TSSAA Hall of Fame adds eight in 2024 ceremony
“Eight new members were inducted into the TSSAA Hall of Fame at a luncheon in the Student Union Ballroom on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro on Monday, April 8, 2024.
Those inducted in the 2024 class were: Bernard Childress, administrator from Murfreesboro; Phil Clark, coach from Bartlett; Glenn Falls, coach from Nashville; Joe Gaddis, coach from Oak Ridge; Jody Wright, coach from Clinton; Jerry McCarter, official from Powell; Steve Trussler, official from Manchester; and the late Chris Snoddy, contributor from Nashville.”…
Keeping Athletes in the Game
“In the realm of school sports, the presence of an athletic trainer is not merely an added luxury, but a vital necessity. These professionals play a crucial role in safeguarding the well being of student athletes, contributing to their overall physical health, and enhancing the sports culture within educational institutions.”…
Nashville Sounds Trainer Named International League Athletic Trainer of the Year
Nashville Sounds' Athletic Trainer Brian Thompson recently received a special honor. He was named the Athletic Trainer of the Year for the International League. This recognition shows how skilled and dedicated he is to taking care of athletes. Brian's commitment to their well-being and his pursuit of excellence make him a role model for others. As the Tennessee Athletic Trainers' Society, we congratulate Brian Thompson on this well-deserved achievement. Keep up the great work!
Erlanger Sports Medicine Receives Tennessee Athletic Trainers' Society Award
“Erlanger Sports Medicine received the 2023 Corporate Award from the Tennessee Athletic Trainers’ Society in recognition for the program’s continued support of the athletic training profession.
Certified athletic trainers (ATCs) are onsite healthcare professionals who provide services such as prevention, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions to athletes. Erlanger employs a team of 28 ATCs who manage the care of athletes at several public and private schools and colleges in Hamilton County and north Georgia.
“Our team is so proud to have received this recognition,” said Erlanger Sports Medicine Manager Elizabeth Eaves, MS, ATC, LAT.”…
New MTSU Master of Athletic Training Program Launching This Summer
“MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — MTSU professor Helen Binkley along with master instructor Kristi Phillips were committed to transitioning their high-quality undergraduate degree program in Athletic Training to a master’s when new industry accreditation requirements loomed.
“Our options were either to teach out the undergraduate program until the last chance possible before discontinuing AT altogether or take the steps required to move our program to the master’s level,” Phillips said. “We did not want to lose a program that had produced such quality students over my two decades at MTSU.”
To make the transition happen, Binkley, program director, wrote a program proposal and worked together with Sonya Sanderson, chair in the Department of Health and Human Performance, to get it approved by university administration and filed paperwork with the state and athletic training education accrediting body.
“I went back to school to earn my doctorate, so we could meet accreditation requirements, and I pursued my doctorate right here at MTSU,” said Phillips, who serves as program coordinator for the Master of Science in Athletic Training.
Originally from Hoopeston, Illinois, Phillips said the professional master’s degree mirrors a national trend in peer health care professions that increasingly prepare students for professional practice at the graduate level.
“Reasons for the change include the increasing complexity of the current and future health care system, growing need for specific patient outcomes research, and expanding scope of knowledge and skill while striving for depth in athletic training knowledge.”
Phillips said it is hopeful the transition will positively impact the compensation and employment opportunities for graduates….”
The Unsung Hero: Tennessee's Athletic Trainer Chad Newman
“KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - He’s a former national Trainer of the Year and he loves his job; he’s Chad Newman. Tennessee’s athletic trainer loves to be with his family at UT.
“For me, everybody says ‘oh, you love the sport,’ but I really love the kids,” Newman said. “I mean, that’s what makes it happen. I mean, you change kids every year to some extent, or they stay the same. But you know, that’s that’s kind of what makes it fun.”
Tennessee fans will often hear announcers commending the trainer, who’s been doing his work for almost three decades. It’s a process that often goes unnoticed but is vital to the team’s success.
“I try to tailor everything around basketball,” he said. “I mean, you know, if a guy has to come back and shoot the ball, I don’t need someone to worry about this. I need to worry about that. It’s it’s kind of how you have to do it. I mean, we all have a blueprint that we go by. But the blueprint has to be adjustable because everybody’s different. And that’s the challenge and the fun of it all for me.”…”
Moore County Schools Celebrate Athletic Trainer Bailey Sanders
“Athletic Training has been described as a profession that is a cross between an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) and a PT (Physical Therapist), and Moore County’s Athletic Trainer Bailey Sanders couldn’t agree more. In emergency game time situations, Athletic Trainers are typically the first responder on the scene and have to possess the knowledge to address and respond appropriately. In addition to game-day responsibilities, Bailey also works closely with injured athletes and their doctors and physical therapists in helping with full recovery. ‘Usually when there is an injury, it means that there is a weakness somewhere. We work with the other medical professionals to not only get athletes back to where they were, but to come back better and stronger than before, not just physically but also mentally,’ Bailey said.”