NATA Now

With more than 20 NATA committees, councils and commissions – as well as numerous task forces, work groups and special appointments – there’s a national volunteer opportunity that fits just about every interest, skill set, experience and career level.

The NATA Government Affairs Committee (GAC) third annual Fall Webinar Series will take place at 10 a.m. CDT Sept. 14, 2 p.m. CDT Oct. 12 and 6 p.m. CDT Nov. 16.

GAC Chair Anna Sedory, MS, LAT, ATC, said that although past Fall Webinar Series have focused on COVID-19-related issues, this year’s series will entail an eclectic mix of topics.

To enhance athletic trainers’ approach to the 2022-23 legislative session, the topics are planned to help expand the minds of athletic trainers on the value of government affairs to sports medicine, she said.

In the spring of 2021, the American Medical Association (AMA) issued a statement identifying that when access to gender affirming care is denied, it is “a dangerous intrusion into the practice of medicine.”1 This threat to the basic human rights of individuals in the transgender community has been significantly elevated within the past year.

The Journal of Athletic Training is pleased to announce a forthcoming special issue focused on mental health and well-being. The journal seeks original research reports and systematic reviews that will advance knowledge surrounding the mental health and well-being of both the athlete and athletic trainer.

NATA will host its next Timely Topics Series event titled, “The AT and Nutrition,” at noon CDT Aug. 19.

The event will offer athletic trainers the opportunity to connect with industry thought leaders to discuss trends in performance nutrition, as athletes return to fall activities.

By Kelsey Bains, MA, ATC, and Donita Valentine, DAT, LAT, SFMA, ATs Care Commission

Burnout is the result of physical and/or mental breakdown due to being overworked or stressed from one’s duties. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several, if not all, ATs have seen and felt an influx of workload and work-related stress, resulting in burnout at some level. This has been felt for a variety of reasons.

By Lydia Hicks, NATA Content Specialist

As seen in the July NATA News article, “Back to School: A GreAT Start to Fall Sports,” mental health, especially during crises, is pivotal to the well-being of athletes and athletic trainers alike.

The July NATA News is all about education, from recruitment and various learning styles to ensuring the next generation of athletic trainers is ready for the job market after graduation. For these students, the hands-on learning done within clinical immersions is equally as important as the learning completed in the classroom.

The 73rd NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo in-person educational session recordings are now available through Oct. 31 via the NATA 2022 On-Demand virtual portal and NATA 2022 virtual portal.

For NATA members who could not attend NATA 2022, want to earn CEUs or simply want to continue their learning, this is the chance to catch up on hot topics in sports medicine with sessions relevant to the AT’s professional development.

By Daniel J. Evans, MEd, ATC, and Douglas Mann, DPE, ATC

Athletic trainers today are required to be prepared for a wide range of emergencies that may occur during their coverage of athletic events. Recent events nationwide have increased the need to analyze how we as a profession can be better prepared to handle these events. We have all spent time creating, reviewing and practicing our venue-specific emergency action plans, but are we prepared for a mass casualty incident?