NATA Now

In November, the NATA Board of Directors approved the name change of the ATs Care Committee to the ATs Care Commission as a way to more accurately reflect the group’s purpose and role of providing peer-to-peer support and critical incident stress management to other athletic trainers.

The NATA Political Action Committee (NATAPAC) is the sole federal PAC founded for and dedicated to being the voice and advocate of the athletic training profession.

NATAPAC empowers members to support elected officials or candidates who champion policy advancing the athletic training profession. Through NATAPAC, members are able to help shape the political environment and educate federal legislators on the significant contributions athletic trainers make as health care providers across our nation.

NATA is proud to announce and congratulate the Leadership Academy’s 42 graduates. The NATA Leadership Academy is an online certification program that encourages emerging leaders to hone their skills at no cost, and equip already qualified athletic trainers with the skills to pursue leadership at the state, district and national levels.

Since the program’s launch in 2017, the following 42 leadership development scholars completed the necessary coursework required in the NATA Leadership Academy and earned a Leadership Development Certificate:

This year, 36 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 2019 are:

Martin Baker 
T Burton
Richard Carey
Bruce Cook
David Craig
Peter Farrell
Robert Goodwin
Al Green
Mark Hanak
Edward Jamiel
William Joy
Roger Kalisiak
Seth Kensing
James Laughnane
Ken Locker
John Lopez
Richard Martin
Robert McLaughlin

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Board of Directors approved a technical change to its bylaws, specifically section 8.2 (a), during its conference call on Monday, November 25, 2019.

It’s an athletic trainer love story: Boy meets girl during college, they fall in love and get engaged. That’s exactly what happened with Samantha Cliffe, ATC, and Kyler Hendricks, ATC.

“Kyler and I met in college at Northern Kentucky University,” Cliffe said. “We have been dating about three and a half years. We've been through everything together, from beginning taping and first aid classes to taking the [Board of Certification exam] on the same day, graduating college at the same time and landing jobs a couple of weeks apart.”

Photo caption: Former NATA Student Leadership Committee Chair Savannah Knighton, ATC, poses for a photo with SLC mentor and NATA Hall of Fame member Michael Goldenberg, MS, ATC, CES, and current SLC Chair Midge Peterson during the Student Reception, held during the 70th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo this June.

By Savannah Knighton, ATC
Former NATA Student Leadership Committee Chair

December’s issue of Athletic Training Education Journal (ATEJ) is about globalization – a nod to the expansion of the athletic training profession that has taken place at the international level.

ATEJ Editor-in-Chief David Berry, PhD, AT, ATC, said this is the first globalization-themed issue of ATEJ.

On Thursday, NATA hosted sports management professionals from the Grassroots Sports Management initiative, a Project for Russia. Board member and District Six Director Chris Hall, MA, ATC, LAT, and Hall of Fame and former District Six Director Kathy Dieringer, EdD, ATC, LAT, represented NATA; along with Kathryn LaLonde, MS, ATC, representing the NATA Research & Education Foundation.

Update: Services for Rachael will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at First Baptist Church, 316 E. 4th St., Burkburnett, TX 76354.

We are very sad to inform you that NATA Associate Executive Director Rachael Oats, CAE, our beloved friend and colleague, passed away over the weekend. Rachael had been fighting a tough battle with cancer. Although she had small victories throughout her battle, her condition worsened, and she passed away peacefully in hospice.