NATA Now

By Kim Diggs

Every year, high school students return to school; the football season revs up, and media outlets far and wide ask the same question: Is football safe for students? In 2016, Oklahoma Athletic Trainers’ Association (OATA) decided to get ahead of the inevitable by debuting the Safety in Football Campaign – a public-relations initiative to raise awareness about the athletic training profession.

Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is one of the most common knee problems affecting active individuals, especially young athletes. Despite its commonality, PFP is often misunderstood and can be challenging to manage due to its complex nature.

The January NATA News features an article about the Prehospital Care Committee of the UPMC Sports Medicine's Athletic Training and Development Program in Pittsburg, which has spent the past 12 years developing and implementing an equipment athlete class focused on collaborating with area EMS groups in the care of a potentially spine-injured athlete.

By Kim Diggs

On the heels of a bipartisan triumph for sports medicine, NATA members will get the opportunity to participate in an annual political tradition. ATs from all over the country will travel to Washington, D.C., to participate in the annual Capitol Hill Day April 3, 2019. Registration is free and open now through Feb. 28, 2019.

Here’s the latest student news from the athletic training profession:

To promote individual health and well-being and advance population health, NATA and American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) have announced a commitment to greater collaboration in a joint statement released Dec. 19. The statement outlines how both organizations can work together to advance patient care and encourages members of the two organizations as well as stakeholders to do the same.  

Five Things Santa and His Elves Have to Do to Avoid Christmas Disaster 

Dear Santa, 

For this blog post, the NATA Student Leadership Committee talked with two graduate assistants about their experiences, how they came into their positions and some advice they have for students.

This year, more than 40 members are celebrating 50 years of NATA membership. Congratulations to them and all of our members celebrating milestones with the association this year. Our 50-year members of 2018 are:

Stephen Bartlett

Gregg Bautsch

Gerald Bell

Turner Blackburn

Jay Bradley

Arno Buntrock

Kenneth Carson

Aubry Fisk

Roy Fowler

The Development section (on pages 33-37) of the December NATA News included details on many ways that NATA helped enhance the profession this year through programs, services and education designed to improve patient outcomes. Two major contributors to this effort were the  Athletic Training Education Journal and the Journal of Athletic Training.