21^st Annual SEATA Athletic Training Student Workshop
by Ray Castle & R.T. Floyd

The 2006 SEATA Athletic Training Student Symposium was held at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia in Atlanta, GA on February 10-11.  As with previous meetings, the symposium has two major sections: a symposium section designed for athletic training students junior level and below and a workshop designed for senior level and graduate students within one year of taking the NATA Board of Certification examination.  The universal theme of the symposium for underclassmen is Foundations in Athletic Training, with two specific “educational tracks”.  The senior level symposium section theme is “Competencies in Athletic Training”, which is designed as an examination refresher course for those students entering the final stages of preparation for the BOC certification examination.  This year’s meeting marked one of the highest attended student meetings hosted by SEATA, with approximately 520 students from eight of the 10 NATA districts across the United States attending the symposium.

The Foundations in Athletic Training section is directed by Ray Castle, PhD, ATC, of Louisiana State University.  This symposium section is divided into two separate educational “tracks”, which allowed athletic training students to participate in a track that was closely linked with their current educational level in their athletic training curriculum.  Track “A” focused on “Prevention, Evaluation, and Initial Management of Athletic Injuries” while Track “B” focused on “Therapeutic Exercise, Modalities, and Professional Development”.  Each educational track incorporated in-depth lectures and hands-on laboratory activities for the students.

The symposium featured over 50 outstanding faculty members with expertise in teaching and clinical practice from throughout the southeast and outside of District IX.  The two tracks had a combined attendance of over 300 athletic training students.  The laboratory sessions for both tracks were coordinated by Amanda Andrews, PhD, ATC of Troy University.

The Competencies in Athletic Training section was directed by R.T. Floyd, EdD, ATC of The University of West Alabama.  Special effort was made to address major areas felt to be important in preparing for the BOC examination.  Established leaders in athletic training education presented on numerous topics, which included the BOC Competencies, each of the major body areas, therapeutic modalities, rehabilitation, organization/administration, psychosocial intervention/referral, pharmacological considerations and general medical conditions.  Additionally, students were provided a mock written examination composed by the faculty, a mock practical that included a booklet containing numerous practical and written simulation exam questions with answer keys.  The Competencies in Athletic Training section was attended by over 210 athletic training students.

In addition to the general sessions, SEATA held its annual Clinical Case Study Presentation contest, sponsored by Human Kinetics, for athletic training students.  An open invitation was provided to all athletic training students to submit clinical case report abstracts for presentation at the 21^st Annual SEATA Athletic Training Student Symposium.  All abstracts were evaluated under a blind-review process by three published authors who selected the top four abstracts for presentation.  The winner of the 1^st place abstract will also be asked to prepare case study manuscript that will be published in Athletic Therapy Today.

From the case studies submitted by students, four outstanding abstracts were selected and presented during the symposium banquet on Friday, which was attended by all of the students attending the athletic training student symposium, as well as attendees of the 1st Biennial SEATA Athletic Training Educators' Conference (held concurrently with the student symposium).

A special treat for all attendees was a dynamic dinner banquet on Friday night, which was attended by over 500 athletic training students and approximately 175 BOC Certified Athletic Trainers.  The banquet agenda included the presentation of the four Clinical Case Study Contest winners, presentation of the SEATA Athletic Training Undergraduate Scholarship Award Winners, recognition of speakers for both the athletic training student symposium and athletic training educators’ conference, and a keynote address by Denise Fandel of the Board of Certification.  Additionally, the students and certified athletic trainers received an emotional “thank you” for the support efforts from students and ATC’s across the country from the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Gerard White, ATC of Nicholls State University and students from Nicholls State University, the University of Southern Mississippi, Southeastern Louisiana University, and Louisiana State University, each gave a brief testimony on how ATC’s and students were affected by the hurricanes, as well as specific relief efforts.

Tom Rockovitz of School Health (www.schoolhealth.com) in cooperation with Laerdal Medical Corporation (www.laerdal.com), donated 10 spine board systems that were utilized in the Emergency Management laboratory sessions of the Track A:  Foundations in Athletic Training section.  Source 1 Medical (www.source1medical.com) donated numerous medical supplies, including a hot hydrocollator unit, as give-away door prizes to participants.   Additional door-prizes included textbooks from Human Kinetics, Jones and Bartlett, and SLACK, Inc.

The symposia was a tremendous success, due in large part to our corporate support from the following:

Workshop Partners:

• California University of Pennsylvania (www.cup.edu)

• Source 1 Medical (www.source1medical.com)

• Human Kinetics (www.humankinetics.com)

• Sports Health (www.esportshealth.com) and Laerdal Medical Corporation (www.laerdal.com)

Lecture Partners:

• MYCEUSOURCE, LLC (www.myCEUsource.com)

• Jones and Bartlett Publishers (www.jbpub.com)

• SLACK, Inc. (www.slackinc.com)

Exhibitor Partner

• Hughston Orthopedic Hospital (www.hughston.com)

Sponsors:

• Varsity Brands, Inc.

In addition to corporate–level exhibitors, the NATA exhibit booth was represented by Larry Commons of the NATA Office to address membership questions for attendees. The NATA Research & Education Foundation exhibit booth was also available for the participants to learn more about the Foundation and pick up copies of Grant Information Summaries of recent research it has funded.

Next year’s symposium will again feature the Competencies in Athletic Training section for seniors as well as the section for all other students focusing on Foundations of Athletic Training tracks.  Students should plan on attending this event tentatively scheduled for February 9-10, 2007 in Atlanta at the Crown Plaza Ravinia.  Please visit the SEATA website, and also the NATA News for more details on both meetings.

Link to details & agenda of the 2006 SEATA Athletic Training Student Symposium

Link to more 2006 SEATA Athletic Training Student Symposium pictures

Link to purchase additional notebooks from the 2006 SEATA Athletic Training Student Symposium

Summary & pictures from the 2006 SEATA Athletic Training Educators' Conference

Denise Fandel, BOC Executive Director, provides Keynote Lecture at Banquet.

SEATA Clinical Case Coordinator Brian Bogdanowicz (L) with Clinical Case Studies presenters from  Boston University, Western Carolina University, and Quinnipiac University, and District IX Director R.T. Floyd.

Janet Passman, SEATA Scholarship Chair, Lauren Steiner, Jerry Rhea/Atlanta Falcons Undergraduate Scholarship recipient, Eve Becker-Doyle, NATA Executive Director, Amanda Scott, SEATA Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship recipient, Carrie Martin, University of Florida, Jim Gallaspy Student Leadership Scholarship recipient,  R.T. Floyd, District IX Director, Devona Hollingsworth,  National Academy of Sports Medicine Scholarship recipient, and Ray Castle, SEATA Athletic Training Student Symposium Director.

Track A students practice spine boarding in Emergency Situations in Athletics.

Melissa Thompson provides lecture to Track B students prior to Soft Tissue Mobilizations and Positional Release Techniques Laboratory.

Students win door prizes from Source1 Medical.

David Merson of Boston University presents the winning clinical case report, "Core Strengthening and Flexibility Training in a Rower Diagnosed with a Chronic Inflammatory Disorder: A Case Report."

Jim Mackie, SEATA Secretary, & MaryBeth Horodyski, SEATA Treasurer, are among the capacity crowd of over 650 at the Banquet.

Ray Castle, SEATA Athletic Training Student Symposium Director, emcees the banquet attended by the Athletic Training Student Symposium and Athletic Training Educators' Conference participants.