SWATA Annual Meeting and housing registration open

It's that time of year again. Spring is upon us and the summer is getting closer every day. It's also time to make plans to attend the SWATA annual meeting. On Monday March 29 online registration will open up. You will be able to register for the meeting and also secure housing at the host hotel which will once again be the Arlington Sheraton.

What: SWATA Annual Meeting & Clinical Symposia

When: July 22 - 24, 2009

Where: Arlington Convention Center and Sheraton Arlington in Arlington, Texas

What else: Early registration will be $90 for SWATA members. If you would like to register onsite it will be $140 for SWATA members. Student Members will be $25 for early registration and $30 onsite. Non members can register early for $340 and onsite for $390 while student non members can register early for $35 and $40 onsite.

This year we have shortened the meeting by one day, but kept the number of CEU that the athletic trainer will receive high. Attendees this year will receive 19 CEU. That comes out to a very low cost of $4.76 per CEU. By contrast other clinics and symposiums will cost in excess of $15 per CEU.

Program chair Tina Bonci has done an outstanding job of putting together a program that has something for everyone. We are also doing a few things differently this year. The welcome reception will be Thursday July 22 and it will be SWATA night at the Ballpark as the Rangers will take on the Angels. We have changed the honors and awards banquet to a luncheon and it will be Friday July 23. One of the benefits of that is that we have made Friday evening Alumni reception night. Finally the last item on the agenda will be SWATA Business meeting which will be Saturday morning. Also this year the keynote address will be given by NATA Hall of Famer and former Journal of Athletic Training editor David Perrin. Dr. Perrin is currently the provost at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Be looking for more information regarding this year's annual meeting on the SWATA website (www.swata.org) and also in an e-blast. I hope to see each of you in Arlington in July.

Memorial service for Jim Juvenal set

Memorial for James P. Juvenal
Born in San Antonio, TX on May 2, 1931
Died Mar. 14, 2010 and resided in San Antonio, TX.

MEMORIAL SERVICE: Thursday, Mar. 25, 2010
Funeral Home: Porter Loring Mortuary
Click on the link(s) above for Service Times and Maps or Directions
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James Price Juvenal was born May 2, 1931 in San Antonio, TX, died March 14, 2010. He is survived by his wife, Rosetta Dunbar, and children J. Preston Juvenal of Dallas, TX and J. David Juvenal of Eugene, OR including five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

He graduated from TMI, Texas A&M and the University of California, Berkley. He served in the USMC during the Korean conflict.

He worked in the athletic division of Mission Pharmacal . He also was an athletic trainer for Texas Tech, Alamo Heights HS, Robert E. Lee HS and Roosevelt HS.

He was a life long member of Christ Episcopal Church and the Masonic Lodge #1413.

MEMORIAL SERVICE
THURSDAY
MARCH 25, 2010
2:00 P.M.
PORTER LORING CHAPEL
1101 MCCULLOUGH

Rev. Scott Kitayama officiating

All donations and consideration should be sent to the American Cancer Society.

SWATA loses long time member and supporter Jim Juvenal

James P. (Jim) Juvenal passed away Sunday March 14, 2010 after a lengthy illness. Services are scheduled at 2:00 pm Thursday, March 25, 2010 under the direction of Porter Loring Mortuary, 1101 McCullough, in San Antonio. In lieu of Flowers, Memorial Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Many of us know Jim from his work with Mission Pharmacal and an exhibitor at the annual SWATA meeting but Jim was also first and foremost an athletic trainer. He retired from the profession in the mid 1990's, but his heart was always in athetic training

Who's Taking Care Of Your Kids?

With all the crazy snow behind us (hopefully), spring looks to be on the horizon. Baseball and softball are in full swing. Soccer is winding down. Spring break is coming up in the next few weeks. Spring football is right around the corner (and we all know how much athletic trainers love spring football!) It is also the first part of March, which has been designated as National Athletic Trainers month. The theme of this year’s festivities is “Sports Safety is a Team Effort”. This is the time of year as athletic trainers that we get out and promote our profession and make as many people aware of what athletic trainers do.

Athletic trainers are some of the most humble people that I know. They thrive at being out of the spotlight and working behind the scenes. That is where they feel the most comfortable because they know their work is appreciated on a different level – helping the kids. I would like to challenge you to do something – be greedy and selfish this month. Throw the humbleness out the window! Stand on the rooftops and shout about what you do for your workplace. If you work in a school setting, spend as much time as you can talking with administrators and parents explaining what you do and how you benefit the athletes. Make sure people understand that you are an “athletic trainer” and not just a “trainer”. Make sure that people recognize your student athletic trainers for what they are – a valuable part of the success of the athletic department and not just “waterboys” or “ankle tapers”. Use this month as an educational tool to try and make this profession attractive for those students……you never know when you are potentially influencing the next Sandy Miller or Cash Birdwell. Do everything you can to help advertise that you are part of a wonderful profession and that you are valuable.

A good friend of mine and SWATA Convention Chair B.J. Maack always puts a statement on his Facebook page that reads simply “Who is taking care of your kids?” National Athletic Training Month is also a time to try to make the working conditions better for yourself. It is a time to try to make the situation better for your student athletes and ensure that their health is one of the most important concerns of your administrators. Yesterday, two potentially tragic events occurred in the Houston area, each within a few hours of each other. A Dawson High School sophomore collapsed during a routine football practice drill around 1 p.m., officials with Pearland ISD said. Nearly three hours later, a Magnolia West High School soccer player collapsed on the practice field, according to a Magnolia ISD statement. Both student athletes were saved due to the actions of an athletic trainer who responded with an AED. What if those schools did not have an athletic trainer? There are still many schools throughout District 6 that do not have a full time athletic trainer on site – this is a good month to work towards making sure the worst case scenario doesn’t happen because there wasn’t a qualified health care professional there for those kids.

For more ideas on how to promote National Athletic Training month, you can go to this link : http://www.swata.org/pdfs/09-10_51/SWATANews51-2.pdf

This is your month to shine and promote what you do – don’t hesitate to show everyone how proud you are of this wonderful profession.

I hope you have a terrific weekend and please never hesitate to let us know what we can do for you.

SWATA Election Opening Soon

In the next day or so you should be receiving a link for your ballot for this year's SWATA election. We on the SWATA Executive Board have listened have found that you link electronic voting. It takes just a few minutes to cast your vote and I ask that you do that. This year we will be voting on vice president, secretary, Arkansas state rep, and the Wojecki Award.

A few points of interest about this year's election. We will be electing a vice president instead of a second vice president. The reason being is that after last year where we voted in a new constitution and standing rules the president will be a two year term and the person we elect this year will be the first two year SWATA president. Also you'll notice that we are voting for secretary this year which is a change from years past where the secretary was an appointed position. Finally don't forget that the Wojecki Award which goes to the member that has made outstanding contributions to SWATA over the past two years.

Once you get your ballot you will be able to see a picture of all the candidates and read their platforms. Like I said previously please take a few moments to educate yourself about the candidates and vote for your choice.