Volunteer Committees

Many committees serve a niche group of athletic trainers, usually based on job setting, interest, or to fulfill a specific need within the profession.  Learn more about committee member roles, terms and selection process here.  Below is a current list of all the active NATA committees.

In all committee rosters, the year below a person's name refers to the year their current term ends. The year in parentheses refers to the year their final term ends. If there is no year listed, the position has no term limit.

 

Committees

ATs Care Commission

The ATs Care Commission (ATsC) is comprised of one member from each district with up to an additional 3 at-large members from a variety of practice settings and preferably those with experience in group or individual crisis intervention. The purpose of the ATsC is to provide educational resources and organizational methods relative to Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) at the district and state level, designed to help assist athletic trainers following a critical incident such as a fatality or catastrophic injury of an athlete.

 

Career Advancement Committee

The NATA Career Advancement Committee (CAC) was created to address issues affecting athletic trainers as they advance in their careers from early professionals. The committee focuses on work-life balance, career satisfaction, career growth and professional retention for athletic trainers within 7-12 years of initial certification. 

 

Committee on Professional Ethics

The Committee on Professional Ethics (COPE) is composed of members with an interest or background in ethics. The purpose is to ensure enforcement of the NATA Code of Ethics and the Membership Standards, Eligibility Requirements, and Membership Sanctions and Procedures. The committee addresses ethics complaints and ascertains that the Code of Ethics and the Membership Standards, Eligibility Requirements, and Membership Sanctions and Procedures are up-to-date and not in conflict with federal or state laws, rules and regulations or NATA policy.

 

Connection and Engagement Committee

The charge given to the Connection and Engagement Committee by the NATA BOD is to be membership ambassadors by engaging and linking ATs with the resources, information, and support available from the national office. Additionally, they will facilitate information flow and feedback across the state, district, and national levels. 


Council on Practice Advancement

This settings based council is comprised of members who represent a variety of settings within our ten committees housed in the Council on Practice Advancement. These ten committees include: Armed Forces, Rehabilitation Clinic, Health Care Administration, Occupational, Performing Arts, Physician Practice, Private and Emerging Practice, Public Safety, Community Outreach and Analytics and Outcomes. The mission of COPA is to represent the professional practice settings of athletic training by increasing awareness, demonstrating value and assisting in efforts to expand and advance the profession.

 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Council

The purpose of the DEIA Council is to develop and recommend efforts to ensure the implementation and integration of diversity, equity, inclusion and access commitments and principles approved by the NATA Board of Directors. Members of the council include the DEIA chair and vice chair, Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee chair, LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee chair, chair of Accessibility Work Group, the chair of any additional Work Group, and two at-large members who provide additional subject matter expertise.

  • Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee: The mission of the Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee (EDAC) is to serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Directors of the NATA. Its aim is to identify and address issues relevant to the ethnically diverse populations to better serve the needs of our patients, as well as members of the profession. EDAC advocates sensitivity toward cultural diversity, development of cultural competence within the profession and promotion of athletic trainers as leaders in issues related to cultural competence and professional diversity within the health care professions.

  • LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee: The mission of the LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee (LGBTQAC) is to advocate for an environment of inclusion, respect, equity and appreciation of differences in both athletic trainers and their diverse patient populations. The committee will identify, explore, address and provide educational resources regarding emerging topics and concerns relevant to diverse sexualities, gender identities and gender expressions within the profession and health care topics affecting patients in the LGBTQ+ community.

 

District Secretaries'/Treasurers' Committee

The District Secretaries'/Treasurers' Committee (DST) facilitates communication with NATA members and leadership through transparency of actions in order to recruit, retain and engage members, create resources, and provide fiduciary responsibility to achieve strategic outcomes. This committee is comprised of the district secretaries and treasurers elected or appointed by the 10 NATA districts. Each district has one vote.

 

Early Professionals' Committee

The Early Professionals' Committee (EPC) was created to support athletic trainers in the early stages of their career by fostering leadership, developing educational initiatives and promoting professional and ethical values. The committee addresses issues around transition to practice, creates opportunities to develop career skills and leadership development opportunities and foster professional networking and mentorship for athletic trainers in the first six years of initial certification.

 

Education Journal Committee

The Education Journal Committee (EJC) oversees the operation, content and editorial procedures of the Athletic Training Education Journal. The committee chair serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Athletic Training Education Journal and the members of the committee serve as editors of the Journal.

 

Executive Council for Education

The NATA Executive Council for Education (ECE) oversees matters related to AT education. The groups facilitates quality professional and post-professional education, coordinates the delivery of educational programming for the profession and maintains a dialogue with its CAATE and BOC liaisons on accreditation and certification matters affecting AT education. The ECE informs and assists the profession in setting the direction for athletic training education.  Emphasizing a commitment to improving patient care through an evidence-based approach, the ECE proactively influences best educational practices that reflect athletic training’s interprofessional nature and commitment to learning. The following committees and the AT EducATionalist Community fall within the ECE:

  • AT EducATionalist Community: Promotes accessibility, inclusion, empowerment and innovation between all parties and agents involved in the production and implementation of athletic training education by providing the necessary structure and space for constructive and transparent discourse. The community is committed to supporting the advancement of the AT profession through the promotion, development and dissemination of best-practice educational initiatives and skillful preparation of its professionals. 
  • Convention Program Committee: The CPC oversees planning and implementation of NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo educational program. The committee is composed of ten district representatives and a member overseeing Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) programming.
  • Education Advancement Committee: The EAC identifies short-term and long-term educational research priorities to advance evidence-based scholarship and to continually assess best practices related to athletic training education in order to enhance clinical practice and patient care.
  • Post Professional Education Committee: The PPEC provides strategic vision and guidance to all post-professional education in athletic training. The promotion of life-long learning and professional development will impart advanced knowledge and skills of athletic trainers to achieve career goals and fulfillment, while also excelling in the clinical practice, research and scholarship that enhances the quality of patient care, optimizing outcomes, and improving patients’ health-related quality of life.  
  • Professional Development Committee: The PDC provides leadership in the creation, development, implementation and evaluation of continuing education and professional development plans for athletic trainers. The committee promotes unique, innovative and purposeful continuing professional development activities and programs to meet the dynamic and individual needs of our health care community.
  • Professional Education Committee: The PEC supports the collaborative relationship between the profession of athletic training and the educational process. The PEC emphasizes best practices in didactic and clinical education, faculty and preceptor development, and the overall enhancement of professional education in an effort to prepare athletic trainers who are uniquely qualified to excel within a dynamic healthcare system.

 

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee (FC) is comprised of current board members and oversees the association finances and investment program.

 

Government Affairs Committee

The Government Affairs Committee (GAC) is comprised of members with interest or expertise in state legislative or regulatory affairs and includes liaisons from the BOC and the COPA. The group oversees the association’s governmental relations and regulatory efforts and advocates for regulation favorable to athletic training. 

 

Honors and Awards Committee

The Honors and Awards Committee (H&A) develops, supervises and administers the awards process for national association awards. The awards program is in place to annually recognize professional excellence of NATA members and associates.

 

Historical Commission

The Historical Commission (HC) preserves the history of athletic training, provides athletic training historical education and serves as a resource to the NATA on historical issues.

 

Intercollegiate Council for Sports Medicine

The NATA Intercollegiate Council for Sports Medicine (ICSM), formerly known as the College/University Athletic Trainers' Committee (CUATC), will address issues affecting the student athlete and athletic trainers at the collegiate level. The ICSM will identify relevant, timely issues in the field of athletic training and collaborate with various organizing bodies of collegiate and intercollegiate athletics to improve student athlete safety, well being and healthcare by influencing policy and providing resources. 

 

International Committee

The purpose of the International Committee (IC) is to address concerns of members who are living, working or stationed outside the continental United States and to review, recommend and execute programs, policies and alliances that affect international members and regular certified members living outside of the United States. 

 

Journal Committee

The purpose of the Journal Committee is to oversee the operation, content and editorial procedures of the Journal of Athletic Training. The committee chair serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Athletic Training and the members of the committee serve as editors of the Journal.

 

Professional Responsibility in Athletic Training Committee

The mission of the Professional Responsibility in Athletic Training Committee (PRAT) is to support the legal, ethical and regulatory (LER) standards of the AT Strategic Alliance by encouraging and promoting adherence. The PRAT collaboratively works with the Strategic Alliance to proactively inform professional practice by streamlining LER resources, educating professionals about how to exercise those standards and establishing an online presence.

 

Secondary School Athletic Trainers' Committee

The Secondary School Athletic Trainers’ Committee (SSATC) is dedicated to recognizing the unique concerns and responsibilities associated with the secondary school athletic training practice setting, and to developing and providing materials and information that may enhance the effectiveness and marketability of athletic trainers working in this setting.

 

State Association Advisory Committee

The purpose of the State Association Advisory Committee (SAAC) is to serve state leaders by recognizing and addressing issues impacting state associations, providing training, education, and advice to develop and help advance state leadership, and facilitating communications between the national and state associations.

 

Student Leadership Committee

The mission of the Student Leadership Committee (SLC), is to represent and advocate for students, create and promote professional development opportunities, and encourage student engagement in the athletic training community.