Vice President Nominee Thaddeus Avery

I’m Thaddeus Avery II and I’m asking for your support to serve as the next Vice-resident of the Tennessee Athletic Trainers Society. I’m proud to be a graduate of Tennessee State University and the University of Arkansas. I’m currently in my 16th year as an Athletic Trainer here in the State of Tennessee. For the last 9 years, I’ve served as the Sports Medicine Manager at Campbell Clinic Orthopedics. My leadership skills extend further as I’ve served as the West Tennessee Representative for TATS the last 5 years & on the TSSAA Sports Medicine Advisory Council the last 3 years.

I’ve been very fortunate to work alongside and with some of the best leaders/minds that TATS has produced in the recent future. I would like to try and maintain; or even improve; the legacy that our state currently has and potentially can have in the near future.

Vice President Nominee Grant Davis

It is a great privilege to be nominated for Vice President of Tennessee Athletic Trainers Society. Currently, I work at Blount Memorial Hospital as an outreach Athletic Trainer for a local highschool. Previously, I have held positions in the industrial setting, occupational medicine, college and in telehealth. Having worked in a variety of settings, I understand the unique challenges Athletic Trainers face and will work to help advance the Athletic Training profession in each area.  I earned my Master’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in Exercise Physiology and graduated from Carson Newman University in 2009 with by B.S. in Athletic Training.  I have a passion for educating others both students and the community about athletic training and the unique skill set that we as Athletic Trainers can provide. My vision for Athletic Training and TATS is to advance the field of Athletic Training and to educate the community on the value of Athletic Training.

Vice President Nominee Wade Bartlett

Wade Bartlett is married to Kristin Bartlett together they have 3 girls, Alyssa (21), Taryn (16) and Rynna (14).   They reside in Spring Hill where they have lived since 1998.  He has been a member of TATS and SEATA since 1997 and NATA since 1991.

Wade is employed by STAR Physical Therapy in Franklin and has been with the company since 2006 where he was the Athletic Trainer at Franklin High School.  He currently is an Outreach High School Athletic Training and Education Coordinator.  He also serves his community as the Athletic Training Coordinator for several Travel Events and Youth Sports Leagues.   These include GNASH Hockey, NYHL, WCSA, and Volleyball and Basketball events throughout Middle Tennessee. 

In 2004, Wade was asked by the TSSAA to assist in establishing the TSSAA Wrestling Weight Management Program.  This included writing and regulating the rules, developing the Assessment Testing Procedures for each wrestler, and creating an Assessor Training Program.  TSSAA named him the Director of the TSSAA Wrestling Weight Management Program in 2004 for his work.

A graduate of Minnesota State University at Mankato Athletic Training curriculum program in 1993, he went on to receive his Masters of Science Degree from Oklahoma State University in 1997.

Wade’s dedication to the profession has been recognized by his peers in the medical community through several awards: Baptist Hospital Caring Hands Award (2003), TATS Backbone Athletic Trainer of the Year Award (2004), TATS Joe Worden Clinic/Professional Athletic Trainer of the Year Award (2016) and SEATA Clinic/Industrial/Corporate Athletic Trainer of the Year (2017).

If elected, Wade would like to promote the need of Athletic Trainers in High Schools, recreational and travel sports leagues, and Physician offices as physician extenders.   With today’s ever changing reimbursement rates from insurance carriers, the cost for these services need to be transferred to these outreach sites.   We as a TATS need to assist in locating funds, both public and private, for these positions, otherwise I can see a downturn in care in the outreach setting.   Because of these economic realities, Athletic Trainers must show the financial value that we can bring to the ever changing medical community.

Vice President Nominee Brad Swope

Scott Bradley Swope, Brad, arrived in TN just in time for the TATS Annual Meeting 1993.  He soon stepped into TATS leadership serving as the co-chairman of the Corporate Giving Committee.  He performed those duties for several years and then took over as the chairman.  During those years, he changed the name of the committee to Corporate Relations Committee, and TATS had the largest number of vendors present during some of those years.  Brad is currently serving TATS as the ATs Care Committee Chairman which is in its early stages with certain growth on the horizon.  Brad has attended many TATS Capitol Hill Days, TATS Nashville Sports Fest Events, TATS Nashville Public Radio Events, along with other functions.

Brad has served SEATA as a Committee on Practice Advancement member and with ATs Care.  The National Athletic Trainers’ Association has had Brad serve on the Committee on Practice Advancement and work with some of the ATs Care initiatives.

Brad is humbled by his nomination to serve TATS as the Vice-President.  He sees great responsibility to the members and to work with the Executive Board to take the Society to the next level.  Areas that Brad wants to focus on are member numbers, the annual meeting, and the ATs Care Program.  Membership within the organization is an important aspect and needs to improve.  Many athletic trainers practicing within the state are not members.  The question needing answered is why.  Why are you not a member of your own professional organization and what needs to be rectified for you to join our ranks?  He wants to maintain and improve the annual meeting with the assistance of the membership.  The meeting is designed to meet the member’s needs and he wants to incorporate them each step of the way.  ATs Care is an area that Brad sees as a crucial need for the members.  The growth of this unique program is much needed in the world of athletic trainers.  Athletic trainers spend their careers serving others and this program is designed to serve and care for the athletic trainer who has encountered a critical incident.

East Tennessee Region Representative Nominee: Matt Cahoon

My decision to pursue Athletic Training never faltered upon entering my freshman year of undergraduate studies – that was 20 years ago. Today, I have earned a terminal degree of Doctor of Athletic Training (DAT) and am currently employed as Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at Carson-Newman University located in Jefferson City, Tennessee. My journey to Tennessee began in 2012 after getting hired as a full-time Athletic Trainer at Carson-Newman. Prior to TN, I worked in an outpatient physical therapy and sports medicine clinical setting (outreach – secondary school) in Maryland. In 2020, I received the Tennessee Athletic Trainers Society (TATS) Eugene Smith/Mickey O’Brien College Athletic Trainer of the Year and in 2021 received the Southeastern Athletic Trainers Association (SEATA) Kenny Howard College/University Athletic Trainer Award. These awards honor Athletic Training legends who exemplified great character and resilience within the profession. I believe it is vital to understand the virtues of those who established a solid foundation to help gain perspective for a greater future as athletic trainers.

My goal as the East Regional Representative is to help bridge the gap linking the precedent set before us with new and future generations of Athletic Trainers. As an educator, I understand the importance of communication, camaraderie, and rapport. There are many concepts and issues that must be addressed at the local and state level. How are you data tracking so others will appreciate your value? How are you balancing your psychological well-being? Do you have access to the best available research and protocols for injury rehabilitation for your patients? The answers aren’t necessarily easy and may vary based on job setting. At the helm, I will help fight for you as we collaboratively network to help address these concerns among many other issues that we face. How may I serve you?

East Tennessee Representative Nominee: Noel Evans

Noel has served as an athletic trainer in East TN for almost 9 years. She has spent the last 8 years as the Head athletic trainer for Lenoir City High School. Noel received her undergraduate degree from Union College, KY in 2014. She received her Master’s in Healthcare Administration from Union College, KY in 2022.  Noel was a 3 sport athlete in high school but didn’t have access to an athletic trainer; however, once she began her collegiate softball season she got experience working with the athletic training staff and fell in love. Union had just started their program and she changed her major and fell in love with the professional and continues to advocate for athletic training to whomever will listen. She loves the community she provides care in and all the relationships she has made because of the connections as an athletic trainer in the secondary setting.

East Tennessee has been my home my entire life and being able to represent my fellow athletic trainers in the area with anything I can as East Tennessee Representative would be such an amazing experience. I believe as athletic training continues to evolve and grow it is crucial that we have passionate individuals in office to be able to get our vision and mission across as a state no matter the setting or the years of experience we have. I believe we all want to continue to educate about how valuable we are as a professional and to take care of our patients. As athletic trainers we have the most unique job settings and knowledge than any other healthcare professional and being able to educate others on it will only increase our value in healthcare.

East Tennessee Representative Nominee: Hannah Raber

Having moved to Tennessee during college to attend MTSU, I have been fortunate to work with many greAT Athletic Trainers who have helped instill a passion for our greAT profession. I received my degree from MTSU in 2013 and loved Tennessee so much, I never left. Currently I am serving in my 4th year as the Head Athletic Trainer at Lakeway Christian Academy. Prior to LCA, I was the Athletic Trainer for Cocke County High School from 2019 – 2018 and have worked with both OrthoTN/KOC and Covenant Health.  I have been a member of NATA since 2010 and taken part in TATS and SEATA meetings since then as well. I am passionate about Athletic Training and look forward to continuing to learn from the more seasoned Athletic Training veterans and will remain proactive in working to help the younger generations of athletic trainers get more involved in our organizations. I believe it is important we take part in serving so that we can protect our profession and continuing education to make advancements to better help our patients, no matter what setting we work in. Having a servant’s heart, I love this profession because we are constantly serving, learning, evolving, and applying new things in our daily lives.

If elected as the Tennessee Athletic Trainers Society East TN Regional Representative, I will work hard for our membership to represent East Tennessee to the best of my abilities.