AATA's 25th Meeting

I wanted to personally thank those members of SWATA who came to Arkansas to help us celebrate our 25th Birthday of our State Association!

Friday:
Seminar on Concussions
YPC/AATSA Night at the BallPark

Saturday:
Morning - Remembering our past -- history of the AATA and NATA
Afternoon - Educational Sessions
Night - Evening Social at the Arkansas Athletic Training Hall of Fame at Verizon Arena; followed by a slideshow from the PR Committee; a video from the YP Committee; and a fun question/answer/story session from members of the hall of fame and founders

Sunday:
Dr Casa - Heat Illness -- Family Members from the victims of heat illness (those that lived and died)
Business Meeting - new President Elect Selected


We had several friends from Texas come and share this wonderful event with us!!

Thanks for all of your support!!!

Alison L Moore, MS, LAT, ATC

What Athletic Trainers Make

Recently, Taylor Mali's What Teachers Make poem began making the rounds again.  It is an emotional argument for the often under-appreciated value of teachers.  It is poignant and appropriate given the current state of finance in education.  I'm pretty sure we can all agree that we wouldn't be where we are without teachers. 
With that in mind, and after a weekend of bandaging blisters and helping men and women achieve their goal of walking 39.3 miles for breast cancer research, I started pondering what athletic trainers make. I'm no poet and most of mine are in reference to my setting, but it's a good start. Feel free to add yours in the comments.

Athletic trainers make pain go away.
We make quick, objective decisions in critical situations.
We make sure we stay calm when others are not.
We make sure we know our athlete's names, medical conditions and previous injuries.
We make sure athletes know we are always there, and more importantly that we care.
We make parents trust us with their kids and we make athletes trust us with their health, their hopes, their future.
Athletic trainers make sure that athletes are hydrated and fed.
We make athletes cry when we tell them no; and smile when they are cleared to go.
We make sense of medical jargon.
We make "it's going to be ok," mean something and "it's a torn ACL," not mean the end.
We make rehab exercises interesting so 6 months doesn't feel like an eternity.
We make season-ending not mean career-ending.
We make the first catch, pass, goal, hit or basket after months of rehab feel like an Olympic Gold Medal.
We make our athletes' best interest, our first interest.
We make athletes find strength when they are weak and hope when they are hopeless.

Bottom line...Athletic trainers make a difference in the lives of their athletes, patients, clients and weekend warriors.

SWATA Opportunity

Dear Group, I would like to talk about a few things that will lead up to a wonderful opportunity that will be offered at SWATA this year, and sponsored by the Young Professional Committee. As most of you know, the state is in a huge financial crisis and school districts are taking a large part of the hit to fix the problem. My district for one is facing a massive deficit and unfortunately athletic trainers are being discussed as possible cuts to make up the difference. Its only a matter of time that a large number of athletic trainers across the state will feel the pressure that my co-workers are feeling. That being said, there is a real chance that multiple athletic trainers will be looking for work in the near future. I know that not the entire group that follows this blog are secondary school athletic trainers. Some of you may be based out of a clinic, or a physician extender. The economic impact may have already reached some of you. If not, you will most certainly see the effects soon. Those of you in other practice settings may also see of feel the effects of the slow economy. Some of our readers are not even professionals yet. If you are a student, this most certainly pertains to you. You may be about to enter into one of the toughest job markets in a long time. I ask that if you are a student, to please pay attention to the current events and latest news. Having the knowledge of what is going on when and where, could give you an edge on the next person that you will compete with for a job. It could also effect you decision of what to do after graduation. Maybe its not time to get that first "real job". Maybe its time to stay in school and get your graduate degree, or try a completely different rout that leads you to a successful career in athletic training. Now that's enough of paint a dark picture of the future. The Young Professional Committee will be sponsoring a Mock Interview Session during the SWATA Annual Meeting this Summer in Houston. Below is some information about the Mock Interview session to help you get a better idea of what its all about. If you have any questions feel free to use the contact information below.

Register for the student symposium at the 2011 SWATA annual meeting in Houston, TX July 13-16 to have the opportunity of a lifetime!!!

Athletic Training & Administrative Professionals will be conducting mock interviews
that will allow you to:
 Present your resume
 Get constructive feedback on your interviewing skills
 Interact with seasoned athletic training professionals and young professionals
 Practice professional dress and speaking
 Learn tips from a communications professionalQuestions??? Email Kelley Henderson: k.henderson@tcu.edu