NATA Now

The NATA Hall of Fame is the pinnacle of recognition for members, honoring a select group of athletic trainers who have shaped the athletic training profession and exemplified what it means to live a life of service.

More than a ring, green jacket and plaque on the wall, the NATA Hall of Fame is an honor bestowed on those who have spent countless hours perfecting their skills, mentoring the next generation of ATs and imprinting a lasting impact on the athletic training profession.

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

Ruemruk Malasarn, MA, ATC, fell in love with the athletic training profession and its work environment, while taking an introduction to athletic training course and interning as a California State Polytechnic University Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) undergraduate student, he said.

With the 74th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo taking place June 21-24 in Indianapolis, now is a great time to create your schedule and plan of action. While you can use the NATA convention website to determine which sessions you want to attend, don’t forget to add places to eat and things to do to your itinerary.

In honor of National Volunteer Month in April, NATA would like to thank all of its volunteers for their hard work, dedication and impact. Without them, we couldn’t do what we do.

In 2022, more than 1,340 members volunteered with NATA. From serving on a committee to reviewing potential convention programming submission, every volunteer’s efforts contributed to the success of NATA and assisted in meeting the needs of the membership.

Any member can volunteer with NATA, no matter their skill set, interests or time availability. Volunteering falls under four categories:

With the 74th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo taking place June 21-24 in Indianapolis, now is a great time to create your schedule and plan of action. While you can use the NATA convention website to determine which sessions you want to attend, don’t forget to add places to eat and things to do to your itinerary.

The April NATA News features the article, “Talking Social Determinants of Health,” which outlines what ATs need to know in order to become more comfortable discussing them with their patients and athletes.

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the conditions in which a person lives, learns, works, plays and grows. They play a large role on health and well-being, which is why ATs need to understand what they are and their impact on patient care.

By Kevin M. Schroeder DAT, LAT, ATC, and Dani M. Moffit PhD, LAT, ATC, NATA LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee

We’ve all been there before: A patient comes into our athletic training facility, we exchange greetings, discuss the reason for the visit, provide care, say our goodbyes and then they go about their day.

In honor of Women’s History Month this March, NATA is highlighting women in the profession who are working to advance athletic training through recruitment, retention and leadership.

Every day, people are inspired to join the athletic training profession because of the compassionate care they receive from an athletic trainer. One such as inspired up-and-coming athletic trainer is Regan Croff.

In honor of Women’s History Month this March, NATA is highlighting women in the profession who are working to advance athletic training through recruitment, retention and leadership.

NATA Early Professionals’ Committee District Two Rep. Shaniece Jackson, DAT, ATC, LAT, who is currently an assistant athletic trainer with the Philadelphia Eagles, has experienced firsthand the benefits of mentorship – benefits she is working to share with the next generation of athletic trainers.

Throughout the history of athletic training, the college/university, higher education, professional sports, secondary school and various emerging settings have become home to athletic trainers wanting to care for all active populations. The impact of these ATs has helped their patients remain active and healthy in work, life and sport.