Students Cheer and Connect at Convention
The 76th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo June 24-27 in Orlando brought students from across the country together into an integrated convention experience in the Orange County Convention Center. From cheering on their peers during the 16th NATA Quiz Bowl and participating in the student learning lab to mingling with experienced professionals, student attendees made connections and bolstered their AT education.
J&J Adds NATA Logo to its Coach Tape Packaging
By Beth Sitzler
The next time you’re perusing the aisles of your favorite retail store to refill your supply of Johnson & Johnson Coach Brand tape, be sure to check the packaging – you may see a familiar sight.
At the beginning of the summer, J&J added the NATA logo to its Coach Brand tape, a marketing idea that was in the works for two or three years, said Jack Weakley of J&J.
My First Convention: Megan Little, ATC
Megan Little, ATC, head athletic trainer at Hedgesville High School in Martinsburg, West Virginia, decided her close proximity to Baltimore made 2016 the perfect year to attend her first NATA convention. She is one of the volunteers who helped NATA staff prepare for the convention this week and took a few minutes to share her thoughts on the convention experience with us.
More Than 400 ATs Hit the Hill to Support Athletic Training Legislation
In conjunction with the 67th Clinical Symposia & AT Expo, NATA held its annual Capitol Hill Day Wednesday, June 22, the association’s biggest advocacy event of the year.
This year, more than 400 athletic trainers representing 48 states made the trek from Baltimore to Washington, D.C., to speak with legislators on two important pieces of legislation – the Secondary School Student Athletes’ Bill of Rights and H.R. 921, which allows athletic trainers and other sports medicine professionals to travel with their teams across state lines.
Preconference Workshops Provide Unique Educational Opportunity
By Todd Christman
On June 22, the Career Development Pre-Conference Career Workshops helped kick off the academic programming for the 67th NATA Clinical Symposia and AT Expo. The all-day event, hosted by the Committee on Practice Advancement and Ossur, started at 7:45 a.m.
My First Convention: Andy Carter, MS, ATC
Andy Carter, MS, ATC, the senior associate athletic trainer at the College of William & Mary, traveled from Williamsburg, Virginia to attend NATA 2016 in Baltimore. As a member of the NATA College/University Athletic Trainers' Committee, Carter was part of the group of athletic trainers who traveled to Washington, DC on Wednesday to advocate for the profession. He took a minute to tell us about his experiences at NATA conventions and what he recommends for first timers.
NATAPAC Breakfast Keynote Discusses Leadership
By Beth Sitzler
As Kansas City Chiefs Head Athletic Trainer Rick Burkholder, MS, ATC, addressed the NATAPAC Breakfast crowd Thursday, June 23, his message was clear: “You are all leaders in this profession. People are looking to us for direction. We must come through as leaders.”
Burkholder, president of the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society, spoke to the audience about leadership and the impact those willing to lead can have on the athletic training profession.
NATA Takes Over Baltimore!
As you walk toward the Baltimore Convention Center, you’ll notice a familiar shade of blue along the way. From the banners hanging from the light posts to the NATA decals placed on the sidewalk, NATA 2016 has left its mark on the Charmed City.
With more than 7,900 confirmed attendees, 1,209 exhibitor personnel and 1,910 guests registered, more than 11,100 participants will convene in Baltimore for the 67th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo held through Saturday, June 25.
My First Convention: Megan Hammonds, MA, LAT, ATC
Megan Hammonds, MA, LAT, ATC, is the athletic trainer for women’s basketball at Old Dominion University and serves as the District Three representative for the NATA Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee (EDAC). She was part of the group of athletic trainers who hit Capitol Hill yesterday to advocate for the profession, and she took a few minutes out of her busy day to reminisce with us about her first NATA convention.
NATA Press Conference Centers on Reducing Risk
Former Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook, who was born in Baltimore, participated in the NATA press conference Thursday, June 23, in the Hilton Baltimore. The press conference focused on “Reducing Your Risk in Work, Life and Sport: An Education Public Health Initiative.” During the press conference, NATA unveiled protocols and recommendations to keep individuals safe and reduce risk of injury in work, life and play.
J&J Supports NATA and its Membership
Jack Weakley, as theJohnson & Johnson national sales manager, addressed the crowd of the 1989 NATA convention in Baltimore. While J&J has always had close ties to the athletic training profession and NATA, it became one of the association’s founding strategic partners in the 1990s.
As J&J Day kicks off today in Swing Hall of the Baltimore Convention Center, we wanted to take the opportunity to look back at the decades-long partnership between Johnson & Johnson, NATA and the athletic training profession.