January 1, 2012

Members of the Nebraska State Athletic Trainers Association,

Happy Holidays!  I hope that the fall seasons went well and that this finds you enjoying some time to take a deep breath and recuperate from the fall athletic seasons.  Most   importantly, I hope that you are afforded the joy of spending time with family and friends who all too often get lost in the hustle and bustle of the daily requirements of our jobs. 

As always, I need to begin this message by saying thank you to some individuals who have invested themselves in helping ensure that your Association is running smoothly and continuing to remain at the forefront of the health care provided to the student-athletes and patients that we serve on a daily basis.  

• If you’ll take a few moments to look at the newsletter you’ll understand why I want to start by extending a huge thank-you to Jessica O’Neel.  Jessica continues to do an outstanding job in her roles as the PR and Web-Site Chair for the NSATA and the PR Chair for the District. 

• Next, I’d like to say thank-you to all of you who volunteered your time to provide coverage for the NSAA Championship events.  Without your dedication and commitment, we would not be able to continue to provide the high level of care and service to the student-athletes participating in these events year after year. 

• Finally, I’d like to again thank the Executive Board for their services to the Association and for the time and effort they’ve put into ensuring that all tasks are completed to the best of our ability and that no stone goes unturned as we discuss and plan for the future events and the future of the NSATA.   Their ideas, feedback and guidance are invaluable and we are all very lucky to have them providing the leadership for the Association. 

Unfortunately, my memory and space prevent me from thanking each deserving member individually.  However, I want each of you to know that I appreciate all that you do each day to help carry the torch for the profession and the NSATA throughout the course of the daily interactions that each of you have with parents, student-athletes, patients, administrators and the public. 

• Please remember that we will be holding elections this spring.  Anyone interested in running for an office, please make sure that you watch your e-mails for information regarding the nomination procedures that will be coming out after the first of the year.  Additionally, please, please, please take the time to vote when the balloting begins.  We are continuing to work on ways to make this process easier for everyone and would like to see a high return rate throughout the election process.  Again, the information will be e-blasted to the   entire membership, so please be watching and take a few minutes to make your voice heard and your vote count.

• For those involved with athletic training education programs, please make sure to have your  students fill apply for the Nebraska Orthopedic Hospital/NSATA Annual Scholarships.  Information is available on the web-site and we would like to see a significant increase in the number of applicants this year.  This is a tremendous opportunity for the students that is made possible through the contributions of NOH and I would encourage any and all interested students to spend the few minutes that it takes to fill out an application.  

In closing, I would like to share the following story with each of you.  I recently received a Christmas card from an individual.  In addition to holiday wishes that were extended, one phrase caught my eye.  The individual simply stated “Thank you for your help and thank you for never giving up on me.”   The story behind this phrase is rather lengthy and I can’t provide details     because of privacy laws.  However, it made me stop and recall just how important the role that we, as Athletic Trainers, play in the lives of our patients and/or student-athletes can be, and why it is so important that we all remain invested in ensuring that everyone including, but not limited to, the public, parents and administrators are aware of this role.   Never pass on an opportunity to inform and educate someone. Most importantly, never pass on the opportunity to make a difference.  Each of us has these opportunities, and we can each make a difference whether we realize it or not.

Merry Christmas to each of you and may you all have a safe and blessed holiday season!

Respectfully,

Rusty McKune, ATC

NSATA President