Technical Risk & Root-Cause Analysis – A deep dive into analytics to identify why incidents occur and how to prevent recurrence.
- Course 5: Strategic Implementation & Safety Leadership – A capstone experience focused on executing high-level safety strategies across an entire organization.
Academic Rigor and Standards
Delivered via a streamlined Moodle platform, the curriculum is informed by the elite standards of the Professional Football Equipment Managers (PFEM) and the NFL. This ensures that collegiate and youth programs benefit from the same professional-grade protocols used at the highest levels of play.
“Innovation in workforce training requires the courage to identify unmet needs,” says Betty Gardner, President and CEO of ProTrain College. “As a pioneer in workforce development, leading the charge in equipment safety is a natural evolution for ProTrain College. We are proud to apply our Middle States standards to this vital sector of the sports industry.”
“By partnering with ProTect Athletics, we are transforming athlete safety into a rigorous technical discipline,” adds Mike Schroder, Provost and COO of ProTrain College. “This initiative equips personnel—from the professional to youth leagues—with the specialized skills to better serve the players they protect.”
Jerry D. Fife, M.Ed., COO and Co-Founder of ProTect Athletics, emphasizes the mission: “In sports, we spend thousands of hours coaching ‘how to play,’ but we haven’t had a standardized professional path for ‘how to protect.’ This isn’t about luck; it’s about kinesiology, root-cause analysis, and professional oversight.”
Enrollment Information
Registration for the Director of Athletic Safety (DAS) certification is available for individual professionals and athletic departments. To learn more about course dates and enrollment, visit protrain.edu.
About ProTect Athletics
The Athletic Safety Organization (dba ProTect Athletics) is an Ohio-chartered consultancy dedicated to reducing athletic risk through specialized education and administrative safety solutions. Founded by veteran athletic equipment managers, ProTect is the driving force behind the DAS professional standard.
About ProTrain College
Founded in 2004, ProTrain College is a premier provider of professional development and micro-credentialing. Nationally accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA-CESS), ProTrain collaborates with over 200 institutions to provide high-quality, affordable education that leads to meaningful employment.
Media Contact:
Jerry D. Fife, M.Ed.
Co-Founder/COO
jerry@protectathletics.org
804-372-SAFE
