In his November NATA News column, NATA President Tory Lindley, MA, ATC, discusses NATA’s new Compromised Sports Safety in Secondary Schools program.
Through this program, athletic trainers who know of a school that has lost, or is in jeopardy of losing, its athletic training program or services can submit this information to NATA. After reviewing the information provided, NATA will reach out to the school or school district with information related to the importance of employing an athletic trainer for the health and safety of their student athletes and the risks that arise when an athletic trainer is not available for interscholastic athletic programs.
“This program demonstrates how NATA is working to support and advocate for our members, especially in regard to employment during this time,” Lindley wrote.
While NATA strives to advocate for the health and safety of youth athletes through the employment of ATs, individual ATs can advocate as well. The NATA Secondary School Athletic Trainers’ Committee has created numerous resources ATs can use to advocate for themselves and the profession as well as show their value. They include:
- Secondary School Position Proposal Guide, developed to assist ATs as they create a proposal for a new athletic trainer or athletic training program to present to a school system’s decision-makers.
- Secondary School Position Improvement Guide, developed to assist ATs who are interested in improving their current employment position as a secondary school athletic trainer.
- Secondary School Value Model, developed to help educate ATs and consumers of athletic training services, especially within the secondary school setting, on the worth and value of an athletic trainer.
- Funding Appropriate Medical Care, developed to outline strategies for funding and employing ATs in the secondary school setting.
NATA’s At Your Own Risk initiative also offers resources athletic trainers in the secondary school setting can use:
- Benefits of Participating in High School & Youth Sports infographic
- Sports Injuries infographic
- Reduce Your Risk infographic
- A Safer Approach to Secondary School Sports
For even more resources related to the secondary school setting, visit the Secondary School Resource page.
