National Athletic Trainers' Association

National Athletic Trainers' Association
Name	National Athletic Trainers' Association
Abbreviation	NATA
Formation	1950
Headquarters	Dallas, Texas
Membership	~45,000
Leader title	President

Contents

National Athletic Trainers' Association The National Athletic Trainers' Association is a professional association serving athletic trainers and allied health professionals with emphasis on sports medicine, injury prevention, rehabilitation, and emergency care. Founded in 1950, the organization interacts with organizations such as American College of Sports Medicine, American Medical Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization and state-level associations including the Texas Medical Association and California Medical Association to advance standards across collegiate, secondary school, professional, and military settings. Its conferences, guidelines, and position statements are used by institutions like the National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, and United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

History

The association was established in 1950 amid postwar expansion of organized athletics involving institutions such as the University of Michigan, Pennsylvania State University, Ohio State University, University of Southern California, and University of Notre Dame, and leaders connected to organizations like the American Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America, and YMCA. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s the group expanded professional standards influenced by events such as the Summer Olympics and collaborations with the American College of Emergency Physicians, American Physical Therapy Association, and military medical units including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Madigan Army Medical Center. In the 1980s and 1990s the association engaged with regulatory actors like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and educational institutions including the University of North Carolina, University of Florida, and University of Georgia to develop certification pathways and clinical practice standards. Recent decades saw partnership efforts with National Athletic Trainers' Association Foundation initiatives, alliance-building with major leagues such as the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, and engagement in public-health crises involving the H1N1 pandemic and COVID-19 pandemic.

The mission emphasizes health care delivery in athletic and physically active populations and is coordinated through a national office that liaises with entities such as the American College Health Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and state athletic trainer associations like the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers' Society and Florida Athletic Trainers' Association. Governance includes an elected board composed of clinicians, clinicians-educators and administrators with ties to universities such as Indiana University Bloomington, University of Texas at Austin, and organizations like the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and National Federation of State High School Associations. Standing committees align with standards bodies such as the National Commission for Certifying Agencies and accreditation agencies like the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education.

Membership categories encompass students, professionals, retirees, and affiliate members linked to programs at institutions such as University of Connecticut, University of Kentucky, Louisiana State University, and professional teams including the Green Bay Packers, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Lakers. Certification is administered through a national board influenced by the Board of Certification, Inc., with credentialing recognized alongside licensure frameworks in states that model statutes similar to those in Texas, California, New York, Florida, and Ohio. The credentialing process integrates competencies referenced by the American Board of Medical Specialties and continuing competence requirements comparable to those of American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.

Educational pathways include accredited entry-level programs, graduate curricula, and residency programs associated with universities such as University of Minnesota, University of Pittsburgh, University of Iowa, and medical centers like Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic. The association hosts annual clinical symposia and workshops that attract speakers from institutions including the Johns Hopkins University, Harvard Medical School, Stanford University School of Medicine, and professional societies such as the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. Professional development offerings mirror certification maintenance needs and collaborate with continuing education providers like the American College of Surgeons and International Olympic Committee medical commissions.

Advocacy priorities include state licensure, access to care in schools and colleges, concussion management, heat illness prevention, and emergency preparedness, advancing policy through coalitions with groups such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Federation of State High School Associations, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Emergency Physicians, and the U.S. Congress. The association has submitted position statements and model policies influencing legislation in states alongside advocacy organizations like the American Heart Association and Safe Kids Worldwide, and engages in stakeholder dialogues with agencies such as the Department of Education (United States), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Office of Civil Rights (United States Department of Education).

The organization produces clinical practice documents, consensus statements, and peer-reviewed research disseminated through journals and proceedings used by researchers at the University of Washington, University of Michigan, University of Colorado, and consortia like the Sports Medicine Research and Development Committee. Publications inform practice on topics including concussion, exertional heat illness, and injury surveillance, and intersect with research funded by bodies such as the National Institutes of Health, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and private foundations including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Annual awards recognize contributions in clinical practice, research, education, and service, honoring recipients drawn from institutions like Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and professional organizations such as the American Medical Association and American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society. Awards include lifetime achievement honors, educator awards, and research grants administered in coordination with philanthropic partners including the American Heart Association and corporate supporters from leagues like the National Football League Players Association.

Category:Medical associations based in the United States