The NATA Hall of Fame is the apex of member recognition, celebrating a select group of athletic trainers who have advanced the profession and exemplified what it means to live a life of service.
More than a jacket, plaque and accolades, the NATA Hall of Fame is an honor bestowed on those who have dedicated countless hours honing their skills, mentoring the next generation of ATs and leaving a lasting legacy in the athletic training profession.
The May NATA News features the class of 2024, highlighting their careers and volunteer achievements, while giving insight into their lives as leaders in the profession.
The class of 2024 will be inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame during the 75th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo in New Orleans.
In this post, the inductees share their advice for new athletic training graduates and young professional ATs.
Douglas J. Casa, PhD, ATC, FNAK
If you want to achieve something great, go make it happen and don’t depend on others. Everyone loves to be around people who are passionate, goal oriented and willing to work hard. Just remember that all the paths you cross and people you interact with will have a big role in making your dreams come true. Be a positive and kind force of nature. Solve the problem instead of complaining about it. People will remember.
Ray Castle, PhD, LAT, NREMT
As you start off your AT career, know that there are so many incredible opportunities in this profession, but nothing comes easy as it requires effort, commitment and patience. Never underestimate the value of volunteering – at a race, at a convention or other venue. People will get to see you in another setting and see who you are as a person, which has a good possibility of them picking up the phone to call a friend who is hiring for a job where you would be a good fit.
Develop a reputation as the best host athletic trainer your colleagues have ever met. And, most importantly, do the little things well, such as opening doors, thanking someone for the work they are doing and giving them a smile, making a point to connect with someone new at a conference, lending a hand to help someone with a heavy bag or letting someone go before you in a line. These may seem like trivial things, but to someone somewhere, you have been “great in their moment.”
Darryl Conway, MA, AT, ATC
Have fun. Life is too short not to enjoy what you do and to let people or things get you down. Never stop learning. Grow outside your comfort zone daily. Never forget where you came from – be a mentor and have a mentor. Be prepared. If it is predictable, it is manageable. Be a great listener and even better communicator. Be a leader but stay humble. Develop relationships and remember the same people you pass going up the ladder will be the same people you pass falling back down.
Kimberly S. Peer, EdD, ATC, FNATA
Get involved. There are so many opportunities to contribute to advancing the profession. Find something you are interested in and go after it with passion. Find your voice and work tirelessly to promote the profession. Make connections and find a mentor who sees your light and pushes you!
Jiro Shikakura, MS, ATC
The most important things are to communicate well with athletes, physicians and coaches and to continue to learn during your professional career to provide the best care. In addition to the importance of communication that Lindsy McLean, AT Ret., taught me, it is also important for young professionals to get involved in volunteering their expertise.
Craig Alan Voll Jr., PhD, ATC, PT
Being an athletic trainer is like fingerprints. We each have a set of fingerprints that no one else in the world has, so we can leave an imprint on our patients that no one else can! Strive to leave every interaction you have with that person consciously aware that they are loved and respected. Helping that one person might not change the world, but it could change the world for that person.
Cari L. Wood, LAT, ATC
Get involved. Immerse yourself in the community where you work and in your professional life and organization. Don't let your position become just a job. Let it become personal by getting to know your patients, colleagues and community. This makes "work" much more enjoyable! So many memorable moments and opportunities have come from just being involved. You can't "be in the right place at the right time" if you don't put yourself there to begin with.
