Tag: Athletic Training Service Award

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Delaware Head Athletic Trainer Dan Watson Honored for Outstanding Service by NATA

Article reposted from Delaware Blue Hens
Author: Delaware Athletics

University of Delaware head athletic trainer and assistant director of athletics Dan Watson has been honored by the National Athletic Trainers Association for his service to the organization and the outstanding work in the profession.

Watson, who has served at the University for the past 12 years, was selected to receive the Athletic Training Service Award. This prestigious national award recognizes NATA members for their exceptional contributions to the profession and the Association as well as their participation and leadership on the local and state levels. Members are eligible for this award after 20 years of membership and certification.

NATA award recipients will be recognized during the General Session at the 2017 NATA Convention in Houston on June 28.

“This is a special honor and I am grateful to be recognized on the national level for my service, leadership, and advancement of the Athletic Training profession,” said Watson. “We take great pride here at the University of Delaware in our reputation as one of the top athletic training programs in the country and none of this could be accomplished without the extraordinary dedication and passion of our athletic training staff and students.”

A native Delawarean, Watson earned his degree in athletic training with honors from Delaware in 1995 and his master’s degree in education, athletic training, and sports medicine from the University of Virginia in 1996.

After his graduation from Delaware, he served on the athletic training staffs at Virginia, Hampden-Sydney (Va.) College, Yale University, and Rutgers University before returning to his alma mater in 2004. He served as assistant athletic trainer and associate head athletic trainer before being named head athletic trainer in 2013.

He has presented a variety of topics at numerous conferences, including at the NATA Annual Symposium. He previously served as Clinical Coordinator of the UD ATEP and as President of the DATA.

Watson and his wife, Minda, reside in Newark with their son, Jude.

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Waters Earns Athletic Training Service Award

Article reposted from The Diboll Free Press
Author: Josh Harvard

It’s common for coaches to refer to their athletic trainers as one of the best in the nation. In Diboll’s case, the Lumberjacks really have one as Mike Waters recently took home a prestigious honor from a national athletic trainers’ conference.

Waters earned the Athletic Training Service Award, which was given by the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) at the NATA National Meeting & Symposium in Baltimore.

Waters was given the award thanks to 29 years of service in the profession, including work on several committees.

“I am honored as well as humbled by the recognition,” Waters said. “This award is probably the second or third highest honor I could receive from our national association.”

In 2015, Waters took over as the head athletic trainer in Diboll after several years at Lufkin High School.

He has worked on several committees and held officer positions in local, regional and state athletic trainer associations.

Some of those organizations include the Greater Houston Athletic Trainers Society (GHATS), East Texas Athletic Trainers Association (SWATA) and District 6 of NATA, which includes Texas and Arkansas. He also spent nine years on the State Advisory Board of Athletic Trainers (the governing body for athletic trainers in Texas), a position appointed by Gov. Rick Perry in 2004.Waters was also recently elected regional director for the Texas State Athletic Trainers Association (TSATA).
Receiving the most recent award was just a part of the recent meeting in Baltimore.

“One of the highlights of the national meeting was traveling to Washington D.C. and meeting with Rep. Louie Gohmert personally as well as meeting with Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. John Cornyn staffers,” Waters said.

Waters was nominated for the award by Sandy Miller, the retired head athletic trainer from SFA.
Waters also thanked Lufkin athletic director Todd Quick, Dr. Linda Bobo, the graduate program director at SFA, and Diboll High School principal John Clements for their support in the award process. He also thanked his family, including his parents Bill and Sylvia Waters as well as his in-laws Harold and Betty Hogan, of Newton.
Waters is married to Renee Waters and is the father of Chelsea Christmas and Doug Waters. His son-in-law is Jarrod Christmas and his granddaughter is Alli Christmas.

This year at Diboll, Waters will start his 30th year as an athletic trainer.