At this point in your education you may be asking "Why do I need to bother with professional organizations? I'm just a student."
Professional organizations not only provide guidance and networking for professionals in the field but they have many resources that are useful for students. Often professional organizations have discounted membership rates for students. Even if you don't become a member keeping up with athletic training professional organizations' websites can give you information on what athletic trainers are doing in the real world. These websites also offer features such as joblines, blogs, information on certification, licensing information, and scholarships.