A safer approach to work, life and sport
NATA strives to advocate for athletic trainers by influencing public opinion and policy. In 2016, NATA developed a public awareness campaign, At Your Own Risk, aimed specifically at educating parents, student athletes, school administrators, legislators and employers on the athletic trainers' role as an expert in prevention and safety. Learn more about how you can support this initiative at your local, state and district levels.
About At Your Own Risk
The mission of At Your Own Risk is to educate, provide resources and equip the public to act and advocate for safety in work, life and sport. At Your Own Risk is a way of showing employers, workers, legislators, school administrators, parents, and student athletes the value of athletic trainers within the health care team. Without an athletic trainer, you are left to face the inherent safety risks of living, working, and engaging in athletics all on your own. By employing an athletic trainer you provide a safer approach to work, life, and sport.
Goals
Project goals for this campaign include:
- Create ambassadors for the athletic training profession and for causes championed by athletic trainers.
- Reinforce the athletic trainer’s position as an authority in athlete safety.
- Clearly define how key stakeholders can get involved to impact change and improve safety for the physically active athlete and/or worker, given their area(s) of influence.
Stakeholders
Athletic trainers work in many different settings and impact a wide variety of patients. Because of this, At Your Own Risk will be launched in phases in order to strategically communicate with each audience. What is important to a school administrator isn’t the same as what is important to a Fortune 500 company. A tiered approach allows for catered communication to each key stakeholder group in terms that matter to them.
The common denominator for each of the stakeholder groups we will target is risk - risk of injury, risk of lawsuit, risk of lost profit, the list goes on. Athletic trainers play a sustainable role in risk mitigation. Athletic trainers can help prevent injuries, reduce liability and improve productivity. Athletic trainers offer a safer approach. At Your Own Risk was created to educate key stakeholders on these issues and create ambassadors who will champion for change in their community.
Resources
We have developed a number of resources to help educate the public on these important issues. Some of the resources available online include:
- Infographics
- Shareable images with facts, statistics and quotes about prevention and safety
- Interactive sports safety map that shows all 50 states' sports safety information including: recommended sports safety policy implementation, number of Safe Sports School Awards, AT licensure/regulation status and the percentage of high schools with a full time AT.
- Clear calls to action on how stakeholders can advocate for athletic trainers and improved safety in their schools and workplaces.
Advocate for Change in Your Community
NATA hopes that athletic trainers and state and district athletic trainers' associations will use At Your Own Risk as a tool to advocate for change in your communities. We have developed resources to help you adopt and adapt this public awareness campaign to fit your local needs.
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The Value of Athletic Trainers in International Schools (pdf)
- The Value of Athletic Trainers in Private & Emerging Practice (pdf)
- The Value of Athletic Trainers in Public Safety (pdf)
- The Value of Atheltic Trainers in Secondary Schools (pdf)
Promotional Resources
We have created a toolkit to equip state and district athletic trainers’ associations with resources and knowledge to effectively promote At Your Own Risk and advocate for change in their communities through improving awareness of risk and the athletic trainers’ role in risk mitigation. We have also created a presentation, important messaging and talking points to assist state and district associations in spreading the word with your members, local media and other important groups.
- At Your Own Risk - State and District Promotional Toolkit (pdf)
- At Your Own Risk - State and District Presentation (pptx)
- At Your Own Risk - Fact Sheet for Schools (pdf)
- At Your Own Risk - Fact Sheet for Employee Safety (pdf)
- Presentation for Athletic Trainers to Give to Special Interest Groups (pptx)
ATs In Action
Help us share what ATs do on a daily basis by submitting your pictures to be featured on At Your Own Risk’s social channels as part of the #ATsinAction campaign. #ATsinAction authentically depicts ATs doing what they do best – providing exceptional health care to a diverse patient population in a variety of settings. Be a part of the story by contributing your images.