NATA Now

By Chris Snoddy MA, LAT, ATC

The wise phrase “Practice makes perfect" is used to convey that regular exercise of an activity or skill is the way to become proficient in it according to one internet source. How good would your sports teams be if they never practiced? How good would surgeons be if they had not  practiced on cadavers earlier in their career? Athletic trainers work with coaches and orthopedic surgeons daily. Everyone realizes how much time athletes spend practicing before a game or the years of cadaver practice surgeons have before they perform surgery.

By Jeff Stone 
Past President – ATOM 
Past District One Director

Our little “Athletic Training World” lost a true gentleman on Wednesday… 

Jack Baynes’ star shined brightly throughout his career and on all whom he cared for…a warm, humbling, caring practitioner of sports medicine, he balanced his profession with a love of family and friends… 

“The world has lost a beautiful soul.” Paul Lessard 

“I learned from Jack…how to be humble and care about people.” Steve Kennelly 

Sometimes, an athlete will associate their weight and appearance with their athletic performance. They might feel pressure to look a certain way in order to perform at their best. Unsafe weight-control behaviors can threaten the athlete’s health, however, there are ways an athlete can safely manage their weight and body composition.

The October NATA News features a profile on longtime Mesquite Independent School District athletic trainer Bucky Taylor, MEd, ATC, LAT. Throughout his 36-plus-year career, Taylor has focused on concussion management and care. In addition to writing hisschool district’s return-to-play policy, Taylor, along with friend Dennis Hart, ATC, LAT, helped create Texas’ concussion law.

The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system is utilized by Federal statistical agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data. The SOC differs from the Occupational Outlook Handbook, which provides information on duties, education and training, pay, and outlook for hundreds of occupations. The SOC was established in 1994 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and it has been revised twice, in 2000 and 2010, by the inter-agency SOC Revision Policy Commission (SOCPC).

This past Monday (Sept. 12), was a significant day for NATA and the athletic training profession. For the first time in our history, a piece of legislation championed by NATA was passed by Congress. The Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act (H.R. 921) was passed by the House of Representatives. The bill clarifies medical liability rules for ATs and other medical professionals to ensure they’re properly covered by their liability insurance while traveling with athletic teams in another state.

By Karen Fennell, MS, ATC
NATA Representative to the AMA CPT Coding Panel

After several years of collaborative work with members of Congress, the Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act (H.R. 921) was passed by the House of Representatives Monday, Sept. 12, a historic event for NATA and the athletic training profession.

The Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act (H.R. 921), which was passed unanimously by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee July 13, is going to be voted on by the full House of Representatives today, Monday, Sept. 12. This is a historic event for NATA and the athletic training profession as it is the first time a piece of NATA legislation has progressed to this step in the legislative process.

The August/September NATA News featured an article about current Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society President Rick Burkholder, MS, ATC, and Incoming PFATS President James Collins, ATC. The two head athletic trainers discussed the challenges facing PFATS members, recent accomplishments of the society and what they hope to achieve in the future.