SCATA Presidents Amy Fraley (past) and William Christman (current)
October 18, 2024 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu
It’s not every day you get a win like this – one that impacts thousands of lives. Even in a school of public health where we aim to make a difference at the population level, we don’t take it for granted. And neither do our professional organizations.
The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) recently honored the South Carolina Athletic Trainers’ Association (SCATA) – many of whom are USC alumni – with the Governmental Affairs Dan Campbell Legislative Award, and the Board of Certification, Inc. selected them to receive the Dave Montgomery Advocacy Award. Both honors recognize SCATA’s efforts to successfully lobby for legislation that requires athletic trainers in South Carolina to be licensed health care professionals within the state.
Their ring leader was Amy Fraley, exercise science clinical assistant professor and then-president for SCATA. But it couldn’t have been more of a team effort.
This is a big deal. It’s not only important for the thousand or so athletic trainers practicing in South Carolina and the tens of thousands of patients they serve, but it’s a major step forward for the profession at the national level.
“Moving the athletic training profession to licensed health care professionals in the state of South Carolina took a lot of lobbying efforts with the legislature from a lot of athletic trainers,” she says.
Alumni Zach Richards and Kevin Herod played major roles in these efforts, surpassing their SCATA board member responsibilities as legislative and emerging practices representatives, respectively. The team also credits former State Senator Katrina Shealy for enthusiastically sponsoring the bill (earning her two awards from SCATA), lobbyists Jeff Thordahl and Trey Byars (USC political science and government alumnus and brother to current USC student body president Patton Byars) for championing it so tirelessly, and members of NATA’s Government Affairs Department, especially Deanna Kuykendall and Amy Callender, for their continuous guidance.
Many of these individuals attended numerous committee and subcommittee meetings for both the house and senate – rushing over to the state house if there might be an opportunity to answer questions or testify and sitting in on hours of livestreamed discussions in case the bill came up. Dozens more athletic trainers from across the state called their representatives and showed up to shake hands, tell stories, answer questions and testify about the profession and the benefits of moving to state licensure.
This coordinated approach resulted in the bill’s passage in record time. Roughly six
months from proposal to its approval in 2023 and then implementation in 2024. In reality, however, the process began long before
the state’s 124th legislative session.
Though onsite health care for athletes and workers has been around for centuries, the athletic training profession emerged in the mid-1900s. NATA was established in 1950, but it wasn’t until 1990 that the American Medical Association formally recognized athletic training as an allied health profession.
Beginning in the 1990s, NATA began encouraging states to adopt license/certification of athletic trainers through legislation. Over the next three decades, 46 states have followed suit with South Carolina as the 47th state to adopt the state licensure model.
Contrary to the intensive time and efforts it has taken for these changes to take place, the difference is mainly one of paperwork. The rigorous qualifications needed to serve as athletic trainers remain the same, but the implications for the safety and well-being of patients and professionals are immeasurable.
Though the required academic degrees have evolved over the years, athletic trainers have been taking a national credentialling exam (administered by the Board of Certification) since the early 1970s. That requirement has not changed, but as of this year – thanks to the new legislation – two administrative shifts are in effect.
First, the oversight of the athletic training profession has been moved from the SC Department of Public Health (formerly known as the Department of Health and Environmental Control) to the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation with the Board of Medical Examiners. Second, all athletic trainers in the state must submit their licensure information (i.e., the results of their national certification exam) to this board.
“This is a big deal,” Fraley says. “It’s not only important for the thousand or so athletic trainers practicing in South Carolina and the tens of thousands of patients they serve, but it’s a major step forward for the profession at the national level.”
Under the previous model, South Carolina athletic trainers were not protected by the Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act. So, what happened when their team of athletes – whether K12, college or beyond – traveled across state lines for a game? Technically, their professional liability insurance may have been void. What happened when an athletic trainer moved to another state? Technically, their certification would not be recognized for license reciprocity. What happened when a patient wanted to file a complaint? Technically, there was no state board with the authority to investigate and resolve disputes.
At the national level, athletic trainers – particularly through their membership in
NATA – will be able to better align themselves with initiatives that move the profession
forward and collaborate on overlapping issues. Meanwhile, recipients of health care
from athletic trainers – whether student athletes or operators in a manufacturing
facility – and their families can be confident that their athletic trainer has the
knowledge and training required by the national certification exam.
Fraley’s term as SCATA president wrapped up just as the new legislation took effect. As of this past summer, all athletic trainers in South Carolina must be licensed with the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. She handed the reins over to Will Christman (another USC alum), who will continue promoting advocacy work during his tenure as president.
SCATA already engages its student members in these types of activities – lifting up their voices and perspectives but also preparing them to become lifelong advocates for the profession and the patients they serve. Earlier this year, on the association’s annual Hit the Hill Day, Governor McMaster officially declared March 1 to be South Carolina Athletic Training Day.
Current students in USC’s athletic training programs, like Lillian Marriott, were on hand to celebrate the recognition. They also learned about the legislative process and met senate and house representatives. Some of these encounters even led to enhanced understanding about the profession, such as when Marriott hosted State Senator Penry Gustafson at Camden Military Academy where she worked as an athletic trainer.
"Gaining licensure for athletic trainers was a huge win for our profession and opens
many more doors for our members in their areas of practice," says current SCATA President
William Christman, who is the director for sports medicine at Wofford College. "The recognition we
have received from this legislative win will help us pave the way forward as we continue
to move Athletic Training forward in South Carolina."
USC researchers recognized with manuscript awards in two athletic training journals
Exercise science collaborators publish research on athletic training and mental health
Secondary school-aged students overseen by athletic trainers more likely to receive
emergency medical services, according to new research
How to keep high school athletes safe from heat illness in a brutally hot summer
Researchers find youth football events frequently take place during high-risk environmental
conditions
