NATA Now

As part of Phase Six of NATA’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access (DEIA) Response Plan, each NATA committee, commission and council was tasked with developing three to five actionable items that support one or more of the six NATA DEIA Commitments.

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month Sept. 15-Oct. 15, the NATA Now blog is highlighting some of our Hispanic/Latinx athletic training leaders at the state, district and national levels.

As the former Texas chair to the SWATA Young Professionals’ Committee, Rolando Salas, LAT, ATC, sees the value in volunteering. Not only does volunteering advances the profession as a whole, but it’s a great way to grow personally, as well.

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the NATA Now blog is highlighting some of our Hispanic/Latinx athletic training leaders at the state, district and national levels Sept. 15-Oct. 15.

For Alicia Montalvo, PhD, MPH, ATC, her passion for athletic training began with her love for exercise. This enthusiasm grew into her dedicated work in personal training for many years, fueling her motivation to help her clients achieve their fitness goals.

The next NATA Timely Topics Series event, “The AT and Management of Long COVID,” at 1 p.m. CDT Sept. 2, is an opportunity to ask the right questions, said former NATA Intercollegiate Council for Sports Medicine Chair and Current National Collegiate Athletic Association COVID Task Force Member Murphy Grant, LAT, ATC, NASM-PES, who will moderate the discussion.

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.