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September 11, 2025 by Beth Sitzler

NATA Beat: Fall 2025 Advocacy Updates

Every day, NATA and the NATA Government Affairs Department are working on behalf of the athletic training profession. With staff members experienced in all aspects of the legislative process, the NATA Government Affairs Department is the sole department focused on advocacy for the profession. NATA’s goal is to ensure that all ATs can work to the fullest extent of their education and skill set. These bipartisan efforts consist of five key areas: state legislation, federal legislation, regulatory, reimbursement and NATAPAC.

May 15, 2014 by NATA Staff

Vikings Head AT Explains His Role in NFL Draft

We caught up with Eric Sugarman, MS, ATC, head athletic trainer for the NFL Minnesota Vikings, to get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to evaluate athletes during the NFL draft. In addition to his standard responsibilities as head AT, Sugarman said his role in the lengthy process has the potential to make or break a player's chance of being drafted. Read on for the full inside scoop.

What’s the typyical role of athletic trainers during the NFL Draft?

May 13, 2014 by NATA Staff

AT Students Volunteer in Honduras

By Caitlin Deems, ATC

Hi, my name is Caitlin Deems and I would like to share an experience that my husband (Joshua Deems, ATC) and I had last year when we were seniors in the athletic training program at the University of West Florida. We spent spring break in La Ceiba, Honduras with an American internal medicine doctor who works at a local clinic for the disadvantaged.

May 9, 2014 by NATA Staff

Tips for AT Students to Foster Resilience

By Jeremy Hawkins, PhD, ATC, ATP Director, Colorado Mesa University

May 7, 2014 by NATA Staff

New Protocol Changes Address EMS Transport of Spine-Injured Athletes

by Erik Swartz, PhD, ATC, FNATA, ATP Clinical Coordinator, University of New Hampshire

Dear Fellow ATs,

May 2, 2014 by NATA Staff

Interviewing Tips for Athletic Training Jobs

By Brian Bradley, MS, LAT, CSCS, Head Athletic Trainer Bishop Moore Catholic High School

May 1, 2014 by NATA Staff

AT Kits: Then and Now

By Matt Webber, ATC

Athletic training kits have been around almost as long as athletic training. Initially, and for quite some time afterward, they were usually a leather physician’s satchel. Athletic trainers were known to carry whatever could possibly be needed to complete their duties. While this may not seem possible in those small bags, we athletic trainers have been known for a long time for our ability to put a lot in a field kit.

April 29, 2014 by NATA Staff

Professional Advice from 2014 Hall of Famers

The May issue of the NATA News is always one of my favorite magazines each year. It's our opportunity to spotlight the best and brightest in the profession, the newest members of the NATA Hall of Fame.

April 25, 2014 by NATA Staff

Legislative Success in the State of Washington

By Craig Bennett, MA, ATC, Washington State Athletic Trainers' Association President

On April 3, it was my profound pleasure to inform the membership of the Washington State Athletic Trainers’ Association that we had made history! The day before, a few of us had traveled to Olympia to watch Governor Jay Inslee sign HB 2430 into law.

April 24, 2014 by NATA Staff

2014 Boston Marathon: More Runners, More Security, More ATs

Of the 36 Boston Marathon events he’s worked as a medical volunteer, Brian FitzGerald, BSN, ATC, LAT, the event’s longtime athletic training coordinator, said this year was the most memorable.

With many more individuals running the race this year — about 36,000 in total — the number of medical volunteers increased to almost 2,000. Of that group, 230 were athletic trainers and AT students.

April 23, 2014 by NATA Staff

Introducing Our 2014 Johnson & Johnson Keynote Speaker

We are thrilled to announce our 2014 Johnson & Johnson Keynote Speaker is Captain Mark Kelly, a homegrown hero!

Kelly’s resumé is extensive: combat pilot in Iraq, astronaut on four space shuttle missions, commander of the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour, prostate cancer survivor and best-selling author. Already a celebrated American, Kelly became the center of international attention after the January 2011 assassination attempt on his wife, former U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.