Every day, NATA and the NATA Government Affairs Department are working on behalf of the athletic training profession. With staff members experienced in all aspects of the legislative process, the NATA Government Affairs Department is the sole department focused on advocacy for the profession. NATA’s goal is to ensure that all ATs can work to the fullest extent of their education and skill set. These bipartisan efforts consist of five key areas: state legislation, federal legislation, regulatory, reimbursement and NATAPAC.

This year, the National Athletic Training Month theme, “From Head to Toe,” highlights the whole-body, whole-person care ATs provide their patients. Throughout March, NATA Now is highlighting members from across the settings. These eight ATs, also featured in the March NATA News, are examples of how ATs are advancing the profession through their direct and indirect efforts.

This year, the National Athletic Training Month theme, “From Head to Toe,” highlights the whole-body, whole-person care athletic trainers provide their patients. Throughout March, NATA Now is highlighting members from across the settings. These eight ATs, also featured in the March NATA News, are examples of how ATs are advancing the profession through their direct and indirect efforts.

Since 2005, the NATA Political Action Committee (NATAPAC) has been the voice of the athletic training profession, seeking better working conditions, fair access and the right to practice for all athletic trainers across America.

Over the past year, NATAPAC garnered more than $70,000 from 1,035 contributors between October 2022 and September 2023. View a complete list of the 2022-23 contributing members.

The NATA Political Action Committee (NATAPAC) would like to thank everyone who participated in the 2023 NATAPAC Sweepstakes Sept. 11-30. Through your contributions, $10,140 was raised for NATAPAC. The winners of the 2023 sweepstakes are:

• Roger Kalisiak, AT Ret. – Apple iPad Air
• Mathew Golden, MSAT, LAT, ATC – LG 70-inch 4K Smart TV
• Carley Parkinson, MBA, LAT, ATC – Apple iPad Air

LaTonja Lee, MS, ATC, PES, has a deep passion for exposing more girls to the athletic training profession. In 2019, Lee brought a program call Women in Athletic Training to the Girl Scouts of Nassau County (New York) (see p. 30 of the November 2019 NATA News). This June, Lee, who is a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient and member of the adult council, turned her attention to Indianapolis.

From now through Sept. 30, NATA members have the opportunity to support the NATA Political Action Committee and potentially win one of three prizes through the NATAPAC Sweepstakes.

Introduced in 2021, the NATAPAC Sweepstakes has become an annual fundraiser, providing another way members can contribute to the advancement of the profession.   

To commemorate Pride Month, throughout June the NATA Now blog is highlighting members of the NATA LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee and their impact on the profession.

For Sean Rogers, DAT, LAT, ATC, the practice model under which athletic trainers operate in traditional and non-traditional settings attracted him.

After a three-year hiatus, the NATAPAC Breakfast returned June 23 with about 200 attendees during the 74th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo in Indianapolis.

The NATAPAC Breakfast is the premier event and fundraiser at convention for the NATA Political Action Committee (NATAPAC), and this year, attendees got to hear from keynote speaker and NATA AT Compensation Task Force Chair Murphy Grant, LAT, ATC, NASM-PES.

Held in-person for the first time since 2019, the State Leadership Forum welcomed leaders from around the country June 21, in the JW Marriott, for part two of this year’s hybrid event.