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.
NFL Rule Change Momentous For Athletic Trainers
This is an unprecedented granting of power from the league as it will be the first time a third party besides the referees can halt play in the event of an injury.
Students: Look for the “Flecks of Gold”
By Jeremy Hawkins, PhD, ATC, ATP Director, Colorado Mesa University
Where’s Your Poster? Show Us and You Could Win!
We are past the midway point of National Athletic Training Month but there is still plenty of time to promote the profession and maybe even pick up a prize along the way. The past two weeks we have highlighted some of the great photos and videos that ATs have been posting with the #NATM2015 hashtag, which qualify for the NATA Social Media Contest.
AT Spotlight: Chelsea Davis
We're starting a new series where we spotlight an athletic trainer or AT student each month. Our first AT spotlight is Chelsea Davis, a senior AT student (who just passed her certification exam!) at Montclair State University.
Benchmark Study Released
The Journal of Athletic Training has recently published an important study about AT services in secondary schools that we believe is a valuable advocacy tool.
ATEC Recap
A snowstorm in Dallas couldn't stop us from having our biggest Athletic Training Educators' Conference of all time last week! The event's 598 registrants was an all-time record.
NATM Challenge Project From Marsha Grant-Ford and Demetrious Johnson Charitable Foundation
Marsha Grant-Ford has partnered with the Demetrious Johnson Charitable Foundation to create a challenge project for undergraduate students to celebrate National Athletic Training Month. The DJCF Reading Challenge Contest is for Athletic Training Student Clubs associated with CAATE approved athletic training education programs. The challenge will take place from March 15 to April 4.
Video Highlights From NATM 2015
We have already seen some great photos posted over the past two weeks using the #NATM2015 hashtag. These all qualify for inclusion in our Social Media Contest, but they are not the only way to do so. Videos promoting National Athletic Training Month have been showing up as well and they will be counted too. So if you are feeling the creative motivation, or just are more comfortable working with the moving image, feel free to post your own video. Here are some of the videos ATs have already posted:
Genetic Testing, A Crystal Ball For ATs?
Another, however, is to prepare injured athletes to return to play and to assist coaches with the preparation of healthy athletes in ways that make injury less likely.
2015 Youth Sports Safety Summit
In a continued effort to keep young athletes safe, NATA and the Youth Sports Safety Alliance hosted the sixth annual Youth Sports Safety Summit in Dallas, Texas on March 2. This year’s forum built on the success of prior summits and addressed the day-long theme of Navigating the Athletic Health Care System, focusing on athletic play in community/league sports as well as school-based athletics.