NATA Now

By Kim Diggs

Every day presents an opportunity for NATA to highlight the impact athletic trainers have on work, life and sport. From meeting with legislators about the critical role you play in health care to educating the media and public about #ATimpact, athletic training, and the dedicated health care professionals we serve, are always on our minds.

In January 2019, the NATA Board of Directors approved the addition of an at-large member to the Professional Education Committee. The new member should be a recognized leader as a practicing clinician and preceptor; and will have the primary objective of overseeing past, current, and future efforts to offer resources to the membership aimed at optimizing the clinical education process.

Candidates interested in the position should meet or exceed the following requirements:

-Current certified membership in the National Athletic Trainers’ Association

By Kim Diggs

Every year, the NFL hosts the National Invitational Combine in Indianapolis. This gathering is comprised of more than 300 NFL hopefuls preparing for the NFL Draft in April and a medical staff of athletic trainers assessing the physical condition of each athlete. Alongside the ATs administering exams are orthopedists, radiologists, cardiologists and internal medicine physicians.

By Kimberly Hansen ATC, LAT, CES

San Antonio firefighter Tim Worley knew something was wrong as soon as he heard the pop.

The 16-year San Antonio Fire Department veteran was playing with his dog when he stumbled backwards, twisting his leg and causing a loud pop from his knee.

“He actually came in and told me he thought he tore his [anterior cruciate ligament]. I did an assessment and said I agreed,” said SAFD athletic trainer Deena Kilpatrick, MS, LAT, ATC.

In the cover story of the March NATA News, “Caring for Those Who Care for Others,” athletic trainer and Metis Tactical founder Hunt Whitten, ATC, LAT, EMT, discusses his work in the public safety setting, specifically with firefighters in the Houston area. While Whitten has impacted the health and well-being of firefighters with the Spring, Ponderosa and Cypress Creek Fire Departments, no one has been impacted more than firefighter Jason Randall.

Adjusting your skills from the field or court to the warehouse isn’t always one-size-fits-all. To make an industrial injury prevention plan more attainable, NATA has created an infographic that appears in the March NATA News. This infographic handout makes it easier to examine and care for this unique patient population.

For this entry in the ongoing SLC Blog Series, the NATA Student Leadership Committee talked with athletic trainer Shelly Mullenix, MS, ATC, about the opioid crisis facing America and athletics.

The NATA Student Leadership Committee will hold its spring webinar “Putting On Your Oxygen Mask Before Helping Others: From Wanting Life-Work Balance to Living Life-Work Balance,” by Kenneth E. Games, PhD, LAT, ATC, at noon (CST) March 4.

“Secure your mask first and then assist others around you.” If you have ever flown in an airplane, you have probably heard a similar phrase regarding what to do in an emergency if the aircraft loses cabin pressure. This announcement is also a valuable life lesson, especially for athletic trainers and athletic training students.