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!