Athletic Training Wins Staff of the Year; Celebrates Athletic Training Month

At this past year’s South Carolina Athletic Trainers’ Association (SCATA) Annual Symposium, Charleston Southern University was awarded the College and University Athletic Training Staff of the Year.  All college and universities in the state of South Carolina can be nominated for this honor.  Charleston Southern was nominated by CSU Athletic Director, Mr. Hank Small. 

The staff is composed of seven Certified Athletic Trainers: Head Athletic Trainer, Toby Harkins; Associate Athletic Trainer, Brad Drake; Assistant Athletic Trainers, Tadd Turnquist, Tuesday Patterson, and Erin Weaver; Intern Athletic Trainer, Cassie Kavanaugh; and ATEP Curriculum Director, Kelly Harkins.  For the past six years, Brad Drake and Kelly Harkins (three years) have served on SCATA’s Annual Symposium Program Committee, of which Drake is the Chair.  For the past seven years, Brad Drake and Toby Harkins have served on the SCATA Scholarship Committee, of which Harkins was the chair.  Six of the seven staff members have been involved at the state and national level as presenters, and just recently, Toby Harkins was elected to SCATA’s Executive Council where he will serve as the Secretary/Treasurer.  Each staff member is State Certified, and an active member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.

March is National Athletic Training month.  Athletic Trainers are unique health care professionals who specialize in the prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and illnesses.  Certified Athletic Trainers are required to hold a bachelor’s degree in athletic training and pass a national certification exam. They have to meet the requirements set by state legislation, and they practice under the direction of a physician.  This year the National Athletic Trainers’ Association is focusing on the theme “Health Care for Life & Sport”.  You can find Certified Athletic Trainer’s in hospitals, primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and universities, professional athletics, clinics, the military, performing arts, and industries.  You can find out more about Athletic Training at www.nata.org or at CSU’s Athletic Training Education Program website at:  http://www.csuniv.edu/academics/ATEP/index.asp