The 3rd Annual CATA State Symposium

February 9 – 10, 2013 at the University of La Verne Ludwick Conference Center.

This convenient, cost-effective educational program will offer at least 11 – 12 CEUs for the 1 ½ day event.

This year’s symposium will include a full day on Saturday and ½ day on Sunday.  Board of Certification Executive Director, Denise Fandel will give a keynote presentation, Saturday afternoon on “How to Approach the New CEU Reporting System”.  CATA will also host a social at the nearby Sheraton Fairplex after the Saturday sessions are completed, just 2 or 3 minutes away from the University of La Verne. (campus map)

Click for tentative program

Speaking of hotel accommodations, the Sheraton Fairplex, the premier hotel in the Inland Empire, is at the low rate of $109 + tax for the weekend.  A personalized web site California Athletic Trainers' Association State Meeting has been created and you can access this site to book, modify, or cancel a reservation up to 1/15/13 at the guaranteed rate.  If you have trouble with the above site, copy and paste the following link to your web browser https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/res?id=1210307285&key=CE11C.  If by chance you are arriving by plane at the Ontario Airport, you may call the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel at (909) 622-2220 to schedule a pick-up appointment for your transportation needs.  Parking is free for all guests.

SHERATON FAIRPLEX HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTER
601 W. McKinley Ave, Pomona, CA 91768

Corona High School Makes the Right Call for Football Player

The Press Enterprise shares a story of Corona High School’s Nick Mynes, a senior who was playing in his last football game and showing suspicious signs of head trauma.

Is Football Right for Your Child?

Despite Recent Rule Changes Intended to Prevent Concussions, Serious Risks Remain

SAN DIEGO – August 7, 2012 – In just a matter of weeks, thousands of kids will put on their pads and helmets for the start of football practice. While recent changes to Pop Warner rules have outlawed head-to-head contact at full speed, head-on blocking and tackling drills during team practices, major risks still remain.

The outpouring of concussion concerns within youth football is growing with big names in the lead. Retired NFL quarterback and Super Bowl XXXIV’s Most Valuable Player Kurt Warner has labeled the notion of his two school-age sons playing football a “scary thing” and says he’d prefer they didn’t.

The paternal fears of Warner are shared by the majority of informed football parents struggling with the decision to allow their children to participate in “America’s Game.” Consider:

• Football is the most common sport with concussion risk for males (75% chance for concussion), according to the Sports Concussion Institute

• Football players suffer the most brain injuries of any sport, as reported by The American Journal of Sports Medicine in July 2007

• There are an estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million sports-related concussions in theUnited Statesevery year, leading The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to conclude that sports concussions in theUnited Stateshave reached an “epidemic level”

While these numbers are shocking, football remainsAmerica’s most popular sport. Because of this, every family must educate themselves about the risks associated with concussions and decide what is best for their children.

According to Michael West, president of the California Athletic Trainers’ Association (CATA), parents and coaches should be mindful of the following symptoms if a player is involved in a head to head collision on the field:

• Headache and/or a feeling of pressure in the head
• Temporary loss of consciousness
• Confusion or feeling foggy
• Nausea or vomiting
• Slurred speech
• Amnesia about the traumatic event
• Dizziness or “seeing stars”
• Ringing in the ears
• Fatigue
• Loss of balance, unsteady walking

If a player displays any of these symptoms he/she should be removed from the game immediately and should abstain from participation in any contact sports until they’ve been fully evaluated by a certified athletic trainer if one is available. If it is determined that a concussion is likely, the athletic trainer will refer on to the family’s physician.

Athletic trainers are health care professionals who specialize in the provision of physical medicine and rehabilitation services, serving as physician extenders in the prevention, assessment and treatment of acute and chronic injuries and illnesses.

More than stereotypical ankle tapers, a certified athletic trainer’s role goes beyond managing catastrophic injuries. These physical medicine specialists provide prevention, recognition, clinical assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and reconditioning of illnesses and injuries, like concussions, that are sustained during activity. In some cases, their on-site medical services, both preventative and immediate care, can make the difference between life and death.

About the California Athletic Trainers Association (CATA):
The California Athletic Trainers Association (http://www.cata-usa.org) represents and supports 2,200 members of the athletic training profession through communication and education.

In October 2011, Governor Jerry Brown signed bill AB 25, which establishes critically-needed return-to-play rules in school-sponsored sports. The bill sponsored by CATA places California among the states with the strongest laws to protect the health and safety of student athletes. Co-sponsored by the National Football League, AB 25 requires a school district to immediately remove an athlete from a school-sponsored athletic activity if he or she is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury.

National High School Sports Medicine Championships

Congratulations to Eli Hallak, CATA member and the director of St. Francis’ sports medicine program, who developed the National High School Sports Medicine Championships, covered in Glendale News-Press.

New California State Assembly Bill Would Require Athletic Trainers to be Licensed

The California Athletic Trainers’ Association Seeks State Licensure of the Profession 

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – April 6, 2012 – When a young athlete gets hurt, an athletic trainer sometimes has just seconds to assess the injury and decide on a course of action.

That decision can often be the difference between life and death – shouldn’t the person making the decisions be a licensed professional? Our young athletes deserve to be protected by professionals verified by the state to hold the education and skills necessary to keep our children safe.

The California Athletic Trainers’ Association (CATA) along with Senator Alan Lowenthal, want California to do what 47 other states already do – license the athletic training profession. 

Introduced on February 23, SB 1273, otherwise known as the “Athletic Trainers Practice Act,” would provide for the licensure and regulation of athletic trainers and prohibit any person without the proper credentials from engaging in the practice of athletic training without a license.

The bill is designed to be cost-neutral, (meaning it won’t cost taxpayer’s any money), with all costs associated with licensure applications and renewals covering the costs of maintaining the bill. Essentially, athletic trainers will be paying for their own licensure.

“Athletic trainers save lives, it’s as simple as that,” says Mike West, President of the CATA. “But until the state acknowledges the important role we play, young athletes will continue to be at risk, under the supervision of someone who may not actually be qualified to recognize or respond to a life-threatening injury or illness.”

Despite the vital role athletic trainers play in the safety of our young athletes, California does not currently require licensure of athletic trainers and is in fact, one of only three states that doesn’t even regulate the profession, meaning anyone can label him/herself an athletic trainer without holding the proper credentials – giving athletes, parents and coaches a false sense of safety and leaving athletes at risk for injury, even death.

“Worse, out of state individuals who were not able to obtain licensure, or who lost their license can, come to CA and practice,” added West.

Nowhere else is this more crucial than at the secondary school levels. As kids increasingly begin specializing in a particular sport there’s been a growing incidence of serious injuries and complications resulting from overuse and intensive over-training.

Recent studies show a significant increase in catastrophic injuries that have resulted in death or permanent disability of youth athletes. In the past three years, over 36 California high school students have died due to sports-related injuries – many of which might have been saved if there had been a qualified athletic trainer.

SB 1273 would directly impact the safety of athletes by mandating these specific requirements for licensure:

• Must have completed athletic trainer certification eligibility requirements from an athletic training education program at a four-year college or university approved by the committee.
• Must pass a comprehensive nationally accredited certification exam approved by the Athletic Training Licensing Committee
• Must possess an emergency cardiac care certification
• Pay application fees established by the Athletic Training Licensing Committee

The bill would also specify that a license expires in two years and is subject to renewal upon payment of a renewal fee and the completion of continuing education hours in order to keep their knowledge and skills current.

“It’s our responsibility to ensure we provide our kids a safe environment to participate in athletics,” says Lowenthal. “By licensing athletic trainers, parents coaches, players and school administrators can be assured that the athletic trainer looking after a student’s safety has the specific medical education and hands-on experience needed to respond to emergency and non-emergency situations.”

About the California Athletic Trainers Association (CATA):

Athletic trainers are health care professionals who specialize in the provision of physical medicine and rehabilitation services, serving as physician extenders in the prevention, assessment and treatment of acute and chronic injuries and illnesses. The California Athletic Trainers Association (http://www.ca-at.org) represents and supports 2,200 members of the athletic training profession through communication and education

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2nd Annual Hit the Hill Day

The 2nd Annual State Meeting & Symposium will be held on Sunday February 26, 2012 with the Hit the Hill Legislative Day on Monday February 27, 2012.  Both events will be in Sacramento, CA at the DoubleTree Hotel, Sacramento.  For details, please see the Members tab at the top of the page and click on CEUs/Seminars.

Additionally, there is an optional Tecnica Gavilan Hands-on Workshop presented by Gary Lang, ATC on Saturday, February 25 available for 6 CEUs.

Click here  for more information and how to register.

CNN Covers the Concussion Issue

The Daily Breeze sat down with Dr. Sanjay Gupta to discuss the concussion epidemic in America and asked CATA member Eli Hallack to weigh in on the issue as well.

Athletes Saving Athletes

Tommy and Beth Mallon understand the importance of having a certified athletic trainer on-site at all times during athletic activities – they credit CATA member Riki Kirchhoff with saving Tommy’s life after a benign-looking hit during a lacrosse game sent Tommy to the ground. Now, the mother-son duo have started a national program called Athletes Saving Athletes which teaches student athletes basic life-saving skills that could be used to help their friends out on the field.

Watch the San Diego 10News report on the launch of Athletes Saving Athletes.

Torrey Pines H.S. Athletic Trainer, Christina Scherr Discusses the new CA Concussion Law on San Diego 6

For additional information visit San Diego 6