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1-I asked our new CATA president when CATA plans on working w/CA school districts to create CTE programs to create more AT led sports med programs in hopes of advocating& promoting AT. His response deeply disappointed me & other SSATs(dont worry weâre also writing him an email) https://twitter.com/waltonsportsmed/status/1353883068537434113
2-His response was the typical @NATA1950 response âwe need to be careful w/our students in high schools teaching them things they shouldnât be doingâ &didnât really address or answer the question. Iâve always had an issue w/this stance from NATA. Are there bad apples? Of course..
3-But we are not teaching our kids how to perform special tests, let them apply modalities,or take athletes through their rehab. Do my students know that if we suspect an ACL tear the tests to complete are the Lachman,Anterior Drawer,etc? Yes. Do they know how to perform them? NO
4-The misconception of what we do inside the classroom &what we allow our students to do is hindering progress, especially in CA. You have the 2nd largest school district in CA &can take advantage through CTE programs to promote &advocate for ATs in in our classrooms&on the field
5. If our state association worked w/our school districts to build AT led sports med programs, awareness of our profession increases, value of profession increases, application rates to ATPs could increase, & a door to contract an AT and gain stakeholders for licensure opens.
6. You have the power to influence &work w/ the 2nd largest school district in the nation who already has 6 full time ATs who have successful sports med programs &who donât teach their kids to be ATs. There is a huge opportunity missed by not being involved w/our school districts
7- @NATA1950 claims that SSATs are the ones who are going to save AT &yet we do not feel seen,heard,or supported. Please step into our classrooms &our programs, work with us, and HEAR US. @WaltonSportsMed & I feel strongly about giving solutions but when will they be heard?
8-SSATs are not promoted nor appreciated by our profession like our Pro&D1 ATs are. How do you expect us to save AT when we canât even save our own programs b/c weâre burned out&our students see this? They donât want that job. We discussed this last week:
9/9-There are already state associations, like Texas, who take this approach &there are ATs to prove how wonderful it can work, we just need everyone else to drop their misconceptions about what SSATs teach and do as educators & see the potential &missed opportunities in SSAT.
