After a year-long battle with cancer, Texas State head athletic trainer David Gish passed away early Monday morning, Sept. 22, 2014.  
 
Gish was a member of Texas State's Athletic Training staff for 25 years and was in his 17th year as the head athletics trainer. He oversaw a staff of four full-time assistants and nine graduate assistants.
 
"We are deeply saddened with the loss of a very dedicated and well-respected member of our staff," said Texas State athletics director Larry Teis. "Our heart-felt condolences and prayers go out to Karen, Madison, Hayden and the rest of David's family and friends."
 
Gish has been a member of Texas State's athletics training staff since 1990, serving as the head athletics trainer since 1998. He also was in the second year of a four-year term and first year as president on the Executive Board of the Southwest Athletics Trainers Association.
 
"Though David's tenure as President was very short, his impact and legacy to his colleagues, students, Board, and members was tremendous," said District VI Direct Kathy I. Dieringer. " He gave us the greatest gift of all, his time."
 
Previously, he served as the NCAA Division I FCS representative on the College/University Athletic Training Committee for District VI of the National Athletic Trainers Association.
 
Gish also served as president for the Alamo Area's Athletics Trainers Association in 1999. He also was involved in the development of the Texas State Athletics Trainers Association in 2000 and elected to represent the group's Region Eight.
 
In 2007, he helped develop and write a sports medicine course for high school athletics trainers in the Texas State Athletic Trainers Association, and was an instructor for that course.

Gish earned the National Athletics Trainers Association's Service Award in 2010 for his distinctive and sustained service to the profession.
 
Last July, Gish received the SWATA's Eddie Wojecki Award, which is given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the organization within the past two years, and was inducted into the Alamo Area's Athletics Trainers Association Hall of Fame.
 
Born June 26, 1962, Gish came to Texas State after serving as the athletics trainer at San Marcos High School for four years and as an assistant athletics trainer at UL Lafayette for two years and began his athletic training career at North Mesquite High School. He earned a bachelor's degree at North Texas in 1984 and completed his master's degree at Texas State in 1990. He is survived by his wife, Karen, and two children, Madison and Hayden.

A service for the celebration of his life will be held on Sunday, Oct. 12, at the San Marcos Embassy Suites and Convention Center and begin at 2:00 p.m.

A scholarship endowment has been created in David Gish's name to support Athletic Training students.  Donations (checks) can be mailed to the Texas State Athletics Department, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666, c/o Tracy Shoemake or dropped off in the Casey Athletics Administration Building on campus. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to:

The David Gish Donation at any Wells Fargo bank account ID # 1009. 

 

Burn Your Goals? Focusing on the Basics

Happy September! I hope the school year is treating everyone well. For those not in a school setting, I hope the school year has made business better!

I had the amazing opportunity to sit in on a Mental Training seminar with our women’s basketball team and coaches 2 weekends ago. At first I was not going to attend as it was geared for “coaches and athletes”. I thought it would be a great time to spend with my new coaching staff and hear what the athletes were hearing. I was given the book “Burn Your Goals” a couple of day prior. I read the overview, so I thought I knew what was coming. I had NO idea.

Joshua Medcalf, a former Division I soccer athlete, started with a simple topic “Don’t forget your underwear”, meaning, put first things first. If you don’t take care of the foundation, the house will not withstand the storm. If you forget the basics, you cannot progress or achieve the bigger dreams.  As athletic trainers, I would say we do pretty well with this. We prepare, we practice, we learn, we grow. I was feeling pretty good.

Then he got me. He told us that living for the process and by a mission would produce better results than having goals. He said every situation is an opportunity to learn and grow. He said to burn our goals for 2 reasons: 1- If we succeed, but have cheated our way, cut corners and/or learned nothing, was it worth it? And 2- If we don’t reach our goal, but we improve, we learn, we grow; was it a failure? He asked us to stop labeling people as our labels can impede their growth and stop limiting ourselves because we will draw in what we put out. He encouraged us to read more. To take the time to learn for the people that have been there and done that. He said we are the average of the 5 people we hang around the most, so why not hang out with experts!

As athletic trainers we can become very engulfed in our outcomes. Wins, rehabs, treatments, concussion numbers, we are even give outcome measures! I lecture on SMART goals in my org and admin class and instruct my athletes on our rehab goals throughout my time with them. I like the feeling of reaching my goals for the day, the month, the year and giving myself the proverbial pat on the back. I’ve always called everyone by the sport they play and I know who I am. I have really long days and like to spend my free time with my husband watching bad TV, not reading. This guy said to stop!?!?!? Does he know what I do for a living?

After a few hours on Friday night, my brain was exhausted. Had I become so focused on my results that my process suffered? Had I banked so much on my return to play protocols that I forgot to encourage the process of healing? Were my treatments set up to get my athletes back on the court, or to give them a meaningful lesson in how to care for their bodies? Did I hinder one of my athletes by not having an open mind and putting them in a box? Have I missed out on learning opportunities because I was too tired, or didn’t want to read an article?

It has been 2 weeks and 2 books since that weekend meeting. I have done a lot of soul searching and realized that while we are all in different phases of life and workplace demands, his message can still apply. If we focus on the process of improvement, of learning and growing with every stumbling block and being grateful for every victory, what would our workplace look like? Our patients? Our athletes? Our stress levels? Our district and national organizations? Having dreams and visions are still important, looking toward the future for improvement is still necessary. Can we challenge ourselves, our co-workers, our leadership, to be process driven and not assume that where a person is now is where they will forever be? Can we focus on what we can control and staying in line with our mission, not worrying about a number or bad day. At the end of the day, can we take a step back and survey ourselves to see if we forgot our underwear?

If you want more information about this crazy, mind changing read, please contact me or follow @JoshuaMedcalf

Written By:Valerie Tinklepaugh-Hairston

SWATA Member at Large

Assistant Athletic Trainer 

 TCU Women's Basketball, Rifle
 Email: v.hairston@tcu.edu

Athletes Saving Athletes Progam

Youth Sports Safety Goes Grassroots in San Diego

 It’s August. For most athletic trainers this time of year means long days, double practice sessions and the perfect combination of conditions to put student athletes at risk for concussions, exertional heat illness and many other non-catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries. Those athletes who are fortunate enough to have an athletic trainer on the sideline will be monitored closely in an effort to prevent these injuries and illnesses and to care for those who do get injured. What about those athletes who do not have access to an athletic trainer?  What happens when a potentially catastrophic injury happens?

 For many young athletes in San Diego, California the Athletes Saving Athletes™ Program presented by Advocates for Injured Athletes (A4IA) has taught them how to recognize potentially catastrophic injuries and get the appropriate help.  Advocates for Injured Athletes are staunch supporters of athletic trainers. A4IA believes athletic trainers should be in every school and at every youth sporting event, but until that happens A4IA has worked to teach young athletes how to help each other.  The program was started by Beth and Tommy Mallon after Tommy suffered a nearly fatal neck injury and concussion while playing in his final high school lacrosse game in 2009.  Hear Tommy tell his story in this video.  Beth believes there are two reasons Tommy is with us today: 1) Tommy’s best friend Matt did not allow him to get up off the field until he has been evaluated by an athletic trainer and 2) Riki Kirchhoff, the athletic trainer, made the correct clinical decision stabilizing Tommy and having him transported to the hospital via ambulance.

 The ASA™ program is a unique peer-to-peer education program taught exclusively by athletic trainers.  Student-athletes are selected by their coaches and teachers to participate in the program and are expected to share what they have learned with their teammates and coaches once they have completed the curriculum.  The curriculum is a 3-hour program that covers concussions, head and neck injuries, exertional heat stroke, sudden cardiac arrest, asthma and diabetes through the real-life survival stories of Tommy Mallon (concussion, neck injury), Will James (exertional heat stroke) and Brittan Sutphin (sudden cardiac arrest).  Athletes are also taught hands only CPR with an AED and are encouraged to go on to become fully certified in CPR.  The initial program launched in 2012 at Santa Fe Christian High School, Tommy’s alma mater, and has since educated 2600 hundred athletes in 3 states.

 

Here is a list of some of the recent achievements by ASA™ and its graduates:

·         Two lives were saved in 2013 by ASA™ program graduates

·         2600 athletes have completed the program

·         15 certified athletic trainers are now ASA™ Instructors, teaching the curriculum to student athletes

·         In the last year the program has expanded beyond San Diego to Indianapolis, IN (Community Health Network) and Manchester, NH (New Hampshire Musculoskeletal Institute)

·         Launched coach education program

·         Launched parent education program

 

Advocates for Injured Athletes and its Athletes Saving Athletes™ program has taken youth sport safety to the next level, to the athletes themselves all while supporting the athletic trainers who care for them.  Want to get involved as an instructor, learn more or even bring ASA™ to your school or organization?  If so, check out A4IA’s updated website, follow us on Facebook and contact Beth today!  Whether you want to help raise awareness, do fundraising or have your athletes complete the ASA™ curriculum, “What you know, may save someone you know!”

 

Submitted by Heather L. Clemons, MS, MBA, ATC

     Heather has been working for A4IA since October 2012 as a blogger, ASA Program instructor and as a member of the Outreach Advisory Team.  I have also worked as an adjunct instructor in the San Diego State University Athletic Training Program.  Prior to relocating to San Diego I was the Clinical Coordinator for the ATEP at Hofstra University.  I have been certified for 16 years and earned my MBA from Hofstra University (2005) and my MS in Health and Human Performance from Oregon State University (2000).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young Professionals: "Gearing Up"

“Gearing Up”

As we enter into our fall seasons and begin preparations for our student athlete’s to return to school, or cease pre-season practices, I wanted to send out a friendly blog of encouragement.

We all started in our field for various reasons, (most importantly fame, fortune, and a lot of free gear) but the reasons that keep us here are vast.  Everyone has that one athlete whom they’ve grown especially close to over the years.  Maybe you watched them grow up.  Or you helped them through a season-ending injury.  Or you guided them along the path to adulthood.  Whatever your reasons may be, you know there is at least one kid out there who has touched your life.  Be thankful that you had the opportunity to be there for them.

As athletic trainers, we provide a service.  Our services are completely different in each setting, but we all have one goal: to help our patients return to play as quickly and pain-free as possible.  While writing this, I am reminded of one of the many sayings from our athletic director, “Above all else, we prepare Students for Life.”  This is so true on so many levels.  Life is difficult and bumpy, and we provide the bandage when it gets too rough.  Being an athlete forces them to learn so many life lessons that come in handy later on in life, like communication, leadership, and working together as a cohesive unit.  We are part of those lessons learned, and our jobs do just as much teaching them those lessons as the drills they run day in and day out.

Think about the preparation you want to instill in your athletes the next time you tape an ankle, make an ice bag, or perform a shoulder evaluation.  Our time is precious, but it can make a big difference.  Remember, we are preparing students for life!

                                                                                                                     Written by: Courtney Washington
                                                                                                                     District 6 YP Chair

A note from Mitzi Laughlin, Former President of SWATA

Mitzi Laughlin, former SWATA President, recognized for her service by incoming SWATA President, David Gish

SWATA members, in my last action as SWATA President, I would like to say a few words of reflection. First, I should express my gratitude to SWATA members for giving me the opportunity to be President and thank the current and past board members that I have worked with. I have been on the SWATA Executive Board for the past 11 years: 7 as District Secretary, 2 as Vice President and concluding with my 2 years as President. And before SWATA there was the GHATS Advisory Committee. Thank you to my mentors and friends. There are too many to mention here but you know who you are. 

Friends have asked me this week, do you feel you accomplished your goals as SWATA President. And the answer is an overwhelming yes. My goals going into the Presidency were to find out what the real issues in athletic training are. We accomplished this by going out to the regional meetings and talking with folks. Questions were answered, and some issues were solved. But many issues were work issues with local employers. SWATA and NATA have resources to help with these issues, but athletic trainers must stand up for themselves and do what is right. Do what is right for the athletes, the patients, and also do what’s right for your family and yourself. Sometimes the hardest thing for an athletic trainer to say is NO, but sometimes it’s the right thing to say. 

Another goal of my Presidency was to find folks eager to serve the association give them the tools and authority to succeed and then get out of the way and let them do it. We have a great group of committee chairs that we have heard from today and an even larger number of committee members. The greatest resource of SWATA is our people. We have many dedicated athletic trainers that want to make this profession better. Not just better for themselves, but better for the next generation of athletic trainers. 

Another goal of my Presidency was to keep our annual meeting strong. Keep the annual meeting strong by moving it around the district. 2015 Houston, 2016 Arlington and 2017 we will be headed to San Marcos. This week has been great here in Frisco. We have unveiled some new things this week. David Reed and Cody Jenschke put on an excellent awards ceremony this morning. Jamie Woodall and her committee had a first-rate party to celebrate the 60th anniversary of SWATA. Yes 60 years and SWATA is strong. 

SWATA, today, is in a good position. Financially we are sound. Our committees and especially our committee chairs work harder and have a passion for their jobs like no others. So in reflection, I am proud of where SWATA has been and where we are headed, and especially proud that I was able to be a part of it. 

THANK YOU.

Mitzi

SNEAK PEAK: SWATA marks its 60th Conference!

I can hardly believe it, but we are a week out from our 60th SWATA Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposium. I do hope you are joining us in Frisco, TX for the celebration. We have so many things planned it is hard to pick out highlights. I think this symposium will be one of the best as we look back and celebrate our past, but also look forward to the future with new Executive Board members and an engaging program that includes presentations on a variety of topics that touch our patients and athletes including discussion about the appropriate professional degree for athletic training. It has been a pleasure to work with Convention co-chairs Roy Rudewick and Josh Woodall, our Executive Board, and the Program Committee (Tom Woods, Brian Farr, Rod Harter, Bucky Taylor, and Betsy Nadler) on ensuring our meeting is a success. 

I do hope you have had a chance to check out the schedule of events as it is posted on the Annual Meeting site on the SWATA webpage. Here are several highlights for each day...

Thursday July 17th

• We open our 60th Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposium with a Grand Opening of the Exhibit Hall.  Come meet and shop with our vendors  who support the mission of athletic training and are a vital part of our success.  
• Enjoy education sessions that include the latest information about:
• The appropriate professional degree in athletic training
• Coping with the death of an athlete
• Kinesiotaping
• Myofascial release techniques highlighting techniques to release frozen shoulders and capsular problems in the hip
• Development of an emergency response team
• Chronic ankle stability rehabilitation techniques

• Participate in clinical practice sessions that include the latest information about:
• Dental injuries
• Advanced Airways and Supplemental Oxygen
• Manual therapy for pelvic stabilization
• Trauma to the heart and lungs

• Get the latest updates from your state forum.
• Party like it is 1950 at our Carnival. Our welcome reception is bound to please the whole family with fun games, prizes, and socializing.  The Welcome Reception will feature modern day fun with a vintage theme!
• Then head on down the road to the River Club at FC Dallas’s Toyota Stadium to honor the athletic trainers from the old Southwest Conference. Come celebrate and hear some great stories while supporting the NATA Foundation. Each year District 6 members are awarded scholarships and compete for research grant funding supported by the Foundation.

Friday July 18th

• It’s Keynote speaker day – join us in welcoming David Saddler, NATA Executive Director. We were fortunate to keep David Saddler at the NATA and capitalize on his executive management skills as we forge ahead in our profession with increased national recognition and initiatives like the Youth Sports Safety Alliance. 
• It’s Awards Ceremony day – this year we will have a ceremony instead of a luncheon. Come hear from our Hall of Fame inductees and other award winners as we celebrate their accomplishments.
• Get some classroom-to-clinic information by attending 2 of these afternoon Clinical Practice Sessions
• Gait analysis and corrective orthotics
• Shoulder evaluation techniques for overhead athlete
• Integrated manual therapy for complex shoulder injuries

• Improve your understanding of:
• Dietary supplements in sport
• Skin cancer lesions and spotting the dangerous spots.
• The commission on accreditation of athletic training education (CAATE)
• Upper and lower crossed syndrome and treatment paradigms

• Attend NATA forum and the SWATA Business meeting as we turn the gavel over and welcome new members to the Executive Board.
• Enjoy alumni gatherings at a variety of locations including Dr. Pepper Pavilion and Park (Home to the Rough Riders).

Saturday July 19th

• Check out the latest information on concussion from the law, returning to concussion, and emerging findings in regards to cognitive testing. We all need concussion continuing education and Evidence Based Practice credits – you can do them both on Saturday morning. 
• Evidence Based Practice credits will require the completion of on-line assessments prior to and after the conference in order to secure your credit be sure to check out future e-blasts for information.
• Fine-tune your care for the shoulder with perspectives on evidence based shoulder rehabilitation programs for overhead athletes.

I am looking forward to seeing you in Frisco next week. Safe travels.

Cindy Trowbridge PhD, ATC, LAT

Program Committee Chair

The University of Texas at Arlington

SWATA 2014 is Right Around the Corner!!!

Wow, what a great week at NATA in Indianapolis! It was great to sit and visit with so many SWATA members in Indy. I was pleasantly surprised at the Welcome Reception - the first Hall of Famer in line to shake hands with members was our own Dennis Hart. Way to represent District 6!

We are about 2 weeks out from our 60th SWATA Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposium.  Hopefully you have travel plans made and are ready to visit with fellow athletic trainers and friends. Here are a few updates for you to know before getting to Frisco:

60th Anniversary Party

To celebrate our 60th anniversary, we want to go back in time and enjoy a 1950's era carnival during the Welcome Reception at SWATA.  The carnival will have a vintage theme with modern day games, food, drinks, and prizes. The SWATA Student Senate is hosting a Taping Contest that the whole family will enjoy!  There will even be a category for non-AT family members!!!  Other games and entertainment include BINGO, hosted by the YPC, Strong Man Striker, Sumo Wresting, Bean Bag Games, Putt Putt, Zorb Ball Racing, Photo Booth, Mechanical Bull and carnival style food.  Join us on Thursday from 5:30 to 8:30pm for this family friendly event. 

Executive Board Changes

Scott Galloway was elected to the position of District Secretary and has resigned his Texas Representative position. TSATA and SWATA worked together to fill the vacancy. TSATA recommended Brian Farr for the position and I appointed Brian to fill the remainder of the term (to July 2015). Brian will join the Executive Board immediately. 

Also in our spring election, David Strickland was elected Arkansas Representative and Josh Woodall Vice President. Both David and Josh will join the Executive Board on Saturday as Ken Cole and I roll off the board.

NATA Presidential candidates

Russ Richardson and Scott Sailor are candidates for NATA President and will be attending SWATA as well as our current president Jim Thornton. If you want to discuss issues with them, this is your chance. 

White paper on the entry level degree

Are you confused about the recent White paper and entry-level master’s degree? Most athletic trainers are confused so don’t worry. Russ Richardson will be speaking on Thursday from 9-10am Professional Education in Athletic Training: An Examination of the Professional Degree Level”. This is your opportunity to learn about the key findings regarding AT education and learn what is fact and fiction.

Evidence-based practice CEU’s

Certified athletic trainers must complete a minimum number of BOC approved evidence-based practice CEU’s to renew certification each cycle. As EBP just started this year, the courses are just now being approved and scheduled. SWATA has 2 hours of EBP on the agenda “Emerging Findings in Sport Related Concussion: What Are We Learning”. This lecture is scheduled for Saturday morning from 10am to noon.

As we count-down the final 2 weeks to SWATA, keep an eye out for e-blasts with the latest updates. I hope to see everyone in Frisco.

Written by:

Mitzi Laughlin

SWATA President