College Athletic Trainers' Society

In 2003, CATS created the CATS Family Scholarship. What is unique about the CATS Family Scholarship? It is a scholarship rewarded to the son or daughter of a CATS member. Six scholarships, each in the amount of $2,000 for one academic year are awarded to qualifying applicants enrolled full-time at a college or university for the upcoming year. Academic achievements, awards, activities, volunteer work, letters of recommendation and an essay are reviewed.

A total of 6 CATS Family scholarships will be offered for the 2024-2025 academic year.  

These scholarships provide CATS and its corporate sponsors another opportunity to show support for the college athletic trainer. The CATS Family Scholarship exemplifies the relationship and cooperative efforts between CATS and its corporate sponsors. We recognize that our members continue to struggle with low salaries, rising tuition and loss of remitted tuition waivers. With these scholarships, our organization has created an opportunity to reward children of CATS members while assisting their parents in sharing some burden in the costs for higher education.

Over the past few years, our scholarship committee has reviewed numerous applications from children of CATS members. We feel honored these parents and their children have shared their lives and future aspirations with our group. It is incredible to see these promising young adults, children of college athletic trainers, achieve academic success, volunteer time, pursue degrees of higher education and much more.

It is CATS' hope that each of these individuals continue to work hard in their studies, achieve their goals with success and make their parents proud.

If your application cannot be mailed in one packet, please contact Tim Garl so he is aware of how he can expect to receive your application materials.  Applicants are responsible for confirming the entire application has been received.  

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT APPLICATION:  April 30, 2024

Tim Garl

tgarl@indiana.edu

Fax (812) 855-9865

Application Information 

Past Recipients

Garnett E. "Moose" Detty 

The first CATS Family Scholarship was named after Garnett E. “Moose” Detty.  Moose was considered the “Ambassador” of athletic training.  He was the athletic trainer for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1961–1975.  During his tenure with the Eagles, he preached to all the importance of the new field of athletic training.  He educated medical students, orthopedic residents, physicians, college athletic training students, high school administrators and local clubs on the role of this new health care professional – the athletic trainer.  In 1975, Moose retired from athletic training, but became a successful businessman as he introduced neoprene and its use for athletes.  Though Moose was not practicing athletic training, it was through Pro Orthopedics that allowed him to give back to the profession he loved.  Pro was the sponsor for the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society (PATS) Newsletter for several years and today continues to provide scholarship opportunities while sponsoring many other District and State athletic training organizations.  He received the PATS Service Award in 1991 and then retired as Pro’s CEO in 1994.  That same year he retired Moose Detty was inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame.  In Kansas City, Missouri, he was honored with the Johnson & Johnson CATS Service Award.  He was inducted into the PATS Hall of Fame in 2002.  On November 1, 2003, Moose Detty passed away at his home in Tucson, Arizona.  Moose often remarked that he wanted to give something back to the athletic trainer, especially those who worked for little pay.  In celebration of his life, CATS named one of its scholarships in his honor. 

Otho Davis 

Otho Davis, also known as “O”, served as Head Athletic Trainer for Kent State University from 1957-65.  He then went on to become the Head Athletic Trainer at Duke University from 1965-71.  He entered the professional football league as the Associate Athletic Trainer for the Baltimore Colts in 1971.  In 1973, he became the Head Athletic Trainer for the Philadelphia Eagles where he remained for 23 years.  He was voted the Professional Athletic Trainer of the Year five times (1977, 78, 80, 81, 87).  He was a founding member of the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society and became its second President.  Otho received the Distinguished Service Award for Sports Medicine from the American Orthopedics Society for Sports Medicine in 1982.  Mr. Davis is best known for his achievements as the Executive Director of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) from 1971–1989.  “O” was a politically savvy individual who helped propel athletic training into a stronger profession.  He had great vision for the future and helped build the NATA to what it is today.  The NATA headquarters in Dallas, Texas is named in his honor while many scholarships have also been named in his honor.  In 1999, Otho became an Eagles Honor Roll Inductee and was named by television analyst, John Madden, to his annual All-Madden team. These are just a few examples that demonstrate the impact Mr. Davis had in the athletic community and athletic training.  In his later years, Mr. Davis was a founder and Vice President of PDMA Field Inventory Services, Inc.  It was through this company that he helped athletic trainers supplement their incomes by utilizing them to perform services for this company. On May 2, 2000, Otho Davis passed away.  Mr. Davis was a family man who dedicated his life to the profession of athletic training.