As a young and relatively new full-time employee of the athletic training profession, I’ve begun to pay more attention to the news blurbs from the NATA and my state organization about supporting bills and government initiatives that impact the profession. My first experience with and exposure to the political side of athletic training was when I attended the Hit the Hill Day in 2008 to advocate for the ATEAM Bill. Going into the event I knew absolutely nothing about the bill, and furthermore I did not know what law (if any) existed for Athletic Trainers (ATs). As I listened to others talk, the importance of the bill was all a foreign language to me. However, being a participant and a body in Washington, DC, that Monday meant one thing: I was no longer a bench warmer, but I was becoming a bench leader.
It is easy to sit back and let others take the lead on matters that we, as healthcare professionals, may not be as well-versed or familiar with. Politics, and understanding how progress is made on the legislative front of our profession, has never been a particular interest of mine; however, the more involved you become the more you begin to understand why it is so important. Without the support of our state and federal legislators, our profession would be at an endless stalemate within the healthcare world. The laws and face of healthcare in our country are changing daily, and guess what . . . we need to do the same.
Regardless of the amount of credentials behind a name, experience on a resume or awards hanging on the wall, people know one thing: ATs are hard workers. Our hard work can often go unnoticed as we are the people quietly sitting on the end of the bench just waiting for something to happen or finding the right moment to step in and help others. The bench has been kept warm and toasty since before 1950. It doesn’t matter if you are a young professional or someone who has been in the profession for 40 years, we can all take those small but ever important steps to becoming a leader for our profession.
How?
Here is one small and easy way to start: show up. Attending and being an active body at an event is probably one of the most underestimated means of support any group can have. Numbers matter. After attending and listening, it will be easier to understand what your role might be in order to be the biggest bench supporter and leader the profession can have. Even if your role is to just show up, at least you are doing your part. Learn more about Governmental Affairs and find resources on the BOC website.
Written by:
Elizabeth Wolfe EWolfe@tuftsmedicalcenter.org
