NATA Now

August 22, 2025 by Beth Sitzler

Pin Collectors Meet at NATA 2025

An NATA 75th anniversary special event, hosted by the NATA Historical Commission,  brought together pin collecting enthusiasts during the 76th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo June 24-27 in Orlando. 

More than 30 athletic trainers and athletic training students attended the NATA Pin Collectors' Meet and Greet, organized by Historical Commission member Jeff Stone, MEd, LAT, ATC, an NATA Hall of Fame Class of 2012 member, to exchange and trade pins and patches. 

June 2, 2022 by NATA Staff

Breaking Through the AT Glass Ceiling

In 2022, NATA is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which went into effect June 23, 1972. Starting during Women’s History Month in March leading up to the 73rd NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo in June, the NATA Now blog will highlight various legends of the profession and outline the impact Title IX had on them, their careers and the overall athletic training profession.

 

June 1, 2022 by NATA Staff

The Effects of COVID-19 on the LGBTQIA+ Community

By Lorin Cartwright, MS, ATC, CAA, and Mitchell Anderson, AT, ATC

To commemorate Pride Month throughout June, the NATA Now blog will share a variety of topics to support our members’ efforts to provide compassionate and culturally competent patient care to all.
 

May 24, 2022 by NATA Staff

Supporting One Another

By Kelsey Bains, MA, ATC, NATA ATs Care Commission

 

As we discussed in the previous blog, the way in which we, our colleagues, patients, friends or family metabolize a critical incident may differ not only from incident to incident, but from day to day.

There are many concepts that come into play when supporting someone in need. The key approach is to let go of preconceived ideas and provide space, in your support efforts, without judgment.

May 18, 2022 by NATA Staff

Importance of Personal Experience in Volunteerism

In honor of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, the NATA Now blog will highlight some of our Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders at the state, district and national levels throughout May.

 

Ever since her time as an athletic training student, Janet Lin Craft, MA, LAT, ATC, has volunteered and given back to the profession, serving at the state, district and national levels.

May 17, 2022 by NATA Staff

Wellness Surveys in Action

In 2019, the NATA Secondary School Athletic Trainers’ Committee released the Wellness Screening Guidelines for the Secondary School Athletic Trainer resource to help assist ATs in creating screening surveys that tracked student athlete mental health. Then, in 2020, Cari Wood, ATC, one of the creators of the guidelines, revamped the wellness survey she distributed to student athletes to include questions pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.

May 12, 2022 by NATA Staff

Leading for the Future

In honor of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, the NATA Now blog will highlight some of our Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders at the state, district and national levels throughout May.

As president of the Hawaii Athletic Trainers’ Association, Reid Takano, ATC, has looked to the future and worked to ensure the volunteers working alongside him are prepared with steady community partnerships and support.

May 4, 2022 by NATA Staff

Being a Leader for the Profession Through Service

In honor of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, the NATA Now blog will highlight some of our Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders at the state, district and national levels throughout May.

 

When Marissa Fukunaga, EdD, ATC, discovered athletic trainig after being introduced to it by her high school athletic trainer, she knew that’s what she was meant to do.