In early January 2013 I had a wonderful opportunity to attend the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers’ Society (PBATS) annual educational symposium titled: Baseball Medicine Conference. The 2013 meeting was hosted by the Baltimore Orioles athletic trainers and held at Orioles Park at Camden Yards in conjunction with the Hilton Hotel — a beautiful and modern hotel designed with guest rooms looking into the ballpark.
The two-day event featured professional talks from world renowned scientists and physicians as well as several support team personnel from the Baltimore Orioles organization that included the team nutritionist, team psychiatrist and team physical therapist. What makes this conference different from others is the pace. Talks are scheduled at 15-25 minute intervals, which is quick. Normally, podium presentations sessions are somewhere between 60-90 minutes in length at other symposiums I have attended or given talks.
Certified Athletic Trainers (or ATC for short) are healthcare providers for the physically-active. ATCs are required to complete 50 hours of continuing education every two years. The 2013 Baseball Medicine Conference that I completed consisted of 14 hours of continuing education. I have held continuous certification as an ATC for nearly 25 years.
Rules and regulations for Athletic Trainers are set and governed by the Board of Certification (BOC) located in Omaha, Nebraska; and the professional membership organization for Athletic Trainers is called the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), which is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and comprised of over 40 full-time staff to support NATAs mission. Athletic Trainers work at all sporting levels — from professional and Olympic to university, high school and youth athletic programs. ATCs also work in a host of non-traditional settings such as private physical therapy clinics, hospitals, physician offices and for large corporations with an eye on improving employee health.
Shown below are several photos from the conference, including some cool photos from the breakout sessions held in the Orioles clubhouse, clubhouse cafe, athletic training room, therapy pools and the batting cages.
