NATAPAC Keynote Highlights Impactful Leadership
In the Chuck Kimmel Memorial NATAPAC Luncheon keynote address, Mark Coberley, MS LAT, ATC, NATA Hall of Fame member and past District Five director, offered reflections on leadership, advocacy and the power of consistent, intentional action.
Speaking to a room of emerging and established leaders, he delivered a compelling message built not on personal accolades, but on decades of observation and lived experience.
Happy NATM from the NATA Office
Every day presents an opportunity for NATA to highlight the impact athletic trainers have on work, life and sport. From meeting with legislators about the critical role you play in health care to educating the media and public about #ATimpact, athletic training, and the dedicated health care professionals we serve, are always on our minds.
PEC Adds Preceptor At Large
In January 2019, the NATA Board of Directors approved the addition of an at-large member to the Professional Education Committee. The new member should be a recognized leader as a practicing clinician and preceptor; and will have the primary objective of overseeing past, current, and future efforts to offer resources to the membership aimed at optimizing the clinical education process.
Candidates interested in the position should meet or exceed the following requirements:
-Current certified membership in the National Athletic Trainers’ Association
Behind the Scenes at the NFL Combine
By Kim Diggs
Every year, the NFL hosts the National Invitational Combine in Indianapolis. This gathering is comprised of more than 300 NFL hopefuls preparing for the NFL Draft in April and a medical staff of athletic trainers assessing the physical condition of each athlete. Alongside the ATs administering exams are orthopedists, radiologists, cardiologists and internal medicine physicians.
AT Details Firefighter’s Road to Recovery
San Antonio firefighter Tim Worley knew something was wrong as soon as he heard the pop.
The 16-year San Antonio Fire Department veteran was playing with his dog when he stumbled backwards, twisting his leg and causing a loud pop from his knee.
“He actually came in and told me he thought he tore his [anterior cruciate ligament]. I did an assessment and said I agreed,” said SAFD athletic trainer Deena Kilpatrick, MS, LAT, ATC.
AT Helps Firefighter Stay on the Job
In the cover story of the March NATA News, “Caring for Those Who Care for Others,” athletic trainer and Metis Tactical founder Hunt Whitten, ATC, LAT, EMT, discusses his work in the public safety setting, specifically with firefighters in the Houston area. While Whitten has impacted the health and well-being of firefighters with the Spring, Ponderosa and Cypress Creek Fire Departments, no one has been impacted more than firefighter Jason Randall.
Industrial Setting Infographic Available
Adjusting your skills from the field or court to the warehouse isn’t always one-size-fits-all. To make an industrial injury prevention plan more attainable, NATA has created an infographic that appears in the March NATA News. This infographic handout makes it easier to examine and care for this unique patient population.
From the SLC: Opioids and Athletic Training
For this entry in the ongoing SLC Blog Series, the NATA Student Leadership Committee talked with athletic trainer Shelly Mullenix, MS, ATC, about the opioid crisis facing America and athletics.
SLC to Hold Life Balance Webinar
The NATA Student Leadership Committee will hold its spring webinar “Putting On Your Oxygen Mask Before Helping Others: From Wanting Life-Work Balance to Living Life-Work Balance,” by Kenneth E. Games, PhD, LAT, ATC, at noon (CST) March 4.
“Secure your mask first and then assist others around you.” If you have ever flown in an airplane, you have probably heard a similar phrase regarding what to do in an emergency if the aircraft loses cabin pressure. This announcement is also a valuable life lesson, especially for athletic trainers and athletic training students.
Student Shares International Experience
The International Sports Science Conference: Diagnosis, Management and Rehabilitation of Injuries in Elite Upper Extremity Athletes was held Jan. 17-19 in London. This international conference was presented by the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society, St. Mary’s University – Twickenham, NATA and the British Association of Sport Rehabilitators and Trainers. Among the attendees was Madelyne Barton, a University of Montana master’s student and incoming chair of the NATA Student Leadership Committee.