The Frank Medina Award

This prestigious award is given annually to an athletic trainer who has made significant contributions throughout their career to the athletic training profession. The recipient of this award is selected by a three member committee, comprised of the three previous Medina Award recipients.

Past Award Recipients:
1979	Tom Wilson	1994	Mike Saly
1980	Wayne Rideout	1997	Tom Woods
1981	Skip Cox	1998	T. Ross Bailey
1982	Logan Wood	1999	Lou Fincher
1983	James Dodson	2000	Arnold Thomas
1984	Billy Pickard	2001	Dennis Hart
1985	Cash Birdwell	2002	Ron Carroll
1986	Spanky Stevens	2003	Doug Gibbins
1987	Bobby Lane	2004	Brian Conway
1988	Paul Zeek	2005	Larry Gardener
1989	Pete Carlon	2006	Jeff Bass
1990	Ken Locker	2007	Randy Matthews
1991	Ken Murray	2008	Mike Pruitt
1992	Sandy Miller
1993	Allen Eggert
1994	Mike Saly
1995	David Heidt
1996	Bill Wissen

Frank Medina

Significant Contributions to Athletic Training and education of students: A Lincoln, Nebraska native, born May 15, 1915, Medina was an early pioneer and preeminent educator whose influence upon the practice of athletic training is still seen in athletic training facilities around the nation today. Numerous former athletic training students of Medina's took head athletic training positions at the high school and collegiate levels.

Education: Frank, a native Indian, attended the Haskell Institute (Haskell Indian Nations University, Lawrence, Kansas) and later St. Mary's College (California) and the University of Texas.

Professional Experience: Medina was employed at the Haskell Institute, St. Mary's College, and Arizona State College. In 1945 he began a long, exemplary career at the University of Texas at Austin where he remained until his retirement in the late 1970s.

Elected Positions:

• NATA, National (District) Director, 1950

Honors and Awards:

• SWATA Hall of Fame Charter Member, 1985
• NATA Hall of Fame Member
• Recipient of the "Trainer of the Year" Award from the Rockne Foundation, 1954 and 1961
• Athletic Trainer, US Olympic Team, London, England 1948
• Athletic Trainer, World Deaf Olympics, 1961, 1965
• Athletic Trainer, Represented the US State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Other Contributions:

• International presentations included:
  • Presentation to the 25 most outstanding coaches in Ankara, Turkey
  • "Practices and Techniques in Athletic Training," at the Greek Medical Association, Athens, Greece, 1958
  • "American Practices and Techniques in Athletic Training," Russian medical group meeting, Moscow, Russia
• SWATA Presentations, including:
  • "Ethics in the Athletic Training Profession," 1957
• Articles published in:
  • Southern Coach and Athlete
  • The Texas Coach
  • The Athletic Journal