The first SWATA Annual Meeting was held at Rice University on August 20, 1955
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WHAT SWATA MEANS TO ME
"An excellent opportunity for education. An excellent opportunity to meet with long time dear friends and make new ones. An excellent opportunity to help young up and coming athletic trainers and athletic training students."
-Larry Gardner
Hall of Fame Atheltic Trainer
"It has provided a great opportunity for learning my profession, for sharing ideas with fellow professionals, and for leadership on my part within the organization."
The purpose of the Southwest Athletic Trainers' Association (SWATA) shall be to enhance the quality of health care for the physically active; to promote the highest possible standards of the athletic training profession; to promote a better working relationship among those who work toward the care and prevention of athletic injuries; and to promote the free exchange of ideas and information within the Association.
Athletic Trainer Work Settings
Secondary Schools / College & University
Many athletic trainers work in the high school and middle school settings via direct employment with schools and districts and on an outreach basis from clinics and hospitals. More than 21 percent of NATA members provide service to secondary schools. In 1998, the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted a policy recommending that certified athletic trainers be available to all schools with athletics programs. Likewise, the collegiate setting is one of the largest for NATA members. More than 17 percent of NATA members work for a university or junior college, providing medical coverage for athletics teams.
Athletic trainers in the secondary school and collegiate settings provide injury prevention and conditioning programs, injury evaluation, prepare athletes for practice and competition, implement treatment and rehabilitation programs for injured athletes and provide first response to acute injuries and medical emergencies that take place during competition.
Professional Sports
Athletic trainers also provide their expertise of musculoskeletal injury prevention, rehabilitation and treatment to the professional sports world. With their unique skill set, athletic trainers have been trusted by the worlds best athletes for years. Approximately 800 NATA members work for professional teams and leagues, including: the NBA, NFL, Major League Baseball, NHL, PGA, professional tennis, auto racing and even the rodeo.
Clinical Settings
Certified athletic trainers are regularly employed in hospitals, clinics, the offices of orthopedists and in family, pediatric, physiatry and sports medicine practices. Certified athletic trainers, working as physician extenders, improve productivity, patient outcomes and satisfaction. They also help move patients faster through the appointment and treatment process. By treating more patients in the same period of time, physicians are able to increase billings, patient throughput and revenue generation.
ATs increase physician productivity and efficiency by:
Obtaining patient histories
Performing physical exams and special tests
Educating patients and answering questions
Organizing notes and radiographic studies
Presenting final case reviews to physicians
Casting*
Splinting*
DME/Brace Fitting
Performing Therapeutic Exercise
Administering gait training. *These duties will depend on additional specialty training received.
Military/Law Enforcement
Athletic trainers are best known for their work with high school, collegiate and professional athletes but their education and unique skill set provide valuable service to a number of emerging settings, including the military and law enforcement. In the Armed Forces, athletic trainers work on and off base in fitness and wellness centers, new recruit readiness programs, pre-enlistment readiness programs, initial entry training (IET) and advanced initial training (AIT). They work as part of a health care team and generally are part of the civilian workforce. Similarly, athletic trainers in recent years have applied their skills to the treatment and education of law enforcement personnel. NATA members are currently working for the Marines, Navy SEALS, U.S. Coast Guard training, the U.S. Army, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and the Fairfax County Police Department.
Industrial
Industrial employees sometimes referred to as industrial athletes benefit from working with athletic trainers because the physical nature of their jobs makes them susceptible to musculoskeletal injuries. Athletic trainers working in industrial settings are skilled in the implementation of injury prevention programs, ergonomic assessment, work-readiness conditioning, health and wellness programming, on-site physical rehabilitation, case management and return to work programs. All of which are helping big name organizations save time and money by reducing workers½ compensation claims, sick time and overall duration of injuries and illnesses.
Performing Arts
Certified athletic trainers have been working with performing artists for more than 25 years. World-renowned entertainment venues and performing arts groups such as Cirque du Soleil, Disney World and Disneyland, Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Cincinnati Ballet and Blue Man Group utilize an athletic training program to keep their performers in peak condition.
Performing Arts athletic trainers provide specialized injury prevention and rehabilitative care to dancers, musicians and vocalists. Studies show that the on-site medical care that the certified athletic trainer can provide to performers reduces both the frequency and severity of injuries as well as reducing operating and production costs.
