DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Mission: NYSATA D & I serves to advocate and promote the advancement of diversity and inclusion in the Athletic Training profession. This committee aspires to cultivate initiatives to encourage community service and outreach, facilitate mentorship and execute forward progress while introducing students to the profession.
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The goal of this committee is to impact young communities of students by exposing them to the realm of Athletic Training, promoting awareness of the many opportunities available in sports medicine and providing avenues of professional development which would guide them to becoming community leaders.
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NYSATA D & I plans to advance diversification as the field of Athletic Training continues to grow.
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Download brochure HERE.
LaTonja Lee, MS, ATC, PES
Chair
LaTonja has been a member of NYSATA EDAC committee since 2015. She was appointed Committee Chair in Jan 2019. She currently works at Molloy College as one of the Assistant Athletic Trainers. Her team responsibilities include but are not limited to: Women’s Tennis, Women’s Volleyball, Men’s Basketball and Women’s Lacrosse.
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LaTonja has always had a passion for creating awareness, promoting and advocating for the Athletic Training profession since she began her career 9 years ago. She believes increasing access to students across NYS, whether in a secondary school setting or non-traditional settings, is imperative to bring diversity and inclusion into the field.
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LaTonja completed multiple initiatives during the first year as committee chair. Partnering with Girl Scouts of Nassau County Co-hosting a fitness party with Pretty Girls Sweat with a Women in Athletic Training Workshop. Over 40 girls from the ages 7-17 attended a 5- Station rotation that was designed to educate the girls on rehabilitation, taping and orthopedic injury, nutrition, concussion awareness and AT education. Her 2nd project was the National Athletic Trainers Month video compilation featuring Athletic Trainers, coaches, and athletes from multifarious levels of competition. The purpose of the videos were to increase awareness of cultural competency and ethnic representation in the sports realm. The 3rd project is an Athletic Training brochure that will be administered to secondary schools in NYS to increase advocacy through awareness and visibility.
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She is looking forward to working with the committee and implementing some new and continued initiatives, outreach and other opportunities.
Tracye Rawls-Martin MS, ATC, GFI
Committee Member
Tracye Rawls-Martin MS ATC GFI has been a certified athletic trainer for the past 22 years. The Athletic Training Program was awarded a 10-year reaccreditation cycle under her liege. During her appointment she was also one of only five African American Athletic Training Program Directors in the United States. She is a “mother,” advisor, and professor to students within the Division of Athletic Training, Health & Exercise Science in the School of Health Professions at Long Island University Brooklyn Campus. After beginning her academic career as a dance education major, she discovered the field of athletic training. The combination of dance education and athletic performance complimented her personality since she loves helping people, teaching, dancing, and participating in sports.
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In addition to nurturing her students through the programs’ academic requirements, she has had the honor and privilege of working with over four thousand athletes worldwide at high school, junior college, division one collegiate, semiprofessional, and professional levels. This is her sixth season as an assistant certified athletic trainer for the New York Knicks – “Knicks City Dancers,” as well as her sixth season assisting the Sports Medicine staff in pre-participation physical screening for the Ailey School and the New York City Rockettes!
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She is an associate professor whose primary goal is to fulfill the responsibilities of the position and to promote the mission of the University, School of Health Professions and the Division of Athletic Training Health & Exercise Science (ATHES). In addition to teaching and participating in curricula development, outcome assessments, and program evaluations, she was an executive council member for the Senate and the Long Island University Faculty Federation.
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She is also a proud wife, stepmother, grandmother (Nana T), aunt-tee, and black belt in Muay Thai Kickboxing, OSS!
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Former Chair of Research & Injury
Committee for the past 10 years
NYSATA EDAC Committee member for 2 years