OPENING STORY: Brandeis assistant athletic trainer Mandy Nicoles shares how she became an advocate for transgender athletes very early in her career.  Her first job at a small all women’s college is where she met her first transgender athlete during his first year.  As a result of transitioning, he would not be allowed to compete as senior because at the time the NCAA did not allow transgend ..read more

Happy National Athletic Training Month!  Given all that has happened over the last year or so I encourage all athletic trainers to stop, take a deep breath, and pat yourself on the back for continuing to work through a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic keeping yourself and patients safe. If there was ever a question as to whether athletic trainers' clinical skills, passion, adaptability and perserveran ..read more

It seems there is still much to be done to create a post-pandemic world. The calendar has turned the page, but the infection rates and death toll continue to rise, especially in California. The vaccine provides hope that we will be beyond the grip of the pandemic, but we can't really be sure when that will be. Even when the pandemic eases its impact on each of us will be felt for years to come, in ..read more

It seems like nearly every blog I've written since March has somehow connected to COVID-19 and it's impact on sports at all levels.  As I thought about what to write this month I wondered how much l might have missed because we have been so focused on surviving, adapting and thriving safely during the pandemic. To that end, below you find a list of sports-related position statements that have bee ..read more

At around this same time last year bill AB 1592 was just starting to wind its way through the California legislative process.  It appeared that the efforts made by the California Athletic Trainers’ Association (CATA) and its advocates were getting closer to finally achieving licensure for athletic trainers practicing in the state. In support the Advocates for Injured Athletes (A4IA) blog drafte ..read more

To play or not to play? This continues to be the question for many parents with children who participate in contact sports known for a higher risk of concussions.  It is not just football where this is an issue but given the popularity of the sport in the US, it remains front and center.  For others the question is, can we make football safer and decrease the likelihood of head impacts without h ..read more