View: Letter from CATS President Anderson

Scott Anderson, Head Athletic Trainer for the University of Oklahoma, has been appointed the new President for the College Athletic Trainers Society (CATS) by its board of directors.

The College Athletic Trainers' Society represents certified and licensed athletic trainers employed by colleges and universities across the country. Members include athletic trainers who provide healthcare for NAIA, NCAA Divisions I, II, III and junior college student-athletes.

Scott Anderson who has been the Head Athletic Trainer for Oklahoma since August 1996, will become the fifth president for CATS. "I am honored to be appointed President of the College Athletic Trainers' Society," says Anderson. "This is an organization dedicated to the professional and personal life of the college athletic trainer as we expand the margin of safety for our student-athletes in sport."

The organization, founded in 1992, developed its mission to help its members provide quality care, address health and welfare issues for student-athletes, focus on the needs and concerns of members and work to improve the quality of life of college athletic trainers. "This is a very exciting time for our organization," says CATS outgoing President Josephine Lee. "The support for CATS has grown tremendously over years. I am confident Scott Anderson will help lead and elevate this society to new heights. His contributions toward addressing the health and safety of student-athletes have been proven through his work on the Inter-Association Task Forces for Sickle Cell Trait in Athletes, Safety in Football for Off-Season Conditioning and Exertional Heat Illness."

The work-life balance of college and university athletic trainers is another important issue for the society and its members. Anderson plans to help lead and become a role mole for young athletic trainers in addressing this important issue. He is a head athletic trainer who supervises eighteen staff members, a family man, husband and a father of three children. "Scott's leadership and support for his staff is second to none. He encourages efficient time management, which allows us the flexibility to enjoy a healthy balance of professional and personal commitments." adds Robert Fulton, Assistant Athletic Trainer who works football with Anderson.

When asked about his goals during his new presidency, Anderson replies, "I look forward to working within the leadership of the Society and the membership with the goal of serving and supporting the College Athletic Trainer as we elevate the esteem and influence of these professionals and their profession."

Anderson's career began as an Assistant Athletic Trainer for the University of Oklahoma. He then served as the Head Athletic Trainer at Tulane University from 1987 to 1996. In 1997, Anderson returned to the Oklahoma Sooners to become Head Athletic Trainer. In addition, to his work in Inter-Association Task Forces, Anderson also serves as chair of the Education Program for the Big 12 Medical Aspects of Sports Committee and is actively involved within the athletic training profession.

Anderson will replace outgoing CATS President Josephine Lee who recently accepted the position of Executive Director for the organization.

[CONTACT: Josephine Lee, jlee@collegeathletictrainer.org]

Dear CATS Members,

This summer I made a very difficult decision to leave college athletic training. This was a personal decision my husband and I felt best for our family's future.

It has been a true pleasure serving the members of CATS since 2003. The advancement of our organization, its role and existence has truly evolved. Our educational programs, the annual symposium and spring symposium, have become a "must attend" program on college athletic trainer's calendars. We completed a website redesign, introduced the Jack Weakley CATS Service Award and CATS Quality of Life Award. We started a scholarship program for our members' children providing them with an opportunity to apply for scholarships. We produced the most comprehensive salary and benefits survey specific to only college athletic trainers and gained better perspective from our Division IA Athletic Directors survey. We filled former CATS President Mike O'Shea's garage with boxes of clothing and supplies for Katrina and Rita Hurricane victims. We raised money to assist a former member who was battling a brain tumor.

The CATS Board of Directors has asked me to remain actively involved as the new Executive Director of CATS. It is with great pride and honor that I accept this new challenge and look forward to serving CATS members and the organization in this new capacity. The mission and purpose of CATS continue to be important as we see more athletic trainers leaving the college setting. My pledge to the CATS members will be to continue to serve this organization and represent the college and university athletic trainer. I will work closely with our board and the new CATS president while advancing the interests of the college athletic trainer.

Subsequently, CATS will undergo a new leadership restructure. In the past, CATS Presidents accepted the responsibility to not only lead CATS but tend to its daily operations. This position has grown tremendously over the years in conjunction with increasing responsibilities with our full-time jobs as college athletic trainers. Our new leadership restructure will find the President, Executive Director and Chairman of the Board serving to carry out the operational functions of the society. The Board of Directors shall continue to serve to represent the members of the CATS. All will work together to carry out the mission and vision of CATS. This restructure is truly a positive sign of our organization's growth.

CATS will continue to grow stronger as our membership grows stronger. Our voice is your voice. Please continue to voice your concerns and bring potential issues to our attention. Feedback and participation from our membership is vital towards addressing the needs and concerns of college athletic trainers. By combining our strengths we hope to work together to address these significant issues.

Again, it has been and will continue to be a great honor serving the members of the College Athletic Trainers' Society. Thank you for your support.

Respectfully,

Josephine Lee, MS, ATC
Executive Director
Past President
College Athletic Trainers' Society
jlee@collegeathletictrainer.org

MyCATS >> View University of Oklahoma's presentation for Sickle Cell Trait at the 2009 CATS Spring Symposium (members only)

View the ESPN Article

NCAA Press Release

NCAA Recommends Testing To Confirm Sickle Cell Trait Status In Student-Athletes

Monday, June 29, 2009

INDIANAPOLIS-The NCAA is recommending its member colleges and universities test student-athletes to confirm their Sickle Cell Trait status if that information is not already known.

The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports adopted the recommendation June 25. The committee's action follows guidelines from leading medical groups and stems from the resolution of a lawsuit the NCAA has reached with the family of Dale Lloyd II.

Mr. Lloyd, a former football student-athlete at Rice University, died in 2006 following practice at the university. Testing indicated his status as a carrier of the Sickle Cell Trait contributed to his death. The resolution announced today settles a lawsuit the family filed against Rice and the NCAA.

"The death of any young person is a tragedy, and we express our condolences to the family of Dale Lloyd II," said Elsa Cole, NCAA vice president for legal affairs and general counsel. "Under this resolution with the family, the NCAA has agreed to a number of commitments that are consistent with its educational mission to assist member colleges and universities in better understanding Sickle Cell Trait as it relates to student-athletes."

The NCAA's testing recommendation follows the latest guidelines from the National Athletic Trainers Association and the College of American Pathologists. Both NATA and CAP recommend screening for the Sickle Cell Trait if a student-athlete's status is not known.

As part of the resolution with the Lloyd family, the NCAA agrees to take the following actions:

• Amend its Sports Medicine Handbook Guideline 3c to state that while Sickle Cell Trait screening is normally performed on all U.S. babies at birth, some student-athletes may not know if they have the trait. Following recommendations from NATA and CAP, the NCAA recommends athletics departments confirm Sickle Cell Trait status in all student-athletes, if it is not already known, during their required medical examinations.
• Donate $50,000 to the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America in the name of Dale Lloyd II, which the family requested. The association will use the funds to provide awareness, education and screening for Sickle Cell Trait in the athletic population.
• Contribute $10,000 to the Dale Lloyd II Scholarship Fund.
• Prepare an educational video about Sickle Cell Trait to appear on the NCAA website and make it available to member schools.
• Stress a point of emphasis on the Sports Medicine Handbook Guideline 3c in regular preseason communication with media prior to the 2009 football season and in the football rules book.

San Antonio CATS Annual Meeting

For members who plan to attend this year's national convention please remember to attend the 2009 CATS Annual Symposium.

Symposium Program

1:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.

How Athletes Beat the Drug Test
Mike Colello, ATC, Sports Testing Services, Aegis Sciences

Sports Medicine Topic - TBA
Eliot Young, MD, Team Physician, University of Texas, San Antonio

Time to Revisit Clinical Education for Student Athletic Trainers
Donald Nguyen, PT, ATC, LAT, Clinical Coordinator/Assistant Athletic Trainer,
University of Texas

Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism in College Athlete
John Houston, ATC, LAT, Associate Athletic Trainer, University of Houston

Supraventricular Tachycardia
Mary McLendon, ATC, Associate Athletic Trainer, Mississippi State University

The Economy and Sports Medicine Departments Discussion

Register for the CATS Annual Symposium today! Visit Symposiums

Note: Space is limited due to the uncertainly of attendance this year. Please register early!!!

Important Information!!!!!

It's not too late to register for the Spring Symposium in Las Vegas!
Late Registration ends this week. Deadline: May 1, 2009

As of 4/27/09 - Room Rates* have been adjusted to:

Wednesday, May 13		$38.00
Thursday, May 14		$38.00
Friday, May 15		$105.00
Saturday, May 16		$105.00

*If you already have reservations through the CATS room block, your rates have been adjusted to match the current rates.

Team Physician's Update

CMEs: This activity has been reviewed and is acceptable for up to 19.00 prescribed credits by the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Please inform your team physicians. This has been a great experience for the physicians and an opportunity for them to attend a quality conference pertinent to both team physicians and athletic trainers who work with college athletes.

For more information visit: Symposiums | Download the Meeting Brochure

Jack Weakley CATS Service Award

2009 Recipient: Paul Grace
Award Presentation will take place at the Spring Symposium in Las Vegas, May 14 @ 6:45 p.m.

2009 CATS Survey - The Economy and Its Impact on College/University Sports Medicine Departments

Our 2009 CATS Survey will be sent to members through a separate email. Members can feel free to forward the survey to conference athletic trainers or other college and university athletic trainers. Please take a moment to complete this survey. Final results will be presented to CATS members and other interested parties depending on the number of responses and quality of survey responses received.

San Antonio CATS Annual Meeting

More information coming soon! Registration forms are online.

Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Location: Alamodome
Registration: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Symposium: 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Social: 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Times are subject to change.

For more information visit: Symposiums

NCAA ADHD Update

Information provided by the NCAA Head Athletic Trainer list-serve:

• NCAA Guidelines to Document ADHD Treatment with Banned Stimulant Medications -1/30/09
  • Memo - 1/30/09
  • Frequently Asked Questions: Addendum to the January 2009 Guidelines - 4/1/09
  • *NEW* Student-Athlete Educational Poster: Report All Medicines - 4/24/09
  • Clinicians seeking more guidance on conducting a comprehensive clinical assessment please review this Sample Evaluation Format -1/30/09
• Video- Medical Exception Policy - 3/17/08
• Medical Exception Documentation Case Examples - 3/17/08

If any of these links do not work, please use this direct link: http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=481

Aegis Sciences Update

AEGIS partners with University of South Florida Health to provide course for administrators of drug testing programs

Understanding and Interpreting Drug Tests: Performance Enhancing Drugs
June 6-7, 2009
Nashville, TN

The program covers program that covers performance enhancing program policies and administration including testing for abused-drugs, steroids, blood-doping and drugs of abuse and interpretation of the results. The faculty includes nationally renowned scientists and legal experts specializing in program administration, legal and ethical concerns, antidoping analysis and interpretation, forensic toxicology, and drug abuse analysis and interpretation.

For more information visit CATS News

The College Athletic Trainers' Society would like to introduce the CATS Quality of Life Award sponsored by PRO Orthopedics. This award is given to the College Athletic Trainer or the Collegiate Athletic Training Staff that has risen to the occasion or continually acts to improve the quality of life of fellow collegiate athletic trainers. Improvement can be in the form of, but not limited to: addressing staff concerns relative to family, time-off, salary compensation; providing extra benefits; implementing plans to reduced workload, increase personal time, or improve work place environment.

CATS and Gerry Detty, President of PRO Orthopedics, are excited to present this monetary award to CATS members. Detty conveys, "I highly doubt there is a college athletic training staff that is not overworked and understaffed. However, it is the manner in which they handle the unusual that is thrown their way while maintaining their sanity and quality of life that matters. The one who can laugh in the face of adversity and continue on as if nothing is wrong is the ideal candidate."

"This is a unique award which serves our members directly and indirectly," says Josephine Lee, CATS President. Lee further explains, "Our goal is to introduce recipients and share their stories. We hope recipients of this award will inspire other athletic trainers while providing CATS members with a new perspective on issues like addressing staff concerns, salary compensation and working to improve the workplace environment."

CATS and PRO Orthopedics, CATS Founding Sponsor, shares a long history together. "We give much thanks to Gerry Detty and PRO Orthopedics for their generosity," says Lee. "Gerry's father, the late Moose Detty who founded PRO Orthopedics, served his life as an athletic trainer. For years, the Dettys and PRO have given back to the athletic trainer. Gerry now carries his father's torch and continues his father's legacy in supporting athletic trainers. The creation of this award for college athletic trainers adds to the Detty legacy."

Criteria for the CATS Quality of Life Award
Nominations can come from anyone associated with the individual or staff.

Only active CATS members are eligible for the award.

Nomination shall be submitted to the CATS Family Scholarship Committee by annual deadline, March 1, for consideration. Submissions will be in the form of a letter(s) with appropriate documentation completely describing the situation and actions of the nominated party.

Nominations can be retroactive to July 1, 2007.

General Information
Dates: May 14 - 16, 2009
Location: The Orleans Hotel and Casino
Attendees: Athletic Trainers, Team Physicians and Healthcare Providers who work with athletes in the collegiate setting.

Early Registration
Registration is now open to members who need to meet budgeting demands for the current fiscal year or seek early reimbursement from their institutions. Registration forms are available in printable format only. Online registration will be available soon.

Hotel Rates at The Orleans Hotel
Wednesday, 5/13 - $65.00
Thursday, 5/14 - $65.00
Friday, 5/15 - $110.00
Saturday, 5/16 - $110.00
Sunday, 5/17 - $65.00

For more information visit our Symposium page.

Call for Case Studies
The program committee for the College Athletic Trainer's Society wants to invite you to submit and present a Case Study for the Spring Symposium in Las Vegas. Case studies should be 15 minutes long with time available for QandA. Cases being submitted should be both challenging and unique from a management perspective for the college athletic trainer. Please submit case study ideas to cats@collegeathletictrainer.org. Members who submit cases being considered will be contacted directly by Scott Oliaro or Josephine Lee to discuss case details. Cases will be presented at the Spring Symposium. Please note: cases may also be considered for the Annual Symposium in San Antonio.

Conference Meetings
Members will have the ability to reserve meeting room space, after symposium hours, and organize their own conference meetings. This will provide conference athletic trainers, with limited funds, an opportunity to discuss issues specific to their conference. Other conference sports medicine groups who have established annual meetings have met with great success.

Meeting space is limited and offered at no additional charge to CATS members. To reserve meeting space please contact Eric Rozen, erozen@sports.rochester.edu

Stanford University Sports Medicine cordially invites you to the Farm, where we will be welcoming NATA President Marje Albohm. Join us for a special opportunity to hear President Albohm's candid remarks as she discusses how her experiences as a Certified Athletic Trainer have prepared her for her latest challenge, as well as her insight into several critical topics affecting our ever changing profession. Don't miss this unique opportunity free of charge for all Certified Athletic Trainers.

During the QandA portion of this event President Albohm will entertain questions from the national membeship. If you are interested in contributing to the QandA session, please e-mail questions or discussion topics to krobell@stanford.edu prior to December 1, 2008.

For more information download the PDF announcement.

The NCAA Drug-Testing Program was created to protect the health and safety of student-athletes and to ensure that no one participant might have an artificially induced advantage or be pressured to use chemical substances.

The NCAA recognizes that some banned substances are used for legitimate medical purposes. Accordingly, the NCAA allows exception to be made for those student-athletes with a documented medical history demonstrating the need for regular use of such a drug. Exceptions may be granted for substances included in the following classes of banned drugs: anabolic agents*, stimulants, beta blockers, diuretics, anti-estrogens, and peptide hormone*.

For more information about the NCAA Banned Drug and Medical Exemptions Policy, visit the www.NCAA.org:

NCAA Health and Safety: Banned Drug and Medical Exemptions


NCAA Banned Drug and Medical Exemptions Procedures


NCAA Drug Testing Program

The American College of Sports Medicine recently published a position stand on exercise and fluid replacement. This position stand summarizes current knowledge regarding exercise with respect to fluid electrolyte needs and the impact of their imbalances on exercise performance and health. This position statement replaces the prior position stand on exercise and fluid replacement. >>> View Position Stand

You can also view the most current information from ACSM and other organizations in the CATS Member Resources section.