NATA Now

The NATA Research and Education Foundation has the following positions open for nominations until Monday, August 15.  

•    President
•    VP District Relations
•    VP External Affairs
•    At-Large Member

About 28,000 ankle injuries occur each day in the United States. An ankle sprain is believed to be the most common sports injury, however, not all ankle sprains are alike. To help you educate members of your community on ankle sprains, how they’re treated and how to prevent them, NATA has created an ankle sprain handout (pdf).

As NATA President Scott Sailor, EdD, ATC, addressed the crowd during the NATA General Session and Annual Members’ Meeting, Friday in Baltimore Convention Center, Swing Hall, he announced that the association will launch a new public website, www.atyourownrisk.org, to better communicate the role of athletic trainers in work, life and sport.

“Athletic trainers – man, you guys are the unsung hearos,” said famed figure skater and Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton as he addressed the pack Baltimore Convention Center Swing Hall during his J&J Keynote Friday, June 24.

Hamilton spoke about the stages of his life, beginning with his childhood. Adopted at six weeks old, Hamilton grew up in a loving family with a mother who was compassionate and full of humor.

“She was the center of my universe,” he said of his mother, who passed away from cancer when Hamilton was 18 years old.

By Beth Sitzler

The next time you’re perusing the aisles of your favorite retail store to refill your supply of Johnson & Johnson Coach Brand tape, be sure to check the packaging – you may see a familiar sight.

At the beginning of the summer, J&J added the NATA logo to its Coach Brand tape, a marketing idea that was in the works for two or three years, said Jack Weakley of J&J.

Megan Little, ATC, head athletic trainer at Hedgesville High School in Martinsburg, West Virginia, decided her close proximity to Baltimore made 2016 the perfect year to attend her first NATA convention. She is one of the volunteers who helped NATA staff prepare for the convention this week and took a few minutes to share her thoughts on the convention experience with us.

In conjunction with the 67th Clinical Symposia & AT Expo, NATA held its annual Capitol Hill Day Wednesday, June 22, the association’s biggest advocacy event of the year.

This year, more than 400 athletic trainers representing 48 states made the trek from Baltimore to Washington, D.C., to speak with legislators on two important pieces of legislation – the Secondary School Student Athletes’ Bill of Rights and H.R. 921, which allows athletic trainers and other sports medicine professionals to travel with their teams across state lines.

By Todd Christman

On June 22, the Career Development Pre-Conference Career Workshops helped kick off the academic programming for the 67th NATA Clinical Symposia and AT Expo. The all-day event, hosted by the Committee on Practice Advancement and Ossur, started at 7:45 a.m.

Andy Carter, MS, ATC, the senior associate athletic trainer at the College of William & Mary, traveled from Williamsburg, Virginia to attend NATA 2016 in Baltimore. As a member of the NATA College/University Athletic Trainers' Committee, Carter was part of the group of athletic trainers who traveled to Washington, DC on Wednesday to advocate for the profession. He took a minute to tell us about his experiences at NATA conventions and what he recommends for first timers.

By Beth Sitzler

As Kansas City Chiefs Head Athletic Trainer Rick Burkholder, MS, ATC, addressed the NATAPAC Breakfast crowd Thursday, June 23, his message was clear: “You are all leaders in this profession. People are looking to us for direction. We must come through as leaders.”

Burkholder, president of the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society, spoke to the audience about leadership and the impact those willing to lead can have on the athletic training profession.