The NATA Hall of Fame is the pinnacle of member recognition, celebrating athletic trainers who have fostered the profession and exemplified what it means to live a life of service. More than a ring and an iconic green jacket, the NATA Hall of Fame honors those who have dedicated countless hours sharpening their skills, mentoring the next generation of ATs and leaving a lasting impact on the athletic training profession.
The May/June NATA News features profiles on each of the 2025 NATA Hall of Fame inductees, providing insight into their careers, volunteer achievements and lives as leaders in the profession. The class of 2025 will be inducted during the 76th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo in Orlando. Don’t miss the NATA Hall of Fame Induction & National Awards Ceremony from 1 to 2 p.m. June 25.
In this post, the inductees discuss their volunteer journeys and what inspired them to give back to the profession.
Editor’s note: Rick Shaw passed away Feb. 15. His responses were provided by his daughter, Jess Norman; colleagues, Marion Vruggink, AT Ret., Walter “Kip” Smith, MEd, LAT, ATC, and Scott Lawrance, DHSc, LAT, ATC; and mentor, Bob Behnke, AT Ret.
Brian Conway, LAT, ATC
When I was a student at Texas Christian University, Ross Bailey, AT Ret., TCU’s head athletic trainer, was involved with the Southwest Athletic Trainers’ Association and NATA, and modeled service. When I graduated, I just thought that is what you did. When I started volunteering, I was fortunate to have folks like Bobby Lane, AT Ret., Pete Carlon, AT Ret., and Sandy Miller who always encouraged me to give back to the profession.
Katie Walsh Flanagan, EdD, LAT, ATC
I just love it behind the scenes! Not much is better than the satisfaction I get being part of the scaffolding that supports the big picture in sports and medicine. I first began volunteering in athletic training in college. I stuffed bags for attendees at a conference (yes, we handed out paper flyers and T-shirts). I met an amazing number of really great people (many of whom are in the NATA Hall of Fame) and felt inspired to keep it going. I highly recommend volunteering with NATA to everyone.
Rick Griffin, MS, LAT, ATC
I have always had a thirst for learning, and as my career developed, I wanted to pass on what my mentors taught me, which was becoming involved in promoting athletic training not only in my community but internationally as well. In 1982, I went on a speaking tour to Australia and was overwhelmed by their eagerness to learn the things I knew as an AT. This lead me to establish within the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers’ Society an International Student Exchange Program in Japan, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Latin America to place students with ATs in professional baseball to learn about baseball sports medicine. Since 1998, there have been more than 450 students placed. I still enjoy the opportunity to help promote athletic training and help these students become certified and dual credentialed.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my committee work with NATA. I’ve been able to provide leadership and share my experiences to enhance our profession and recognize the leaders in athletic training who have made an impact on improving and making a difference. Being asked to contribute to podcasts and panel discussions and helping young athletic trainers to not make the same mistakes I did when I was young by providing them with information to promote their self-worth and value by sharing information from the NATA AT Compensation Task Force has been very important to me. I was helped many times by tremendously influential ATs, and that taught me the value of sharing. I always want to help out and pass on any knowledge that I can share to make their career in athletic training a successful one.
Jennifer Dawn Rheeling, MS, LAT, ATC
NATA Hall of Fame member Frank Walters, PhD, LAT, ATC, was my first supervisor. He modeled and taught me the value and importance of professional responsibility and contributing to the profession. He advocated for our involvement in the District of Columbia Athletic Trainers’ Association in the early 1990s and nurtured participation in the association.
He advocated for my installation as the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Trainers’ Association representative to the NATA Secondary School Athletic Trainers’ Committee, a role I assumed in 2004. I was in over my head and ill-equipped to play in the big leagues, with a lack of experience and global perspective. However, the mentorship of athletic trainers and fellow committee members Mike Carroll, MEd, LAT, ATC, David Csillan, MS, LAT, ATC, Tanya Dargusch, LAT, ATC, Tony Fitzpatrick, MA, LAT, ATC, and Brian Robinson, MS, ATC, allowed me to learn and grow. I certainly wasn’t the best representative at the time, but the experience taught me the value of advocacy and participation in the profession. It nurtured my passion for the profession and the secondary school setting.
Once I became more aware of the profession and its challenges from a national perspective and identified areas of opportunity in the Washington, D.C., landscape, I felt changes were necessary. I wasn’t focused yet on my direction. I had been in conversations with NATA staff members Judy Pulice and Amy Callender around reactivating the then-dormant DCATA and using it as a platform to fight for the licensing of athletic trainers in Washington, D.C. In early 2014, Amy called to tell me about an omnibus bill that included that licensure and was on the mayor’s desk for signing. That was the catalyst for all my volunteer and leadership roles that followed.
I still want to make improvements in Washington, D.C., and in Maryland, where I live. I would love to see both jurisdictions mandate full-time athletic trainers in the secondary school setting.
J. Timothy Sensor, LAT, AT Ret.
From the very beginning of my career, my journey was profoundly influenced by the encouragement of my mentors, all of whom volunteered as part of their professional identity. Driven by a deep passion for my profession, I began volunteering to give back. Giving back not only expanded my network but also opened doors to personal growth. Each volunteer experience enriched my education and honed my skills, reinforcing my belief that giving back not only enhanced self-worth but solidified my identity as an athletic trainer. This realization entrenched my commitment to service as every act fueled my development and deepened my passion for the athletic training profession.
Rick Shaw (honored posthumously)
Rick had a servant’s heart. From the time he was young to the very end, he knew that giving his talents was the best way to show the community and those he loved and cared for his love and appreciation. His family came from the poor farm country in Kentucky and had little money. They relied on sharing their talents with others to “get the job done.” Living in Indiana, Rick had many NATA mentors, such as Bob Behnke, AT Ret., and Pinky Newell, who inspired him to get involved professionally. He quickly learned that these serving opportunities opened doors to network and make lifetime friendships. But at the end of the day, Rick just wanted to help! He was very humble, but a person who put a lot of thought into how to improve the project or initiative he was Involved with. He was always forward thinking and strategic.
