We Have A Winner...

All we can truly say is WOW!!

(YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE THE VIDEO FROM WORK AS IT MAY BE BLOCKED CONTENT. IT IS, HOWEVER, DEFINITELY WORTH VIEWING!)

The SWATA Young Professionals Committee quickly put together a contest for college students for National Athletic Training Month. We asked them to put their creative caps on and create a commercial highlighting athletic trainers and what we do. We didn't give a whole lot of notice, but we were hopeful that our results would be good, but we were surprised when they were OUTSTANDING!!

Out of several entries, our committee selected the commercial from...

HARDIN-SIMMONS UNIVERSITY!!

These students did a wonderful job capturing the progress of athletic training and I look forward to more to come from these future young professionals.These students will be recognized at the SWATA Annual Meeting in Arlington at the Young Professionals Session on Thursday July 23th.

We hope that you will come out and recognize their hard work and dedication to the profession of athletic training.

Great Job!

Emily Jones - Junior Snyder, Texas

Richard Martinez - Freshman Abilene, Texas

Shelby Hilliard - Freshman Comanche, Texas

Meggie Serrette - Freshman Cairo, Egypt

Adrian Palos - Sophomore Fort Worth, Texas

Directed and Edited by:

Cole Barker - Freshman Paris, Texas

Seth Manly - Freshman Hawley, Texas

Can you imagine...

2nd in the Annie Stoecklein series

Can you even imagine a world with out athletic trainers? Do you even believe it to be possible that our beloved profession would cease to exist? Could athletic trainers go the way of the dinosaurs, extinct?

I, unfortunately, do believe this to be possible. While I believe we are irreplaceable and perform a very valuable service and fill a niche in this wild and crazy health care world...I don't think everyone else believes this way. Some people STILL don't even know what the heck it is we do.

THAT SCARES ME.

This is why we fight for our profession. This is why there are so many people that volunteer for what is often a completely thankless and tireless Executive Board position or committee position. Are we all participating in the manner and amount that we should? Do you think you are doing all you can for the athletic training profession?

Consider the following example...

You are employed at a clinic, college, insert setting here, and you have a new administrator. This administrator is charged with "cutting the fat" from your department. He's never heard of an athletic trainer, and calls you to the carpet to justify your position. Could you do it?

What if he says, "I can hire someone with less education and experience for half the salary that can do the same thing you do?"

What if he says, "You can't bill for your services, and aren't recognized by medicare as a health care professional, how are you making money for this department?"

Do you believe this to be an unreal situation? In this economy?

IT'S NOT!

Make sure you use this month and every other opportunity you are given to really spread the word about your profession. We are gaining respect, but we are nowhere near finished. We have just begun what is a long war against ignorance and the uneducated.

I believe we WILL win this war, but I know it is going to take an army.

Good thing we have one in SWATA and NATA.

Your challenge for today is to visit the NATA legislative action center and contact your state Representative regarding our legislation HR 1137: ATEAM

Follow this link:

SUPPORT ATHLETIC TRAINING LEGISLATION

National Athletic Training Month-4

People for the Advancement of Athletic Traini… » Make Your Own Quiz

National Athletic Training Month Trivia-3

People for the Advancement of Athletic Traine… » Make Your Own Quiz

A World Without Athletic Trainers...

A World Without Athletic Trainers...What an AWFUL thought!

Annie Stoecklein is a senior student (and future young professional) from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She created several great flyers for National Athletic Training Month, which she has graciously shared with me to share with you! I think they really illustrate some of the impact that we have, that many of our athletes, and patients may take for granted.

I wanted to highlight her work here (I had to make the files into a picture format for them to work on the blog, but if you want the .pdf of the posters, let me know and I will share). Thanks, Annie! Great work :)

Great job on the first quiz, we had several people with perfect scores. Keep up the good work and recruit more participants!!

Hope everyone has a great week!

National Athletic Training Month Trivia-2

People for the Advancement of Athletic Traine… » Quiz School

National Athletic Training Month Trivia-1

People for the Advancement of Athletic Traini… » Quiz Question Maker

For National Athletic Training Month, I'm creating a new organization!!

PAAT or People for the Advancement of Athletic Training.

I hope to create a quiz bi-weekly that will increase knowledge about athletic trainers and what we do. Fill out the quiz each time, and those with the highest scores at the end of the month will be entered to win prizes, like restaurant gift cards, Best Buy gift cards and more!

Send this blog to everyone you know, and lets advance athletic training!!

In addition to our athletic training specific trivia, check out our NATM trivia tournament for March. It's just something fun to do and will hopefully spread the word about our cause...The winner of the tournament will also win a prize!

HAPPY NATIONAL ATHLETIC TRAINING MONTH!!

Each New Year's Eve, I ring in a beginning, and ponder what's to come. The freshness of January quickly gives way to a seriously busy February and is all too immediately followed by National Athletic Training Month, also known as, March.

I, like many other athletic trainers, am proud of what I do and work hard year round to advance our profession. While I don't need one month to practice making others aware, it is a fun time to do unique projects and build the public's perception and knowledge of athletic training.

Last year at this time, I searched "National Athletic Trainers Month," to see what others were doing and what kind of attention our efforts were getting. I was all too disappointed when this satirical blog came up. Don't bother leaving a comment as this post is 3 years old, but do read the comments of some of your peers as well as others, one of whom states that athletic training is..."some random occupation I've never heard of."


In addition to the words on this blog, there are some images that may be funny, but are seriously detrimental to our cause:











and












I am, by no means, an athletic trainer, or individual that takes herself too seriously, but these types of "satire" do nothing for our advancement.

I challenge each of us to at least do something during this National Athletic Training Month that will help our beloved profession be better recognized.
It can be something so small as always saying "Athletic Trainer" instead of "trainer," or dressing professionally, or even including the NATM logo and an explanation of athletic training in all your e-mails.

The SWATA Young Professionals Committee is hosting a bi-weekly trivia contest, as well as a fun trivia tournament for all people interested (not just athletic trainers). There are cool, not athletic training related, prizes involved, so keep coming to the blog, check your e-mail and spread the word!