My Apple TV is saying I need to install a profile on my Apple TV to connect to my wifi network and im not sure what that means

Wi-Fi on home networks require just a password. There is no user identification in the connection. No profile is needed.

Wi-Fi on enterprise networks (e.g. corporate or educational institutions) may require a username and a password (captive network portal). Apple TV can’t connect to that manually. But a workaround exists through device profiles, like fixed extra settings, which may include network sign-in credentials. Any changes require a new profiles, so it is really intended for semi-permanent setups. For frequently connecting to different networks, you shouldn’t use profiles (but an in-between extra router instead).