February 8, 2016 by Beth Sitzler
By Katie Scott, MS, ATC, LATNATA Athletic Trainer in Residence
As we enter into the second month of 2016, I find myself internally reviewing my professional goals for the new year. Most of us have a bucket list, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to check two items off mine while on the road representing the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.
I was honored to have been invited to Boston for the Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association (Districts One and Two) meeting Jan. 6-10. I would like to give my appreciation to EATA’s leadership for the hospitality extended to me and the NATA staff during our trip. If you haven’t had a chance to make it to EATA for its meetings, I would highly suggest attending one. The professional development program had a wonderful variety of educational sessions for all athletic training settings and EATA does a fantastic job bringing in experts and leaders of the profession to discuss various topics.
Beyond the CE forum, the networking opportunities were endless. I enjoyed continuing to grow my network and being able to meet some of the earliest NATA presidents, former district directors and NATA Hall of Famers. One of my favorite events, though, was the opportunity to interact with EATA’s student leaders and discuss the importance of mentorship and networking and the responsibilities they should take on as they get ready to transition into practice.
The second event I attended was the Youth Sport Safety Governing Bodies meeting, a short week later at the NFL Headquarters in New York City. This meeting was hosted by NATA and the Korey Stringer Institute. A multitude of United States youth sport leagues and inter-professional organizational leaders attended the meeting, during which best practices for youth sports were discussed. A consensus statement is being developed for release in summer 2016. Topics being addressed include cardiac care, emergency action plans, concussion, heat acclimatization/heat illness management, lightning safety and appropriate AT coverage.
This is a very exciting because, until now, there has not been a document published on best practices specific to youth sports for children ages 8 to 12. Surely, this is another fantastic step forward for our profession in reaching all levels of sport. By the creation of this document, governing bodies are reaching consensus on the importance of safety in sport, thereby resulting in a safe, successful experience for our nation’s youngest athletes. More information on this initiative will be published in a future edition of the Journal of Athletic Training.
So, back to my bucket list and goal discussion. In between events, I was able to visit two places I’ve had on my bucket list for a long time: the Boston Marathon finish line and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Both left a deep impact on me after having been there in person, as I’m sure it has for all those who have already visited or were there at the time of those tragic events. At both locations, an immeasurable amount of life sacrifice unnecessarily occurred, some even due to the heroic efforts of first responders. Both of these locations left me with a few heavy questions in my mind, specifically as an athletic trainer: What am I doing to leave a positive impact in my world? Am I doing enough to promote the profession and give back the way it has given to me? Can I do more?
This is what fueled my recent reinvestigation into my professional goals – something my mentor has always recommended doing on a yearly basis, and I recommend the same to you. I also encourage you to make your professional goals known to your mentor, supervisor or a trusted peer, as research has indicated a higher success rate in reaching your goals when you allow an outside entity to help hold you accountable.
I was excited to present my goals at the Joint Committee Meeting Jan. 22-25. This annual event brings together the majority of NATA’s committees to meet and learn from one another. It was amazing to learn about the many initiatives these groups are developing for the membership and I look forward to seeing them come to fruition! For those who did not attend that meeting, one of the goals I presented was to build my membership network. Being the sole AT in the office on a daily basis, I really want to ensure that I’m representing the association’s 43,000 members strongly and accurately. If there is anything I can be of assistance with, if you have a burning question that needs to be addressed, or just want to have a discussion with a peer on your thoughts and ideas for the growth of the membership, please reach out to me. I welcome my phone ringing and email inbox filling up with members’ inquiries! You can contact me at katies@nata.org or 972.532.8821.
As I look to the future of 2016, I’m excited to continue my travels with NATA, and look forward to sharing my experiences with the members along the way! Happy goal setting!
