NATA Now

In conjunction with the 67th Clinical Symposia & AT Expo, NATA held its annual Capitol Hill Day Wednesday, June 22, the association’s biggest advocacy event of the year.

By Todd Christman

On June 22, the Career Development Pre-Conference Career Workshops helped kick off the academic programming for the 67th NATA Clinical Symposia and AT Expo. The all-day event, hosted by the Committee on Practice Advancement and Ossur, started at 7:45 a.m.

Andy Carter, MS, ATC, the senior associate athletic trainer at the College of William & Mary, traveled from Williamsburg, Virginia to attend NATA 2016 in Baltimore. As a member of the NATA College/University Athletic Trainers' Committee, Carter was part of the group of athletic trainers who traveled to Washington, DC on Wednesday to advocate for the profession.

By Beth Sitzler

As Kansas City Chiefs Head Athletic Trainer Rick Burkholder, MS, ATC, addressed the NATAPAC Breakfast crowd Thursday, June 23, his message was clear: “You are all leaders in this profession. People are looking to us for direction. We must come through as leaders.”

As you walk toward the Baltimore Convention Center, you’ll notice a familiar shade of blue along the way. From the banners hanging from the light posts to the NATA decals placed on the sidewalk, NATA 2016 has left its mark on the Charmed City.

Megan Hammonds, MA, LAT, ATC, is the athletic trainer for women’s basketball at Old Dominion University and serves as the District Three representative for the NATA Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee (EDAC). She was part of the group of athletic trainers who hit Capitol Hill yesterday to advocate for the profession, and she took a few minutes out of her busy day to reminisce with us about her first NATA convention.

Former Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook, who was born in Baltimore, participated in the NATA press conference Thursday, June 23, in the Hilton Baltimore. The press conference focused on “Reducing Your Risk in Work, Life and Sport: An Education Public Health Initiative.” During the press conference, NATA unveiled protocols and recommendations to keep individuals safe and reduce risk of injury in work, life and play.

Jack Weakley, as theJohnson & Johnson national sales manager, addressed the crowd of the 1989 NATA convention in Baltimore. While J&J has always had close ties to the athletic training profession and NATA, it became one of the association’s founding strategic partners in the 1990s.

NATA would like to congratulate all of its 2016 award winners, who will be honored during the 67th Clinical Symposia & AT Expo at 2 p.m. today in Swing Hall of the Baltimore Convention Center.

Chris Hall, MA, AT, LAT, and Marisa Brunett, Marisa Brunett, MS, LAT, ATC, are beginning their terms on the NATA Board of Directors today.