On Friday, March 18, 2022 the NCATA held a unique event at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh to highlight the importance of athletic trainers in our secondary school settings.  The event consisted of a cocktail hour with NC legislators, school board members, outreach coordinators and athletic trainers, followed by a presentation by Dr. Katie Hanes-Romano and Emily Gaddy.  This presentation told the very special story of two athletes whose lives were saved by their school’s athletic trainers.  

 

Attendees learned the key differences between first responders and athletic trainers, how to  take action to protect student-athletes from harm and their school districts from  litigation and how to work with athletic trainers to improve the health and safety of their student-athletes.  

The presentation was followed by an open forum panel discussion with additional athletic trainers who have saved lives, as well as two very special guests, Pablo Hortal, whose own life was saved by his athletic trainer, Katie Hanes-Romano, and Alex Hortal, Pablo’s father.