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NYS Athletic Trainers’ Association Sponsors 3rd Annual Athletic Training Recognition Week

While the inherent risk of injury in athletics has always been understood, research and statistics from the past few decades has revealed the critical need of taking appropriate measures for sports safety – including providing qualified medical and healthcare management, such as a certified athletic trainer (AT). With their education and experience in injury prevention, recognition, and emergency management, ATs can help identify potential hazards and risks to address before they cause injury, as well as observe and evaluate injuries as they occur, knowing how to properly distinguish more severe conditions and handle these situations when they arise.

Athletic Training (AT) Recognition Week should help demonstrate and publicize the vital need to provide appropriate medical care for all athletes, beginning at the youth and school sports levels. By recognizing certified athletic trainers (ATs) and the unique skill-set they possess to effectively fulfill this role, schools can to show their communities and peers that they value and take pride in providing quality care for their athletes, and set an example for local youth sports to follow. By publicly recognizing their ATs from Friday, October 9th through Sunday, October 18th with event-specific Public Service Announcements (PSAs) and via social media – #WhosYourAT2015 – schools can take a proactive role in promoting sports safety.

As part of the event this year, NYSATA is proud and excited to announce that it will provide funding for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Safe Sports School Award application for ten NYS secondary schools! After approving the funding in July at the semi-annual Board meeting, the NYSATA leadership has been anxious to unveil this initiative. Currently, there are only seven Safe Sports School Award recipients in New York and NYSATA is well aware that there are numerous secondary schools in our state that provide an excellent standard of care to our young athletes and wanted to provide an opportunity for them to receive the recognition they deserve.

Over the past two years, a total of nearly 50 secondary schools and 20 colleges have gotten involved in promoting Athletic Training Recognition Week and the event went viral nationally on social media last year! Don’t let your school community be left out – find a way to participate in 2015!

NYSATA, founded in 1976 and incorporated in 1989, stands to advance, encourage and improve the profession of athletic training (AT) by developing the common interests of its membership for the purpose of enhancing the quality of healthcare for the physically active in NYS. Athletic training is practiced by certified athletic trainers (ATs), who have expertise in the assessment, emergency management, rehabilitation and prevention of acute and chronic sport-related injuries, illnesses and conditions, including concussions. Comprised of over 1,200 certified and practicing athletic trainers, NYSATA is the state-wide affiliate of the regional Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association (EATA) and District Two of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA).

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/10/prweb13011028.htm