NATA Now

By Beth Sitzler

As Ron Courson, ATC, PT, NRAEMT, Director of Sports Medicine with the University of Georgia Athletic Association, took to the stage to give the 2017 NATA Political Action Committee Breakfast keynote address Tuesday, June 27, the room fell silent, captivated by his message of purpose and inspiration.

NATA will recognize its national award winners during the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 28, in George R. Brown Convention Center Hall C. Throughout the 68th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo, NATA and its many committees have honored the hard work and dedicated of members who have made a lasting contribution to the profession.

Today’s NATA convention schedule is packed with content! From BOC-approved EBP programing to the keynote presentation, get ready for a day full of events in Hall C of the George R. Brown Convention Center.

During the 68th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo Tuesday, June 27, leading health care experts participated in a national press conference, “Reducing Your Risk from Osteoarthritis: What You Can Do. What the Research Says,” and unveiled new research from a special osteoarthritis-themed issue of the Journal of Athletic Training, which is now available online.

What do “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Elf” have to do with the physician practice setting? Not much to the uninitiated observer. However, in one of the sessions at Monday’s Pre-Conference Career Workshops, those movies were used to help attendees understand what it can be like to work in the physician practice setting.

After months of planning and preparation, the 68th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo kicked off Monday, June 26, with a tailgate-themed Welcome Reception at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

Throughout the next four days of convention programming, NATA 2017 attendees have much to look forward to—386 events, to be exact.

Update (Oct. 5): The voting results are in and Tory Lindley, MA, ATC, has been elected NATA’s 14th president.

Vying to become NATA’s 14th president are Kathy Dieringer, EdD, ATC, LAT, and Tory Lindley, MA, ATC.

How do you vote?

The Gatorade booth in the AT Expo will once again be a hotspot to visit during the NATA convention. In addition to handing out its latest products, Gatorade will once again hold expert chats Tuesday and Wednesday, June 27-28. Stop by and learn more about fueling in the age of fast food, playing the long game and the science on the sidelines, among other topics. The Gatorade Expert Chat schedule of events is:

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youths ages 10 to 24, with approximately 4,700 young people dying by suicide annually in the U.S. Suicide is preventable, and NATA has created an infographic handout to bring more awareness to the issue.

The 10 teams that will compete at the 2017 NATA Quiz Bowl in Houston have been determined. Scheduled for 5:15 p.m. on June 28 at the convention, the Quiz Bowl is now in its ninth year and features teams from each district in a Jeopardy-style competition. More than bragging rights will be on the line as the winning team receives $1,000 toward the school’s athletic training program or club.