Career Advancement Committee National Distinction Award: Overview and Criteria

Award Overview

The National Distinction Award (NDA) is the NATA Career Advancement Committee’s highest honor to recognize an athletic trainer who is advancing in their career while making an immediate and definitive impact on the athletic training profession at the national, district, state and/or community level. The selection committee encourages the sponsor to review the award and its criterion before submitting the nominee as an applicant.

Starting in the 2023-2024, award cycle recommendations will be completed using a standardized form consisting of short-answer prompts that will allow nominators to provide a concise but detailed narrative describing how the nominee demonstrates each aspect of the award’s criteria.  Collaborating with the nominee as well as other recommenders is advised to ensure all perspectives and information is included.

Recommendations should address the following areas. Special attention and detail should be directed towards identifying how the nominee exceeds the following expectations and requirements.

  • Nominee embodies the ideas, goals, and mission of the Career Advancement Committee
    • General character – specific examples should describe how the nominee demonstrates honor, integrity, humility, commitment, selflessness, etc.
    • Personal well-being, growth, and development – specific examples should designate how the nominee prioritizes self-care, mental or physical health, or work-life integration. Also, how the nominee pursues self-improvement through increased self-awareness, discipline, adaptability, resilience, accountability, attitude, courage, etc.
    • Job and career satisfaction – specific examples describe the nominee’s attitude towards their work and profession, initiative/motivation, and how they go above and beyond their expected roles and responsibilities.
    • Professional growth, development, and longevity – specific examples describe how the nominee seeks, identifies, and takes advantage of opportunities to grow/advance their career. This includes but is not limited to describing how the nominee has elevated their role and responsibilities, elevated title/position, obtained an advanced degree/credential or incurred an evolution of skills, value, and/or relevance.
  • Nominee embodies the mission, vision, and strategic priorities of the NATA.
    • Excellence in clinical practice – specific examples should describe exceptional patient-centered care, patient outcomes, successful patient cases, and/or testimonials.
    • Distinction in education and scholarship – specific examples should describe the nominee’s volume of engagement in teaching and learning, innovation in teaching, student outcomes, and/or advocacy for AT Education. Includes but is not limited to teaching, preceptorship, and continuing education. Also, the significance of nominee’s publications, presentations, research grants, podcasts, and roles in research and research mentorship.
    • Service to the profession, leadership, and advocacy – specific examples should list the roles and impact of volunteerism and professional service at the local, state, district, and/or national level in addition to other formal and informal leadership roles the nominee has held AND the impact of their leadership. Also, nominee’s efforts to advocate for the profession, provide creative solutions that improve the sustainability of the profession, and how they lead others to do the same.
  • Diversity, equity, inclusion, and access values – specific examples should include the nominee’s efforts to lead, promote, enact, and guide others into fostering the values of DEIA.

 

Award Eligibility

Nominees must meet the following criteria:

  • Must be within seven -12 years of initial AT licensure/certification.

  • Certified member or certified student member of the NATA and in good standing.
  • Has not been previously awarded with Young Professionals’ Committee or Career Advancement Committee National Distinction Award.
  • If more than one sponsor nominates the same person, the first sponsor to nominate will be taken.
  • Current and previous members of either the former NATA Young Professionals' Committee or the NATA Career Advancement Committee are not eligible for this award.

 

Award Application Requirements

To be considered for this award, each nominee must have a complete award application:

  • Nominating athletic trainer must complete the online award nomination application and submit the 3 required recommendation forms (see below).

  • 3 individuals must complete the award recommendation form.
    • One from nominating sponsor
      • Sponsor must be current NATA member.
    • One from a colleague
      • Must be a current NATA member.
    • One from an individual in the nominee’s place of work
      • May or may not be NATA member.

 

Deadlines & Procedure

  • August 1- Nominations for CAC National Distinction Award accepted
  • November 26- Nominating athletic trainer must complete award nomination application and submit all 3 required recommendation forms.
  • January- Only the chosen award recipient will be notified by the CAC Chair

 

Selection

Winners will be selected by the NATA Career Advancement Committee.  A member of the Career Advancement Committee will notify the nominating athletic trainer once the application is complete.

 

Questions

Contact Dylan Orrell, staff liaison to the NATA Career Advancement Committee for questions related to the CAC's National Distinction Award.