2010 ANNUAL MEETING

FROM THE SECRETARY-TREASURER

DAVE ENGLAND, ATC/L

I hope that your year has gone well and injury-free. This is the time of year that we start thinking about our annual state meeting. This year's meeting will be held on April 24-25, 2010 at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock, AR. Enclosed is a tentative meeting program. The AATA has really worked hard and it sounds like we will have a great meeting. I am enclosing a pre-registration form to fill out and send in your pre-registration fees. Also, we use this opportunity to collect our annual dues. Please read this carefully:

All regular-certified and associate members' dues are collected by the NATA and were paid when you paid your annual NATA dues . If for some reason you are certified and NOT a NATA member, then you will need to send in your dues of $50 . If you are listed as a Student-Certified member, you will need to pay your $25 dues at this time . Advisory members need to pay their $25 dues and Student members need to pay their $10 annual dues.

If you have any questions concerning this please feel free to contact me at 479-575-4018 or e-mail me at dengland@uark.edu . Please pre-register for our meeting and pay your dues as soon as possible as this makes our meeting planning a lot easier. I will also be sending a copy of this form via e-mail in a few weeks as a reminder. This registration form is also on our website at http://www.swata.org/aata/AnnualMeeting.htm .

I look forward to seeing everyone at our state meeting and let's all work hard to make our association as strong as possible.

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SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR AATA

Mueller Sports Medicine will be giving back to the Athletic Training Profession in Arkansas this year by contributing $1 to the Arkansas State Athletic Training Association Scholarship fund for every case of Mueller product purchased.

Here's how it works:

Mueller will contribute $1 per case for items sold in cases (tapes, underwrap, tapewrap) or by case pack when case pack is purchased at one time (aerosols, analgesics, etc.)

Mueller will contribute $1 per "case pack" of braces (not supports or sleees) Case Pack = 12.

Mueller will donate $1 per Athletic Trainers Kit sold.

Sarah Stout

Advertising & Communications Manager

Mueller Sports Medicine

One Quench Drive

PO Box 99

Prairie du Sac , WI   53578

608-643-8530 ext. 376

www.muellersportsmed.com

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Athletic Trainer, AED & CPR Critical to Athlete’s Survival

January 20, 2010

Last night at Little Rock’s Parkview High School a basketball player collapsed on the bench after playing in a basketball game’s first quarter. The athlete was without a pulse & not breathing when a certified athletic trainer (who was there with the visiting Searcy High School team) arrived. He immediately began CPR on him, and this stabilized him. His heart rate was erratic so an automatic external
defibrillator (AED) was called for. A first shock was administered & this helped to stabilize the athlete. CPR was maintained by athletic trainer until emergency medical technicians arrived & transported him
to Arkansas Childrens’ Hospital, where he is currently recovering.

Important Key Points about this incident:

• Having trained medical personnel on hand for athletic events is critical. The visiting athletic trainer, along with other key people at the game, was instrumental in the initial assessment of
  the athlete’s condition. Based on his vital signs, they made the decision to call 911, to initiate
  CPR, and to use the AED.
• Having an AED on hand was critical to the athlete’s survival. Arkansas’ Legislature recently called for AEDs to be on hand at every school, but this was an unfunded mandate. LR Parkview’s
  AED was provided to the school through the Antony Hobbs Foundation by Arkansas Specialty Orthopedics. Fortunately, many schools have acquired them recently on their own or through donations, but unfortunately many schools are without proper access to an AED. We need to make sure that all schools and all athletic facilities can have immediate access to an AED within 2 minutes of cardiac emergency.
• Not all schools have access to an athletic trainer….less than 15 schools in Arkansas employ an athletic trainer. It is vital to our state’s youth that if they participate in sports that they are protected with the best possible healthcare, and not just for games---practices happen everyday, while games are only 1-2 times per week. An athletic trainer is the best person to handle sports-related injury issues & emergency incidents at athletic events. Who is taking care
  of your kids?

Official Press Release

IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING SWINE FLU

In light of the recent media attention about swine flu, the Arkansas Athletic Trainers' Association would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that athletes need to take extra precautions against the swine flu.  Being in close quarters with teammates & opponents, athletes, parents, & coaches need to be aware of how to prevent the swine flu & what to look for.

Please review the linked document for specific information.  Any forwarding or this information via emails, broadcast, etc is greatly appreciated.  Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions or need more information.

Founded in 1987, the Arkansas Athletic Trainers' Association mission is to embody common goals and become more unified in advancing, encouraging, and improving the athletic training profession so that we might provide the best possible care for active people in the state of Arkansas .  

"Remembering our past, thinking of our future, caring for our state's youth."

BJ Maack, ATC, LAT, CSCS

President, Arkansas Athletic Trainers Association

501.539.3278