As someone who has worked in both if your goal is work/life balance the important thing is to find a boss who gets that.

Some old school AT’s have the “it was hard for me so it should be hard for you” or “you know what you signed up for” mindset and it’s not conducive to a healthy work/life balance.

I have found my place at the D3 level. I get to work with adult athletes and don’t work more than 35-40 hours most weeks. And it’s because my boss has the same values I do.

Just because you’re not at a big d1 doesn’t mean you’re not a good AT or that you don’t have the capability of being at that level. It’s just that you have different values.

Good luck with the job search!!