63rd NATA Convention

This June saw an eager group of UWA Athletic Training Students, Faculty and Staff make an eight hour trek to St. Louis, Missouri, to attend the 2012 NATA Annual Meeting & Clinical Symposium.

Promising education courses included topics in Injury Prevention & Wellness, Clinical Evaluation & Diagnosis, Organization & Professional Health, as well as Immediate & Emergency Care in Athletic Training.

The Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri
Photography by Candace Heurion

Tenshi Furumi, who just completed his first year as a UWA Assistant Athletic Trainer and Instructor commented, "I had fun seeing a lot of familiar faces and catching up, but also getting to meet new people and even some UWA Alumni." Many of the educational courses this year were followed by lab sessions, allowing attendees to bring a sense of real time application to the material being taught. Tenshi also noted, "In terms of education, I like the lab sessions to learn new hands-on skills. A particular skill set I enjoyed learning about was thoracic spine mobilization."

The Annual UWA Alumni Reunion was also held at the NATA Convention and hosted over 20 UWA Athletic Training Alumni, Faculty and Staff as well as current Athletic Training Students. RT Floyd stated, "This year's reunion was a great success. I always enjoy spending time with all of the UWA Athletic Training family. Thank you to all who were able to join us at the Alumni Reunion and we are looking forward to see you again next year. [GRRRRR!]" I may have added that last part.

UWA Alumni Reunion, 2012 NATA Annual Meeting & Symposium
Photography by Candace Heurion
Left to Right: Daryl Kendrick, Kurt Behrhorst, Amber Mouring Watford, Buck Watford, Mandi Headrick, Vance Penn, Allison Lockhart, Robbie Simoneck, Ashley Orr, Jessica Martin, Jay Metcalf, LaJoy Paige, Cortney Roberts, Alicia Jay, RT Floyd, Phillip Shaw

Las Vegas is just around the corner and we're already looking forward to our cross-country adventure. 

Congratulations, Scholarship Recipients!

We are proud to announce the scholarship recipients for the 2011-2012 UWA Athletic Training academic year. Justin Mitchell, Katie Kite and Candace Heurion all exemplified top marks for their hard work this year and for their previous work as a UWA Athletic Training Student. A congratulations is in order for these students as they continue to purse excellence in the field of Athletic Training and Sports Medicine.

Left to Right: Justin Mitchell, Candace Heurion, Katie Kite and RT Floyd at UWA's Spring 2012 Senior Banquet

Justin Mitchell
The SEATA Memorial Graduate Scholarship
The Richard E. Vandervoort Memorial Scholarship

Katie Kite

The Bobby Barton Scholarship

The Jerry Rhea/Atlanta Falcons Undergraduate Scholarship Award

Candace Winn Heurion
The Jerry Rhea/Atlanta Falcons Undergraduate Scholarship Award

Spring Graduation 2012

The '11-'12 graduating class could be our most promising yet. We are so proud of our graduates and look forward to watching them grow and establish themselves as successful healthcare professionals. From working in high school athletics, to attending physical therapy school, to becoming graduate assistants, we're bound to see these great 14 scattered around the states and working hard to serve others in a variety of healthcare settings. Thank you again, graduating seniors, for your hard work and commitment to finishing strong. We can see the future looks bright and promising for each of you.

We also had the pleasure of presenting Dr. Lyle Cain with an Honorary Doctorate for his outstanding service to the university and local community. Dr. Cain is a fantastic asset to our Athletic Training and Sports Medicine team and we are beyond thankful for the years of service he has given to greatly improve our quality of healthcare.

Spring 2012 Graduation Ceremony, University of West Alabama
Photography by RT Floyd
Left to Right: Tenshi Furumi, Dr. Cain, Whitney Smith, Lara Edwards, Brittany Pate, Ashley Orr, Candace Winn Heurion, Monica Mothershed, Bryan McClendon, Kaci Thompson, LaJoy Paige, Cortney Roberts, Tori Dunn, Jay Metcalf, Justin Mitchell, Shereka Stewart, Grant Mattix, Ben Angel, Robbie Simoneck, RT Floyd, Amy Menzies