Sandra Shultz is a celebrated educator, researcher and clinician whose impact on the profession is immeasurable. She is considered a national leader in ACL research and her focus on the underlying sex-dependent factors that contribute to a female's higher risk knee biomechanics and increased susceptibility to ACL injury is recognized throughout the medical and scientific communities as benchmark work in the field. Shultz has served the profession through numerous leadership positions, including service as chair of the Convention Program and Fellows Committees, and as a member of the NATA Research & Education Foundation Research Committee and the NATA Pronouncements Committee and Strategic Planning Task Force. Shultz, who is currently a professor at UNC- Greensboro, has influenced the profession through the countless students she has educated and mentored.
NATA Hall of Fame
Brian Robinson has impacted his profession through his passionate advocacy for athletic trainers, particularly those in secondary schools. As the head athletic trainer at Glenbrook South High School since 1977, he established an athletic training program that set a precedent for secondary school athletic training programs everywhere. At Glenbrook, he developed a concussion management program, a rehabilitation program for injured athletes and a database for tracking injuries and treatment plans. Robinson's efforts as chair of the Secondary School Athletic Trainers' Committee, along with his countless presentations, articles and television appearances, have advanced the role and recognition of the secondary school AT and vastly improved the health care for secondary school athletes.
Russ Richardson is a leader of the profession, recognized for his tireless service and commitment to athletic training. Active at the state, district and national levels, Richardson served on the NATA Board of Directors and was named chair of both the 2012 Nomenclature Workgroup and the Executive Committee for Education, leading the Association through controversial issues. An advocate for athletic trainers, Richardson contributed to licensure in California, Washington and Alaska. Currently, Richardson is an athletic trainer and associate professor of Health and Human Performance at the University of Montana Western.
Terry Noonan has dedicated his career to advancing the profession and improving the education of athletic trainers. A former NATA district five director and one-time chair of the Finance Committee, Noonan's decades of service, advocacy and leadership have made an immeasurable impact at the local, state and national levels. Through passionate campaigning and activism, Noonan was instrumental in obtaining licensure for athletic trainers in his home state of Iowa. He is also credited with singlehandedly saving the athletic training program at the University of Northern Iowa, where he served the program for 16 years. He is the current director of Athletic Training Services at the University of Iowa.
Malissa Martin is a renowned educator and researcher whose work in professional development has dramatically improved the athletic training profession. A nationally recognized presenter with more than 200 presentations to her credit, Martin has authored several books and more than 100 publications. She developed the first home study programs in athletic training and chaired the first NATA Athletic Training Educators' Conference, where she has been a key presenter since 1996. Martin was the first woman to be elected as president of the South Carolina Athletic Trainers' Association and her service and career accomplishments have been recognized with numerous awards. Currently, Martin is a Professor, Associate Vice Provost and Graduate Program Director of Athletic Training at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.
Dave Carrier is recognized for his remarkable career accomplishments both in leadership and in practice. A volunteer for many years, Carrier served on both the NATA College/University Athletic Trainers' Committee and the Honors & Awards Committee. He also served as the Chair of the NATA Research & Education Foundation Golf Classic for eight years, which raised thousands of dollars to help support the Foundation's efforts. He served as President of the Michigan Athletic Trainers' Society and was Chair of the MATS Golf Outing for twenty three years, which contributed financial support for state licensure. Dave was Head Athletic Trainer of the 1988 U.S.A. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team, the 1990 World Ice Hockey Championships, and the 1992 Olympic Ski Jumpers/Nordic Combine teams. His contributions to the profession are many, which include teaching Fundamental Techniques of Evaluation and Management of the Spine and Pelvis to athletic trainers from around the country. He also invented the “Carrier Technique” for Pelvic Superior Shears. Carrier is currently the Associate Head Athletic Trainer at Michigan State University, where he has worked for more than 30 years.
1954 - 2014
Tina Bonci revolutionized health care delivery for elite student-athletes, particularly female athletes, during her nearly 30 year tenure with the University of Texas. Bonci was one of the first in the profession to research women's predisposition to specific injuries and urged companies to create athletic shoes and apparel specifically designed for women. Ever focused on the total care of her athletes, she pioneered a wellness program to prevent unwanted pregnancies and STDs among student-athletes, and served as lead author of an NATA position statement on the detection and prevention of eating disorders in athletes. Bonci was named the U.S. women's basketball athletic trainer for the gold medal-winning 1984 team under Coach Pat Summit. Bonci's contributions to athletic training will benefit the profession for years to come.
Kenneth Wright, a professor at the University of Alabama, is a distinguished scholar, researcher and educator who is a respected expert and sought-after presenter across the globe. Wright has authored two textbooks, countless scholarly articles and secured numerous research grants, all of which has contributed to the advancement of athletic training and athletic training education. Among many appointments to the editorial boards of several publications, Wright served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Athletic Training for 12 years. In recognition of his service, the JAT established an award in his honor. Consistently recognized for his achievements and expertise, Wright was appointed to the US Anti-Doping Agency, the US Olympic Committee and has been awarded with the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award.
As an educator, clinician, volunteer and advocate, Paula Sammarone Turocy's impact on the profession of athletic training is immeasurable. A former chair of the Commission on the Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs Joint Review Committee on Athletic Training, and founding chair of the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, she has influenced the education of athletic trainers throughout the country. A recognized volunteer and activist at the local, state and national levels, Turocy contributed to the advancement of the regulatory status and licensure of ATs in Pennsylvania. Turocy, who was the first Anna Rangos Rizakus Endowed Chair at Duquesne University, is currently a professor of athletic training and Director of the Pre-Medical and Health Professions Programs at the University.
One of the professions' trailblazers, Catherine “Katie” Grove began her career as an athletic trainer when there were relatively few women in the profession. Since then, Grove has been a leader, example and advocate for female athletic trainers, serving as chair of the NATA Women in Athletic Training Committee. Grove is the Athletic Training Director at Indiana University, where she was recognized with the Excellence in Support of Women's Athletics, Health and Wellness Award. A former president of the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers' Association and the Indiana Athletic Trainers' Association, Grove is a committed leader at all levels of the profession.