Kathy Dieringer, EdD, LAT, ATC is the 15th president of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) and assumed her office during NATA's clinical symposia in June 2021. She is serving a three-year term. Dieringer has more than 35 years of sports medicine experience and brings with her a deep passion for the athletic training profession and a clear vision for her role.
Dieringer was previously the sole owner of three outpatient rehabilitation clinics (D&D Sports Med) in the north Texas area; employing more than 45 staff members, including athletic trainers (ATs), physical therapists, occupational therapists and strength and conditioning specialists. She managed all aspects of her clinics, while simultaneously continuing to provide quality patient care. Previously, Dieringer worked in the collegiate (NCAA Division I and Division II), secondary schools and clinical settings.
For more than 30 years, Dieringer has volunteered for NATA and the Athletic Training Strategic Alliance. In addition to serving on various state, district and NATA committees, she has served as NATA District Six director and NATA secretary/treasurer; president of Southwest Athletic Trainers’ Association (SWATA); Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) commissioner and chair of the NATA Clinical and Emerging Practice Athletic Trainers’ Committee (currently known as NATA Council on Practice Advancement (COPA)). Her visionary approach to the profession resulted in the creation of the Healthcare Reform Workgroup and the implementation of the Accountable Care Organization Demonstration Project, currently in progress. Such projects, designed to illustrate the value of an AT, are evidence of Dieringer’s ability to conceptualize and develop opportunities for the profession.
Dieringer’s global health care and business experience, combined with her doctorate in education, enables her to empower and enrich professionals in all arenas of health care and to advocate and advance athletic training as a leading force in health care. An accomplished speaker and author, she has been the recipient of many honors, including the 2019 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer, induction into the 2017 NATA Hall of Fame and the 2008 SWATA Hall of Fame.
About NATA: National Athletic Trainers’ Association – Health Care for Life & Sport
Athletic trainers are health care professionals who specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and sport-related illnesses. They prevent and treat chronic musculoskeletal injuries from sports, physical and occupational activity, and provide immediate care for acute injuries. Athletic trainers offer a continuum of care that is unparalleled in health care. The National Athletic Trainers' Association represents and supports 40,000 members of the athletic training profession. Visit nata.org for more information.