NATA Now

By Jeffrey B. Driban, PhD, ATC, CSCS

Expanding the reach of stories that highlight the expertise of athletic trainers can have a huge impact on promoting the athletic training profession.

New Orleans’ own Drew Brees, an elite quarterback entering his 18th year in the NFL, will headline the NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo in NOLA June 28 as the NATA Keynote Speaker sponsored by Cramer. Read the June NATA News for our cover story about Brees.

The May NATA News features an infographic handout on stress in honor of May being Mental Health Month. While some stress can be good, too much stress can have short- and long-term effects on physical and mental health. The infographic handout describes some of the symptoms of stress as well as ways to reduce stress through self-care. Check out the infographic handout and share it with members of your community.

The seven members who will be inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame during the 69th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo this June in New Orleans were featured in the May NATA News. In addition to sharing their fondest memories and hopes for the future of the profession, they discussed volunteerism and its importance. Below you can read more about what led the Hall of Fame Class of 2018 to volunteer and give back to the profession:

The May NATA News includes profiles on the seven members who will be inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame during the 69th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo this June in New Orleans. In addition to discussing their mentors and the value of giving back, the Hall of Fame inductees also shared their hopes for the future of the athletic training profession:

The Athletic Training Education Journal (available at www.natajournals.org) invites proposals for a special thematic issue focusing on the Globalization of Athletic Training Education. Specifically, we are seeking manuscripts of all types on the following themes:

Cover letters, résumés and references – oh my! These three simple items can often be intimidating because of the large impact they have during the job hunt.

To help students put their best foot forward and guide them as they apply for internships, job positions and educational programs, the NATA Student Leadership Committee will hold its first-ever webinar, “Cover Letters, Résumés, References: Setting Yourself Up for Success” by District One Director Tim Weston, MEd, ATC, at noon (CST) April 23.

Identify and connect with your external stakeholders.

Identify key external stakeholders for your setting by answering the following questions:
●        Who are my local government officials?
●        Who is responsible for providing public information for my workplace?
●        Who are the decision makers at my workplace?

Education is an important part of an athletic trainer’s job in the secondary school. ATs are tasked with educating parents, student-athletes, coaches, teachers, counselors, school nurses and administration on a daily basis. One of the most frequent topics of discussion is concussions. Shelly Jones, ATC, NATA Secondary School Athletic Trainers' Committee District Ten representative, shares her concussion handout as a resource for other members with this weighty assignment.