In honor of National Native American Heritage Month in November, the NATA Now blog is highlighting some of NATA’s Native/Indigenous American members and their impact on the athletic training profession. 

The first event of its kind, the 2021 NATA Secondary School Sessions – held virtually Wednesdays and Thursdays, April 21-May 13 – will provide attendees a unique educational experience designed to advance patient care and enhance policies in the secondary school setting.

In the near 60,000-person town of Marietta, Georgia, Jeff Hopp, LAT, ATC, joined Marietta High School in 2002 as the only athletic trainer on the sports medicine team, which also included a physician and six athletic training student aides. Through his near 20-year career with Marietta High School, Hopp has been able to get the support of administration and the community by educating them on the importance of prioritizing athletic training services.

The March NATA News features an article about women in leadership and how to address barriers and challenges to becoming a leader. In honor of Women’s History Month this March, NATA would like to keep this conversation going through a monthlong blog series highlighting our female leaders. Each blog will feature a different NATA council or committee chair, who will share insights into her leadership journey and what she’s learned along the way.

By Ellie Daniels, MSAT, LAT, ATC

The Athletic Training Locations and Services (ATLAS) Project, a research and advocacy effort led by NATA and the Korey Stringer Institute (KSI), has concluded its findings for the 2019-20 academic year. Thanks to the athletic trainers who filled out the survey and the NATA and KSI team behind ATLAS, there are statistics to help advocate for the profession by seeking more ATs in secondary schools, stopping legislation against AT services and enhancing sports safety.