2017 Drug Free Sport Continuing Education Award (Certified Athletic Trainers)

By Gene Willis, Director of Marketing

As a part of our overall service of the student-athlete communities, we work daily with certified athletic trainers from around the country. We hear about the challenges that they face with their around-the-clock schedules, putting their athletes first and working to grow in their chosen professions. They’re trusted with the most intimate details of a student-athlete’s life, along with their overall health and recovery. It’s far more than the taping and health care management. These men and women are on the front lines of sharing information about drug abuse, dietary supplement information and overall well-being.

It’s for these reasons that Drug Free Sport created a Continuing Education Award,  specific to certified athletic trainers working in high schools and collegiate communities. In the past five years, Drug Free Sport has awarded more than $23,000 to talented health care professionals. Here’s a few of our recent winners:

To apply for the Drug Free Sport Continuing Education Award,visit the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation’s application site. 

All applications must be completed by Friday, March 31, 2017. Awards, at a minimum of $1,000 each, will be announced by the week of May 1, made payable to the employing educational institution or non-for-profit entity and the certified athletic trainer.

If you have questions, please contact Gene Willis, Director of Marketing, at Drug Free Sport (gwillis@drugfreesport.com). 

Drug Free Sport's Continuing Education Awards Celebrate Athletic Trainers in National Athletic Training Month!

March brings about many things in the athletics world – spring, “Madness” in college basketball, the start of baseball – but it is also important for the unsung heroes behind these feats. This month is National Athletic Training Month, a time where many athletes across America have taken to showing appreciation for the men and women that keep them on the fields and courts of the sports world.

Drug Free Sport is proud to acknowledge these valuable contributors. Along with their day-to-day duties that often make for long hours, they are also on the front lines of drug abuse prevention and drug education for student-athletes. Frankly, their contributions go relatively unnoticed to many when the winning shot or touchdown is scored or when an athlete is being interviewed for recovering from an injury beyond expectations. They spend most days devoted to the greater good of others. We would like to devote a special honor upon them, to better their careers and experience.

Since 2013, Drug Free Sport has awarded more than $20,000 to high school and college athletic trainers who are working in drug use deterrence. This year, in honor of National Athletic Training Month, we have extended our submission deadline for the 2016 Drug Free Sport Fund Continuing Education Awards to May 1. Awards can be used toward continuing education opportunities, including the “Sport Exchange Summit, Powered by Drug Free Sport” in July. If you would like to be considered or know of an AT that is deserving of one of these awards, please review our qualifications and the application process on the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation website. Multiple awards (at a minimum of $1,000 per non-renewable award) will be granted, depending on the number and quality of applicants.

Thanks to all athletic trainers for the important work that is being done to educate athletes on the perils of drug abuse.

For additional questions about the award or application process, please feel free to contact Gene Willis, Director of Marketing, at gwillis@drugfreesport.com. 

Drug Free Sport Presents Sport Exchange Summit 2016!

We are gearing up for our first education conference and are thrilled to share our dynamic program featuring sport industry professionals and subject matter experts. From our work, we know that bridging effective communication and collaboration between all of these parties is essential for providing optimal care to athletes AND supporting organizational success. 

The Sport Exchange Summit not only provides current information on topics related to athlete care, but also encourages the opportunity to learn and network from other sport professionals. Attendees will be a multidisciplinary crowd of sport dietitians, athletic trainers, strength & conditioning coaches, team coaches, team physicians, sport psychologists, athletic administrators, and others who directly impact athlete performance and well-being.

This week we are excited to highlight three of our speakers!

Out in Sports: Considerations for Supporting Trans Athlete Identities

Day One, July 12, 2016 at 3:15 pm.

Jonathon T. Pryor, Assistant Director for LGBTQIA Programs and Services at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, will be engaging attendees in a timely discussion on strategies to support transgender athletes. Over the past year, the transgender community has received increased exposure in the media. In anticipation of this social movement, it will be important for athletic organizations to proactively create opportunities that support these individuals while maintaining the integrity and competition of sport. This session will not only cover "transgender basics" such as appropriate terminology, but also provide discussion and considerations for transgender athletes in competitive sport. 

Running Effective Drug Testing Programs

Day Two, July 13, 2016 at 9:30 am.

Mary Wilfert, Associate Director for the NCAA Sport Science Institute,  will join this panel discussion on current trends and perspectives related to the administration of effective drug testing programs in sport. Wilfert will be joined by Dr. Tom Hospel, Medical Director for the PGA Tour, and Dr. Bryan Smith, Medical Representative for the Major League Baseball Drug Program. Attendees will gain a heightened understanding of why drug testing is an effective deterrence model, and explore the new science and technologies being used to identify performance-enhancing substances. This session will also provide an opportunity for attendees to ask the panel questions in an open forum. 

Race & Diversity Issues in Sport: Action and Influence

Day One, July 12, 2016 at 2:30 pm.

  

Dr. Pat Ivey, Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity for the University of Missouri-Columbia, will be presenting as a panelist for the Race and Diversity discussions on Day One of the event. Ivey's doctorate in sport psychology effectively folds into his experiences as a professional athlete (signed by the San Diego Chargers in 1996), award-winning strength and conditioning coach, and current work at the University of Missouri to address university programs and partnerships available to athletes of all backgrounds and ages. Given the recent media coverage on racial tensions at the University of Missouri, Ivey and his colleagues are making positive strides to create change on campus, and have much to offer on this important topic affecting sport organizations around the country. 

SESSION TOPICS

INCLUDE:

• Building an Effective "Team Behind the Team"
• High Performance Sports Nutrition: Impact & Influence on Sports Programs
• Innovative and Effective Athlete Engagement Strategies: An Introspective and Synergistic Approach
• Life after Sports: Helping Athletes Transition and Build a New Identity
• Marijuana: Impact of Legalization and New Forms of Consumption
• Out in Sports: Considerations for Supporting Trans Athlete Identities
• Prescription Drug Abuse in Sport
• Race & Diversity Issues in Sport: A Case Study
  (led by University of Missouri officials)
• Race & Diversity Issues in Sport: Action and Influence
(led by University of Missouri officials)
• Running Effective Drug Testing Programs
• Sport Psychology: Professional Issues & Psychological Care of the Athlete
• Supplement Certification Programs:
  State of the Industry and What You Need to Know

Early Bird Registration ends March 31st! 

Get more information and register at sportexchangesummit.com.