NATA Now

January 21, 2026 by Beth Sitzler

NATA Beat: Winter 2026 Advocacy Updates

Every day, NATA is working on behalf of the athletic training profession. With staff members experienced in all aspects of the legislative and regulatory process, the NATA Government Affairs Department is the sole department focused on advocacy for the profession. NATA’s goal is to ensure that all ATs can work to the fullest extent of their education and skill set.

May 8, 2015 by NATA Staff

Strength a Factor in Elbow Health of Overhead Athletes

“There is no substitute for strength and no excuse for the lack of it.” So reads a sign in many high school and college weight rooms, its origin unknown but its sentiment endorsed by football coaches far and wide.

May 6, 2015 by NATA Staff

Pre-Conference Career Workshop Sessions

The Committee on Practice Advancement is once again proud to support the Athletic Trainer as Physician Extender Workshops as part of the NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo. This event will be held on Tuesday, June 23 and will feature both an introductory track (aimed at athletic trainers who are new to or interested in the setting) and an advanced track (intended for athletic trainers who are experienced in this field).

The day’s sessions include:

May 4, 2015 by NATA Staff

Safe Sports School Award Honorees January to March

The Safe Sports School Award recognizes secondary schools that take the crucial steps to keep their athletes free from injuries. The recipient list continued to grow in the first quarter of 2015 with 61additional schools honored. The schools represented nine districts and spanned the country from the Southeast to the Pacific Northwest. You can see the full list below.

April 27, 2015 by NATA Staff

Introducing the 2015 Johnson & Johnson Keynote Speaker

We are thrilled to announce our 2015 Johnson & Johnson Keynote Speaker is Amy Purdy, a professional snowboarder, actress, dancer and New York Times best-selling author, who overcame the loss of both legs to become a world class snowboarder.

April 24, 2015 by NATA Staff

Call for Diagnostic Testing Experts for Workshop Presentation

The NATA Professional Development Committee (PDC) is soliciting names of individuals interested in becoming a presenter in a PDC Workshop on Evidence Based Medicine – Diagnostic Testing (Shoulder, Hip, Knee, and Ankle). The workshops will be presented in a “virtual” media format to be accessed by athletic training and other sports-health care professionals on-line at any time.

April 21, 2015 by NATA Staff

ATs Educate Military Parents About Risks of TBI in Adolescent Athlete

By Caitlin M. Colitti, LAT, ATC, CSCS

As athletic trainers, we know our worth, the tools available to us and how to use them, as well as the unique skill set we possess. Due to our exposure to sustained concussions, we are also now well versed in their management and care. However, not all know the role we play and skills we can provide to offer better care and management of this sustained traumatic brain injury.

April 20, 2015 by NATA Staff

The Pre-participation Packet: A Vehicle for Communication

By George Wham, EdD, ATC, SCAT

Communication with parents is a key issue for the athletic trainer in the secondary school. Whether it’s information about the role of the athletic trainer and the services we provide, procedures when an injury occurs, educational information regarding common medical conditions in athletics or the dreaded mound of signed forms that must be collected – making sure parents and athletes get your message is vital to a successful athletic training program.

April 20, 2015 by NATA Staff

Boston Strong, Two Years Later

As the medical team prepares for the 2015 Boston Marathon today, we are remembering the tragic bombing that shocked our country two years ago. More than 130 athletic trainers and AT students volunteered as part of the medical team for the 2013 race, coordinated by Medical Coordinator Chris Troyanos, ATC. Those ATs and AT students inspired us all with their heroic actions afer the blast, reacting quickly and decisively in the face of extreme danger. As first responders, they ran toward the bomb scene while everyone else was running away.

April 17, 2015 by NATA Staff

NATM 2015 Wrap Up and Winners

Another edition of National Athletic Training Month is in the books and 2015 was an outstanding year. The event was recognized in venues, offices and on campuses across the country and even showed up multiple places on television, including Good Morning America, the Today Show and Wheel of Fortune. Thanks to all the ATs who participated.

April 16, 2015 by NATA Staff

Awareness of Student-Athlete Mental Health Growing For ATs

This month, HBO’s award-winning “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” is featuring a segment that focuses on “the growing mental health crisis of student-athletes.” Mental health issues among student-athletes is a worthy topic to be sure. However, this is no “growing” crisis. It is a longstanding one (remember Jimmy Piersall?) that has been too easily avoided by too many for too long.