Exploring the AT Expo
During the 76th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo June 24-27 in Orlando, convention attendees connected with more than 245 exhibitors in the exhibit hall of the Orange County Convention Center. The AT Expo was an opportunity for ATs to browse from the largest showcase of products and services for the athletic training profession. Watch the convention photo recap video below for a look at this year’s AT Expo, and visit the NATA PhotoZone on SmugMug for more NATA 2025 photo highlights.
From the SLC: ATs Care's Future
Hello students and welcome to the SLC’s To The Students, an open letter from ATs Care Part 2! ATs Care is a program designed to offer crisis management training opportunities for athletic trainers with the effects after a critical incident. This is a peer-to-peer system to assist ATs and AT students when dealing with a difficult event. This is the second of two open letters to students – the first was from Jim Thronton, past-NATA president and founder of ATs Care – and is from David Middlemas, EdD, ATC, CCISM, the current chair from the ATs Cares Committee.
Senate Passes Licensure Clarity Act
UPDATE: The Senate passed the Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act Oct. 3. The bill will now go to the President for signature.
UPDATE: The House of Representatives approved language changes made by the Senate and passed the Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act Sept. 26. The bill will now go to the Senate for approval. If the Senate passes the legislation, it will advance to the President for signature.
From the SLC: ATs Care's Beginnings
Hello Students and welcome to the SLC’s To The Students, an open letter from ATs Care! ATs Care is a program designed to offer crisis management training opportunities for athletic trainers with the effects after a critical incident. This is a peer-to-peer system to assist ATs and AT students when dealing with a difficult event. We have two excellent open letters for you, the first from Jim Thornton, MA, LAT, ATC, past-NATA president and founder of ATs Care. In his letter, Thornton explains the need and creation of ATs Care program.
AT’s Suicide Prevention Video Becomes Social Media Sensation
By Kim Diggs
Every day, Cari Wood, ATC, athletic trainer for Redmond High School, in Redmond, Oregon, and former NATA District Ten director, wades through hallways brimming with chatting students and smiling faces.
On Dec. 14, 2017, RHS lost one of those smiles in the hallway. No one knew he was on the brink of taking his own life – especially not Wood. Almost one year later, she’s created a video featuring RHS faculty and students with money raised in the student athlete’s honor.
AT Recounts Experience with Special Olympics
By Kim Diggs
After years of service as an athletic trainer – treating countless injuries, providing emotional support and guidance to hundreds of athletes – Larry Cooper, MS, LIAT, ATC, former chair of the NATA Secondary School Athletic Trainers’ Committee, is now retired.
But, he’s not ready to wrap up the gauze just yet.
“During my career as a teacher and [athletic trainer], I never had the free time to volunteer,” Cooper said. “So, I knew … when I retired, I would volunteer as much as I could.”
Bullying, Hazing Handout Available
Athletes at both the secondary or collegiate level have been affected by bullying and hazing. Bullying is defined at any unwanted aggressive behavior that involves an observed or perceived imbalance of power and is repeated multiple times. Hazing, a form of bullying, is defined as any potentially humiliating or dangerous activity expected of someone to belong to a group, regardless of his or her willingness to participate.
From the SLC: Exploring Professional Sports
Hello Students and welcome to the NATA Student Leadership Committee’s first career explorations blog post! This month, we are exploring athletic trainers working in the professional sports setting. Read on to learn more about four professional sport athletic trainers, their different leagues, their daily lives and work operations, and tips on how you can one day be in their shoes.
Help For ATs Affected By Florence
Our thoughts are with the NATA members and their families who have been affected by Hurricane Florence.
Supporting the Sidelined Athlete
NATA provides resources for athletic trainers working with permanently sidelined athletes through a relationship with Sidelined USA.
Sidelined USA is a a nonprofit organization that supports athletes who have been permanently sidelined due to career-ending injury, health condition, or repeat concussion and inspires them to find a meaningful way forward. Sidelined USA supports these athletes with resources, connection and mentorship opportunities.
LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee iLead Grant
The LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee (LGBTQ+AC) has received funding from NATA to offer a grant to fund one professional level athletic training student to attend the upcoming 2019 iLead conference Jan. 25-26, 2019. This grant will cover iLead attendance costs up to $1,500 associated with travel, lodging, registration and meals.