NATA Now

The 2015 Presidential Election is now open for all certified members! Check your email for a message from elections@vote-now.com containing your secure registration code and instructions for voting online or using a phone ballot. (If your member profile does not include an email address, you will receive a postcard this week.) If you prefer to vote using a paper ballot, the email or postcard will provide a phone number to request one.
 

The NATA Presidential Election is quickly approaching, and it’s the perfect time to learn more about the two candidates: Russ Richardson, EdD, ATC, and Scott Sailor, EdD, ATC. 
 

You should be receiving your special combined August/September issue of the NATA News in your mailbox soon! If you haven't received your hard copy yet, it's already available online.
 

The Gatorade Company has been a proud partner of NATA for 30 years and during this tenure has worked closely with athletic trainers in the secondary school setting to help ensure athletes receive the highest-quality care.  This commitment is driven by the company’s belief that athletic trainers are critical to the health and safety of high school athletes and that their importance is often overlooked.
 

I can't speak for the rest of the country, but Texas is H-O-T right now. The fall sports seasons are in full swing, and many athletes are practicing and competing in triple digit temperatures.
 

By Jeremy Hawkins, PhD, ATC

I have three boys who love to play baseball.  As a parent who tries to be involved as much as possible in their individual pursuits, I am at times asked to do things tha are out of my comfort zone; umpiring a baseball game has been one of those things. However, serving in this role has helped me to see being an athletic training student in a new light.

NATA’s “Are You Being Counted?” NPI contest launched over a month ago at the convention in Indianapolis. Back then we released a flyer with the contest details as well as a post on this blog with general NPI information. If you have not participated yet or did not know about the contest, there is still time to help your district in the competition. In fact, you still have more than three weeks to get involved as the contest runs through Aug. 31.

At the conclusion of the 2013-14 school year, the total number of ATs employed by Dallas Independent School District -- ranked 15th largest in the U.S. by enrollment, and the second largest in the state of Texas -- could be counted on two hands. But with high school football practices and two-a-days resuming on campuses all over North Texas this week, the district's decision to designate a certified athletic trainer for every DISD high school arrived just in time.
 

NATA’s first-ever AT-in-Residence Michelle Vryhof, MA, ATC, LAT, has completed her year with NATA and is moving on to become an athletic trainer at Chisholm Trail High School in Fort Worth, Texas. Michelle was an incredible asset to our organization and will be greatly missed, although she will remain very involved as a volunteer. We threw the future Mrs. Holt (she’s getting married in December!) a bridal shower/going away party, and afterward she took some time to reflect on her experience at NATA.