SWATA 2009 - A Year in Review

Well, we are that point in the year where we are barraged with everyone’s year in review. From People magazine to Sports Illustrated, you can find a list of the anything you want – from the best athletes, singers, top selling artists, most controversial figures, etc………while the following list might not be as controversial as some you can find in check out line magazines, I wanted to take a few moments to highlight some of the accomplishments and events that have made 2009 a great year for SWATA.

January
2009 got off to a great start as SWATA hosted its first annual competency workshop in Dallas. This two day workshop, highlighted by Keynote Speaker Marje Albohm, attracted 50 students from different programs to come together in preparation for the NATA BOC exam. It was a wonderful weekend for all involved and we look forward to the 2010 workshop, again being held in the DFW metroplex. For more information, you can go to https://www.signup4.net/Public/ap.aspx?EID=SWAT20E.

February
The SWATA Executive Board descended on the wonderful city of Lubbock for our Mid-Winter meeting. A welcome reception held during these meetings gave us a great chance to visit with a large number of members and students from the West Texas region.

March
National Athletic Trainers Month brought out numerous activities throughout our district – athletic trainers and students throughout District 6 came together to educate the public, promote our profession and take strides to further the understanding of what we do on a daily basis.

June
Athletic trainers from all over the world got a taste of SWATA as the 60th NATA Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposium came to San Antonio. Led by hosts Melinda Terry, Jerry Greeson and a wonderful group of volunteers, attendees had a wonderful experience as they got to experience everything that was planned for them. From baseball games to the wonderful welcome reception, everyone who attended the convention left with nothing but great things to say about SWATA and all of the members of District 6.

July
The 55th Annual SWATA Symposium returned to Arlington with too many highlights to list – a memorable meeting was experienced by the large number of attendees as they got to experience some of these highlights:
• A great welcome reception that culminated in a fierce kick-ball game, won by the students with the benefit of trade deadline acquisitions of Executive Board members. The Young Professionals still have not recovered from this event – the announcement could come at any moment of a head coaching change for their squad.
• Kevin Everett was the Keynote Speaker, sharing a terrific story of how a possible tragedy could lead to a wonderful testament to hard work and determination and how much of an impact athletic trainers and team physicians can have on a situation.
• The Honors and Awards banquet continued to be a great event, highlighted by our extremely deserving award winners and the induction of your National Director Brian Conway to the SWATA Hall of Fame.
• A historic Constitutional Revision was proposed and passed during the SWATA Business Meeting. This vote was important as years of member input and committee work found that in order for our association to move forward, these changes needed to be made. The updated document will help this Association move forward and continue to grow as we look towards our future.
• Tremendous support from our vendors and a terrific program made the entire Arlington experience special for all involved.

SWATA does not shut down after the annual meeting each July – the Executive Board and all of our wonderful committee chairs and members have been working hard to help SWATA continue to reach its goals and work for our members. We are in the process of collecting reports and items to address at our 2010 Mid-Winter meeting, being held in El Paso on February 6 – 7. We have tried to highlight a lot of the work our committees have been doing on this blog – but please know that this Association is constantly working to get more members involved and make us stronger as we venture into the next decade.

So what does 2010 have in store for SWATA? As previously mentioned, we look forward to a wonderful turnout at our 2nd Annual Competency Workshop in January. We are excited about taking Mid-Winter to El Paso in February and having a reception to get to know the Sun City area athletic trainers a little better. Our membership will have the opportunity to vote for some firsts on the Executive Board – the District Secretary and our first 2 year term Vice President. SWATA returns to Arlington and we get the opportunity to assemble our first SWATA Student Athletic Trainer Senate, something that I am personally excited about.

It has been a wonderful year for District 6 – as we launch our Association into the next decade I want to express how privileged I feel to be a part of your Executive Board. The future is bright and I look forward to another year full of milestones and success.

Please never hesitate to let us know what your Executive Board can do for you!