Editor’s note: NATA reached out to athletic trainers who participated in the 2020 NATA Virtual Clinical Symposia & AT Expo to learn about their experiences for a blog series called My VNATA Experience. If you would like to share your thoughts on VNATA 2020 as well, email marketing@nata.org.
An NATA Clinical Symposium & AT Expo veteran, Edward Wozniakewicz, MS, LAT, ATC, had already registered for the in-person event in Atlanta when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and was hesitant to make the transition to virtual.
But, the collegiate athletic trainer attended the live portion online without a single technical hiccup and “learned that our organization directly represented all of us ATs as it adapted to overcome the challenge and give us a quality educational opportunity.”
Read on for more from Wozniakewicz on his experience at VNATA 2020.
Learn more and register for VNATA 2020 through Sept. 10. The live portion of the event has ended, but on-demand content and access to the AT Expo is still available.
Why did you decide to attend the 2020 NATA Virtual Clinical Symposia & AT Expo?
I was planning on attending the in-person conference in Atlanta and already registered. I was glad that [NATA President] Tory Lindley, MA, ATC, the Board of Directors and planning committee were able to scramble to adapt and offer the convention virtually, as I was looking forward to the educational and networking opportunities.
What was your favorite part(s) of VNATA 2020?
I thought it was great to be able to interact with the presenters while the presentation was happening. I also am grateful to have the presentations up until Sept. 10 because I can learn much more as compared to the in-person convention when I am tasked between two to three talks at the same time. I also have the opportunity to revisit some of the lessons, as I was distracted by my 1 year old at times during the live event.
What new knowledge/takeaway from VNATA 2020 will you use in your daily practice?
I learn something new that I apply to my practice each convention, but this year I learned that our organization directly represented all of us ATs as it adapted to overcome the challenge and give us a quality educational opportunity.
Why would you recommend VNATA 2020 to your fellow ATs?
To improve our practice as athletic trainers and provide the best and most thoughtful care possible based on the latest evidence.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about your VNATA 2020 experience?
VNATA exceeded my expectations. I had NO technical difficulties and was expecting that to be the biggest annoyance for me over the course of the week while leading up. The website was well organized and easy to navigate.
Thank you again to everyone who worked tirelessly to give us the best experience possible during this tough time. I was sad I didn't get to meet anyone in Atlanta, but I will hold on to hope that we will prevail and things will improve so we can all meet in Orlando in 2021!
