From Athletic Training Student Aide to Advocate: An Athletic Trainer’s 37-Year Journey to Impact the Future of Youth Sports
For Dominic L. DiManna, MS, LAT, ATC, the path to becoming an athletic trainer began in the most authentic way possible – as a student athlete who discovered his calling in high school. In this candid conversation, he shares the moments that have defined his career, the relationships that have sustained him, and his unwavering belief that athletic trainers in the secondary school setting hold the key to transforming youth sports safety.
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in athletic training?
A: My high school coaches and counselor introduced me to athletic training. I attended a basic and advanced Cramer Athletic Trainer Student summer workshop and received my first aid and CPR certifications. I worked as an athletic trainer for students and manager for many of the sports teams at my high school. I was also able to work with the athletic trainer at Regis University as a high school student. I also played baseball.
Q: What has been one of your most rewarding moments as an athletic trainer?
A: One of my most rewarding moments as an athletic trainer was to return to my high school and serve as their first full-time certified athletic trainer. I also taught science and athletic training classes during my tenure at the high school.
Q: Can you share a memorable story where you made a significant impact on an athlete or patient's care?
A: There isn't really one story. What makes memories for me is when I see athletes complete their rehabilitation programs and return to sports participation - athletes who are able to return and participate at the highest levels of high school and then go on to compete in college and the pros. I really am appreciative of the athletes who stop in and see me after they graduate and tell me of their adventures after high school.
Q: How has the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) supported your professional growth or success?
A: NATA has given me the opportunity for community service, networking, training, education and numerous resources to support my career journey and my practice in the secondary school setting. The most important thing is the opportunity I have had to form friendships with athletic trainers and other health care professionals and to support people from around the United States. Those relationships and friendships mean the most to me.
Q: Have you participated in any NATA events, resources or advocacy efforts that left a lasting impression?
A: Whenever I serve on a committee, attend the annual meeting or work on a project, these have all left a lasting impression. The biggest impression has been left by sitting down informally, with all of the awesome members of NATA and sharing experiences, memories and advice.
Q: Speaking of advice, what advice would you give to someone considering a career in athletic training?
A: I would strongly recommend that someone considering a career in athletic training obtain their teaching certification/licensure in addition to their AT credentials and work in the secondary school setting. The youth athletes of this country are the ones in need of the most available, competent and knowledgeable athletic trainers to get them started on the right path towards lifelong health and safety. I have worked at all levels of sport, and athletic trainers in the secondary school setting can be the most impactful and rewarding for the student athlete.
Q: How do you see the profession evolving, and what role do you think NATA will play in the future?
A: I hope we can fill up the health care market in youth, middle school, secondary school and club athletics. This is where the highest need is. These positions are now being filled with individuals working outside of their scopes of practice, and in most cases, parents and coaches are just trying to deliver care in the absence of an athletic trainer or any health care professional trained in this specific scope. The secondary school setting can be the best setting in all of athletic training but the care that our youth and student athletes currently receive is, in many parts of the United States, substandard if even non-existent. This needs to be greatly improved.
DiManna's story reflects both the heart of athletic training and its greatest challenge: ensuring every young athlete has access to qualified care. His unique perspective, shaped by decades of experience across multiple levels of athletics, offers valuable insights into where the profession has been and where it desperately needs to go.
If you want to help youth sports and support young athletes, NATA membership can be a valuable tool in your professional toolkit. Membership puts you on that path with:
• Access to 200+ CEUs through NATA EducATe
• Connection to 34,000+ fellow athletic trainers nationwide through Gather platform and in person through NATA NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo
• Strong advocacy for youth sport safety, the value an AT brings to any team and licensure across 50 states
• Access to the latest research in athletic training and policy templates
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Visit www.nata.org/join to become a member today.
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