State Meeting Highlights
The Hall of Fame Award:
The IATA Hall of Fame Award is reserved for those who have a minimum of 15 years active practice or service to the athletic training/sports medicine profession and have made a history of providing quality personal and professional contributions to the profession in the State of Illinois. The 2007 Hall of Fame Award inductees will be Rochel Rittgers ATC- head athletic trainer and coordinator of intercollegiate athletic training at Augustana College, Steve McInerney ATC- who is currently Director of Athletics at Oswego High School and Phil Voorhis ATC- who is the Head Athletic Trainer at Northern Illinois University.
The IATA Special Recognition Award:
The 2007 winner will be given to Dr Pietro Tonino, Chief of Orthopedics of the Sports Medicine Departments at Loyola University Medical Center, for his contributions to the profession of athletic training in Illinois.
Dr. Richard Dominguez Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship:
An undergraduate scholarship is available to a college athletic training student who is currently enrolled in an Athletic Training Curriculum. The 2007 winner is Katie Baldwin - a graduate of Providence Catholic High School and is currently a senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Katie’s sponsoring Athletic Trainer, Byron Cunningham ATC at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The Living Memorial Scholarship:
This inaugural award will be presented to Jessica Humbach. Jessica graduated from New Trier Township High School and is currently a senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Jessica was sponsored by Carrie Johnson -McKiddy ATC, Assistant Athletic Trainer at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The Graduate Scholarship Award:
This award is presented yearly to an individual who is seeking a graduate degree, and has worked at least two academic years as a student athletic trainer on the college or university level under the supervision of an IATA Certified/Licensed sponsoring athletic trainer. The winner for 2007 is Karla Wessels, ATC – she earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Millikin University and is currently a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Karla was sponsored by Trevor Bates ATC, Program Director at Heidelberg College.
The Dr. Robert Hamilton Award:
This award is presented yearly to an undergraduate student who passes the Board of Certification test on the first try and with the highest score. This award is co-sponsored by Center for Athletic Medicine - Preston Wolin, MD, and AthletiCo - Mike McCormick, ATC and is named after Dr. Robert Hamilton, a forefather of sports medicine in the Chicagoland area. The winner for 2007 is Micah Holland, ATC.
Offspring Award:
The winner of this award must be under the legal guardianship of a parent that is a Certified/Licensed Athletic Trainer and a member of the Illinois Athletic Trainers Association. They also must be a full-time student either currently enrolled or accepted into a college or university at the time of application. The winner (2nd year in a row) for the 2007 Offspring Award will be presented to Brent Thompson a sophomore accounting major student at Southern Illinois University and his sponsor is his father Ed Thompson ATC, Athletic Trainer at Southern Illinois University.
Appreciation Awards:
The IATA members wished the best to outgoing Board members, Matt Marzullo ATC (10 years of service), Steve McInerney ATC (7 years of service), Kristen Streeter ATC (4 years of service), Jim Katula ATC (4 years of service), Kris Knox ATC (2 years of service), Renee Polubinsky ATC (2 years of service) and Guido Arquilla ATC (2 years of service). These individuals leave the Board of Directors after immeasurable years of service; the Board is appreciative of their time and great effort to the organization.
New Board Members Announced
At the IATA business meeting newly elected board members will be introduced – President-Elect, Mike “Sully” Sullivan, ATC (AthletiCo- Downers Grove South HS), Vice-President, Mike Overturf, ATC (AthletiCo), Secretary, Ann Banfield, ATC (Glenbard East HS), Region 3 Rep. Joe Whitson ATC (Illinois State Univ.), Re-elected Region 4 Rep. Eric Streeter (Millikin University). Appointed to the board of directors are Communications Director , William Frey ATC, (Riverside Brookfield HS), Development Director, Bill Durand ATC (Geneva HS) and PR Director Bob Flynn ATC, (Minooka HS).