June/July 2023 - 15

Most Valuable Athletic Trainer
A
fter more than 20 years as an athletic trainer,
what matters most to Dan Newman is being a
servant leader.
" I love helping people. I like being there [for others], "
Newman said. " I like being a soundboard. I really enjoy
being a preceptor and a mentor for our young athletic
trainers. This profession has so much to give. "
As the head athletic trainer for Union Public Schools
in Tulsa, OK, Newman's impact on the athletic industry
is felt throughout the country. He oversees a studentathlete
body of more than 1,500 across 25 sports with
a staff of two other athletic trainers and 15 studenttraining
aides. He's also involved with shaping the
future of the athletic training industry as a clinical
instructor for the University of Tulsa and Oklahoma
State University entry-level Master's AT programs.
And while he's been instrumental in implementing
policies relating to concussion management, heat
illness, lightning safety, MRSA prevention, and adapting
to the ever-changing field of technological aids, what
really drives Newman is his commitment to leaving the
industry better than when he arrived.
It's that commitment, among other credentials, that
propelled Newman to win Training & Conditioning's
Most Valuable High School Athletic Trainer of the
Year award.
" Clinically, [younger athletic trainers] are entering the
field more confident, but I think the biggest change I see
is the soft skills, " Newman said. " How to communicate
with people, and how to build relationships. Anyone can
tape an ankle, but it's what you do before you tape that
ankle - talking to the athlete, talking to the coach, and
creating those relationships. "
He added, " I think we're putting out some really
great students out there. I'm excited for the future
of the profession. "
ALWAYS PREPARED
Athletic trainers may never have to perform life-saving
actions while on the job, but the moment one does occur,
they need to be ready to act quickly and act efficiently.
While we can never predict when these events will
happen, having a firm understanding of your program's
protocol can be the difference in a life-or-death situation.
Newman found himself in a similar situation back in
2017 when a student-athlete sustained a traumatic brain
injury and collapsed in the athletic training room.
There, Newman was able to coordinate time-sensitive
medical treatment for the athlete, who ultimately lived.
He first assumed that the student-athlete suffered
a concussion, but then his symptoms began to
" cascade down. "
" Practice makes perfect, " Newman said. " You have to
be reviewing your emergency action plans, you have to
know your student-athletes. You just never know when it
might happen. "
NAME: DAN NEWMAN
HOMETOWN: TULSA, OK
OCCUPATION: HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER
OF UNION (OK) PUBLIC SCHOOLS
COLLEGE: UNIVERSITY OF TULSA, B.S. IN
ATHLETIC TRAINING; THE UNIVERSITY
OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS, M.S. IN ATHLETIC
TRAINING
COMMITTEES & AWARDS: PRESIDENT,
OKLAHOMA ATHLETIC TRAINER'S ASSOCIATION;
OSSAA SPORTS MEDICINE ADVISORY
COMMITTEE; NATA 1ST TEAM SAFE SPORTS
SCHOOL (2014-PRESENT); CLINICAL
INSTRUCTOR FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TULSA
AND OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY ENTRY
LEVEL MASTERS AT PROGRAMS.
training-conditioning.com | 15
"
I love helping people.
I like being there for
others. I like being a
soundboard. - Dan Newman
http://www.training-conditioning.com
June/July 2023

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