Right Place, Wrong Time

Dr. John sings "I been in the right place, But it must have been the wrong time..."

As you can see from my very scientific graphic illustration, athletic training is on the rise.  Our professional recognition and respect are at an all time high through the efforts of our associations, legislators and most importantly athletic trainers.

Contrasting our steady incline is the roller coaster condition of our local, state and federal economies.  My financial adviser assures me that the economy is cyclical.  "Don't worry, it will rebound, there is no need to panic."  I'm certain that the economy will rebound but at who and what's expense?  Right now it appears it will be at the expense of education.  Athletic training is right where we need to be-on the rise- but it couldn't come at a worse time, especially for our secondary school practitioners. 

Our state (Texas) legislature is considering a bill that will recognize athletic trainers as the key health care professional in concussion management, yet over 50% of secondary schools don't have access to an athletic trainer.  Individuals, and organizations alike are recognizing, requesting and requiring athletic trainers more than ever before; however university systems, school districts and clinics are tightening the purse strings.  The media may not always call us "athletic trainers," but they are increasingly familiar with our skills and role in health care.

Bearing these facts in mind I assert that, while we must be mindful of economic woes, we must continue the fight.  We may have to adjust course, but we cannot back slide.  Athletic trainers are not expendable, but rather a vital part of health care for athletes of all types and skill levels.

If you need resources or tips related to the value and importance of athletic training, I recommend Promote the Profession with a great outline of our skills and the NATA website is rich with information from brochures to the salary survey.

“The better I get, the more I realize how much better I can get”

“The better I get, the more I realize how much better I can get” Martina Navratilova

Its registration time! Both the SWATA annual symposium and NATA annual symposium are now open for registration. I think it is so important for athletic trainers to attend at least one of these meetings. But here is the hitch, my colleagues, you must actually attend them! Call me lame, but conferences aren’t an employee-funded drunk fest or family vacation. They are there to serve as enrichment in the growth of our professional practices. You need to pick programming that interests you or, better yet, in an area you feel that you are deficient in. Regardless of what time of day they are being held! I know that it will most definitely be difficult to rise and shine in New Orleans, but the growth is what will make our profession better.

As we continue to grow and continue to strive for more clout among the medical community, these learning opportunities cannot be ignored. An athletic trainer must know current standards of care formed upon evidence-based practices. An athletic trainer must know new trends in rehab, modalities, evaluations, and legislation. Medicine requires continuing education due to its changing nature, and it is this reason that our professional organizations required CEUs. They require it, so we might as well make it prosperous and meaningful to us as individuals. These meetings are the perfect opportunity to personalize your learning experiences.

The link for SWATA is http://www.swata.org/attendeereg/

The link for NATA is http://nola.nata.org

2011 Election-District Director (5 of 5)

This concludes our District VI Director Candidate profiles.  To see complete profiles and more information on the candidates be sure to check out the Special Edition Newsletter and our Facebook page (SWATA Young Professionals in Athletic Training)

How will you encourage YPs to reach out to you and the executive board?

Mike Carroll- Head Athletic Trainer, Stephenville High School

I have always felt like accessibility is of paramount importance.  I have been on executive boards for local, state, and district associations as well as multiple NATA committees.  While on all of those boards or committees I prided myself on communicating with the membership. That communication should include regular e-mails, blog updates, Facebook page updates or other media types with information about the association.  It should also include simple things such as returning a phone call or an e-mail in a timely fashion.  As district director it will be essential for me to represent District Six at the national level and the only way that I can do that is to encourage the YPs to communicate their thoughts, ideas, complaints, and praises to me.

Bucky Taylor-Athletic Trainer, Mesquite ISD

I would be the representative of the District 6 membership which I would take very seriously.  Anyone can contact me at any time.  My personal goal is to respond to the individual the same day as contacted, and within 24 hours at the latest.  I will answer/respond to their issue to the best of my ability, and I will both present and represent your concerns to the board.  No question or concern is unimportant.

Kathy Dieringer-Athletic Trainer/Co-Owner, D & D Sports Med

This is indeed difficult for some professionals, and especially for those who have not fully established their networking skills yet. The best I can say is try—reach out to those members of the executive board. We are not as intimidating as we sometimes appear to be, and believe me, we all remember what it was like to be a young professional who wants to be involved. Technology is paramount to the future of athletic training, and will continue to play a huge part in our communication. My “ears” are only a mouse click, phone call, or text away.  As all athletic trainers, regardless of experience, begin to embrace technology more, I believe this will become easier. The SWATA Executive Board has made great strides in this area through the use of Facebook and the SWATA blog, and I’m confident this trend will continue in both SWATA and the NATA.

Ron Carroll-Head Athletic Trainer, Arkansas State University

Leaders such as the NATA National Director can provide a variety of contact information (phone, email, etc) for YP’s to contact them with questions.  The National Director can attend YP social events, lectures, business meetings.  Most of all listen and respond 100% of the time.

2011 Election-District Director (4 of 5)

What are some ideas you have to keep YPs in the profession?

Mike Carroll-Head Athletic Trainer, Stephenville High School

Keeping YPs in the profession is imperative.  To be able to do this the YPs must be able to adequately do their job and manage their life at the same time.  Whether it is YPs, students or older athletic trainers it is vital that the association give members benefits that meet or exceed the cost of membership.  For the YPs benefits that will help to keep them in the profession should include networking to know that they are not alone in their problems.  Educational sessions at district and national meetings that will increase the breadth and depth of their knowledge are also important as this will increase the YPs ability to do their job.

Bucky Taylor-Athletic Trainer, Mesquite ISD

I think that we need to provide better insight and training into the day to day challenges of the profession.  Young professionals enter the profession today with a much better knowledge base of how to provide care for their athletes.  However, I am not sure that they have a realistic idea of the expectations and demands they face on the job.  During some point during their training and during the first few years on the job, this issue needs to be addressed.  Many good young professionals leave the profession because they do not have safety nets or means to address daily issues.  For the athletic training profession to continue to grow, our professional organization should address this area and provide solutions.

Kathy Dieringer- Athletic Trainer/Co-Owner, D&D Sports Med
I believe question #3 speaks to this issue somewhat, in that as our profession improves our working conditions and salaries (life balancing), fewer athletic trainers will leave the profession for other areas of healthcare.  Additionally, we have to keep young professionals engaged through increased committee membership and involvement.  Through involve/evolve young professional participation has improved, but we need to take it a step further by requiring committee chairs to choose young professionals as a percentage of their committee membership.  As a former SWATA committee chair and current NATA committee chair, I know how difficult this can be as choosing a committee member who is well known and has proven him/herself is more comfortable.  The benefit I see is the ability of the young professional to see things from a different perspective-many call it "thinking outside the box," but I prefer to call it "making your box bigger."  Anytime I can listen to various perspectives on an issue, from the young professional to the retired member, I benefit both as a committee chair and as a professional.  I also enjoy the energy that this type of environment provides during brainstorming or planning sessions.

Ron Carroll-Head Athletic Trainer, Arkansas State University

Young professionals need value for their membership.  YP’s need to experience fulfillment and satisfaction in the profession of athletic training.  YP’s need involvement in the YP Committees on the National, District, State and Local level for a voice in athletic training issues.  Entry level curriculums need to provide realistic clinical experiences for different athletic training career settings.  The athletic training profession needs to continue to pursue different forms of revenue and compensation for athletic trainers.  Minimum standards of care that continue to be stressed will improve the daily responsibilities of athletic trainers.  Networking at all levels of athletic training gatherings will assist the YP in being the best athletic trainer they can and open numerous opportunities in their career of athletic training.

  

2011 Election-District Director (3 of 5)

 How do you see YPs contributing to the future of SWATA?

Mike Carroll-Athletic Trainer, Stephenville High School

The YPs have already made a huge impact on this association in their short existence.  Since I was elected to the SWATA Executive Board we proposed to the membership and passed a new constitution.  This changed the structure of the SWATA Executive Board to include an at-large position who will be a voting member of the board.  This would be a perfect position for a YP.  I can think of no better way to contribute to the future of the organization than to be on the executive board.  Also for the YPs to continue to help mold and shape the future it is critical that as a demographic continue to stay involved and complete projects that they identify as positively affecting not only YPs, but all athletic trainers in general.

Bucky Taylor-Athletic Trainer, Mesquite ISD

They are the future of our organization.  I think that the best way that they can contribute to the future of the organization is through being active in the professional organization and providing insight into how to effectively communicate the needs and concerns of this important group.  This could come through using social media or some similar tool.

Kathy Dieringer-Athletic Trainer/Co-Owner, D&D Sports Med

Young Professionals are a vital component of the future of SWATA and the NATA, because they set the tone for what is to come. I applaud the Young Professionals Committee for starting a movement for increased involvement early in your careers, as well as a desire to improve your job conditions from the onset. As a leader in the profession, my responsibility is to find a way to keep the young professionals involved throughout your careers. Our young professionals have become better than their predecessors at the life balancing skills we all aspire to obtain, prioritizing our lives so that family comes first, and expecting that our employer values what we do. As this trend continues, our entire profession will improve as a whole in this regard.

Ron Carroll-Head Athletic Trainer, Arkansas State University

Young professionals have new ideas, YP’s have votes needed with federal, state and local athletic training licensing issues, YP’s are our future leaders, YP’s are contributing members of this great athletic training organization.

2011 Election-District Director Candidates (2 of 5)

What does the Director do? 
The District VI Director represents SWATA on the NATA Executive Board and is our district's voice on national issues.  Our current District Director, Brian Conway, has served the maximum number of terms allowed. Director Conway's term officially ends in 2012, but electing this year will  allow the newly elected District Director to shadow for one year and learn the details and duties of the position. In order to serve as District Director, an individual must be a certified member of NATA and must have previously served as an elected member of the SWATA Executive Board.  Only certified members of NATA can vote for District Director.  To see the candidate platforms, be sure to check out the Special Election Edition SWATA Newsletter.

How can the YPC help young professionals with that?

(referring to question 1)
Mike Carroll-Head Athletic Trainer, Stephenville High School
The YPC has been and will continue to be instrumental in this area. They have always tried to indentify the interests, needs, and concerns of young professionals. Because of that increasing a young professional’s abilities and opportunities to network with their fellow athletic trainers who are either in the YP demographic or more experienced is right up their alley.

Bucky Taylor-Athletic Trainer, Mesquite ISD
I think developing a cadre of mentors in regional areas would be a useful tool for the YPC. It always helps to have someone to call who will lend an ear and/or advice to the young professional. I think we could dedicate time at professional meetings to how public school systems work. You would need to have knowledgeable athletic trainers, athletic directors, and administrators provide the information. Everything from public school finance, legal issues, testing, and day to day operation should be covered.

Kathy Dieringer-Athletic Trainer/Co-Owner, D& D Sports Med
I am certain that I was not the first, nor the last person to take a job based on the “glory” of the place rather than the specifics of the job. We continue to see many athletic trainers accept jobs, as I did, at universities for very low pay and benefits because of the place not the position. The NATA is often called upon to improve life balancing issues such as salaries and working conditions, and I agree that this should be a major goal for the NATA. To assist in this goal, we must also do a better job of being selective about the positions we take, and negotiating for better positions based on our worth.

Recently, I co-authored an article in the October issue of NATA News called “Your Worth, Your Skills, Your Value”. In concert with the NATA Chairs of COR, YPC, CUATC, and Sec. Schools, we are attempting through a series of articles to assist athletic trainers with bargaining skills, providing success stories and tools to show your worth to your employer and market your value as an athletic trainer. This issue transcends settings, and is vital to all athletic trainers, but especially to the young professional who is setting the course of their career. The YPC is an integral part of this endeavor, and certainly will continue to be.


Ron Carroll-Head Athletic Trainer, Arkansas State University
The YPC should develop a phone list and/or list serve for young professionals to contact when they have a need to discuss athletic training issues such as injuries, rehabilitation programs, job opportunities etc.

2011 Election-District Director Candidates (1 of 5)

The 2011 election in SWATA will have us voting for a new District Director.  The YPC wanted to make sure you had a wealth of information to make an educated decision about the next leader for our district and asked them a few questions.
Ballots will be e-mailed out (so make sure your contact information is current) on March 21!  Keep an eye on the blog as we will be posting their answers and resources for more information in the days leading up to the election.  Exercise your duty to vote!

What do you wish you could change about your time as a young professional?

Mike Carroll-Head Athletic Trainer, Stephenville High School

Increasing the ability to network and have access to athletic trainers in my work setting both locally and across SWATA is what I like to go back and change.  I can still remember after becoming a licensed athletic trainer in 1991 feeling completely and utterly isolated and alone.  I am very appreciative for several athletic trainers that worked at local schools like Gordon Graham at Tomball HS, Arnold Thomas at Cy Fair HS, Calvin Salois at Katy Taylor HS, and Cathy Supak at Clear Brook HS.  These people helped by giving me advice and direction on how I could best do my job and help keep my sanity at the same time.  Had it not been for these individuals I would not have been as successful early in my career and would have no doubt struggled greatly.

Bucky Taylor-Athletic Trainer, Mesquite ISD

I would have liked to have had either training or mentoring on the issue of dealing with coaches.  This was something that could have made my day to day dealings with either unknowledgeable or unreasonable coaches better.  Mentoring probably would have been better.  If you have someone that has crossed that bridge and can give you the benefit of their wisdom, it would have been useful to me.  Also, help on life balancing between my home life and work life would have helped.  It would also have been helpful to know more about how public schools operate.  Learning the ins and outs of school operation is a difficult process for even the most knowledgeable. 

Kathy Dieringer-Athletic Trainer/Co-Owner, D&D Sports Med

If I could change anything about my time as a young professional, it would be to choose my first job more carefully. As a young professional, I was employed by three different universities 15+ years after Title IX was passed. My graduate assistantship, though a great experience, was at a university where our football athletic training facility was still inside the men’s locker room. My first full time position was working at a major Division I university, where our athletic training programs remained separated according to gender. As a female staff member, I was not permitted to work with football or any of the major men’s sports. We treated the female athletes and the “minor” men’s sports. We had separate facilities, separate budgets, and very different salary structures. I soon left that position to become a head athletic trainer at a Division II university, where I remained for over 10 very rewarding years.
I was so excited to take my first job at this major university that I didn’t consider the nuances of the job, and regret that I didn’t make a more informed choice. There were universities where inclusion was common, and I would like to have experienced that as a young professional. While I don’t regret the career path I have chosen globally, I do wonder how my path might have been different had I had the opportunity to work in a more inclusive job setting as a young professional.

Ron Carroll-Head Athletic Trainer, Arkansas State University

I could have used more confidence and the opportunity to interact with other certified athletic trainers on a daily basis to discuss injuries, rehabs and other athletic training issues.

Why it is important...

Two years ago, on this blog, I posed the question...Can you imagine a world WITHOUT athletic trainers?
It seemed, at the time, that my assertions were far-fetched, the worst-case scenario even.

Now, it seems we are on the verge of our worst-case scenario with an economic climate that has effected everyone leaving school districts, universities and businesses big and small scrambling to cover budget deficits.

Cutting athletic training positions should not be a solution, but in some cases it may be.

It is important this month, and every month to fight for our profession!  If you need tips, tools or resources, be sure to visit the NATA website.

Rock The Vote

I just got this message from family back in Pennsylvania. http://www.wnep.com/videobeta/e7e72058-c32c-4262-af59-19ea59c95147/News/Schuylkill-County-Begins-Bicentennial-Celebration

The small county where I was born is celebrating their bicentennial. The video showed veterans pulling out flags 100 yards long and speaking of their time overseas and how their children and grandchildren our now serving. It got me thinking about our country’s foundation and how democracy was won, not given to us. People fought battles to have the right to choose everyday matters in their lives and most importantly, the right to decide who would lead and govern their nation.
I know that our elections for our district may seem small compared to events in Egypt and Wisconsin, but they are based on the same principle: each person has the right to choose! As the Young Professionals Committee, we have a duty to promote elections within our profession and our district, to make it an important decision in each athletic trainer’s life. We can sit around and talk about salaries, concussion articles that some reporter got wrong, or how many hours we put in, but unless we take advantage of our right to vote, we cannot place blame. If we chose to get involved at easiest level of informed voting, we make our voices heard. We can take that onto other levels of involvement, but we MUST at least savor the moment and utilize our privilege and right to vote!
Our District Representative nominations are in and the YPC will be posting the candidates’ answers to questions, PLEASE take advantage of this opportunity to get informed and then make your decision and VOTE!

On a side note: Please remember that March is National Athletic Training Month. More information can be found at nata.org or swata.org. This is the perfect time to get out and educate your workplace, schools and community about who athletic trainers are and what we do as health care professionals!!!