Spring 2026 Newsletter 
Letter from the President
Happy Spring SCATA members,
I hope everyone has had a great 2026 thus far. It is hard to believe that the end of the school year is close, summer is right around the corner, and the SCATA symposium will be here before we know it. I want to invite everyone to visit the Symposium website so you can see what is in store for this year's Symposium. The programming committee, social committee, honors & awards committee, and operations committee have been hard at work since last year's symposium to set up another amazing meeting for us. The offerings and schedule have changed so please look at that when the Website goes live April 15th.
This legislative session has been very busy following many different bills that affect Athletic Trainers. The Governmental Affairs Committee organized a great Hit the Hill Day, we made a lot of connections and hopefully will get several bills to go our way. I want to thank everyone that attended the Town Hall we hosted earlier in the Spring and would encourage everyone that wasn’t able to make it to visit the advocacy page to make sure you are up with the latest bills that could affect Athletic Trainers.
Reminder that this year you will have to renew your licenses through LLR. I have been told that LLR will send out renewal information in May and SCATA will make sure to notify you as well once we know it has gone out. Please start this process early so that you do not have a lapse in your ability to practice. Remember that this process goes through LLR not SCATA but we will have a FAQ on our website to aid in the process.
Thank you for your engagement in the Executive Council Elections. I am excited to announce that your next Executive Council will be:
President - Abby DeDecker
President-Elect – Amanda Taylor
Treasurer – Kevin Herod
Secretary – Clint Haggard
I look forward to their leadership in SCATAs next initiatives. Please continue to keep this organization at the top by reaching out to them with ideas of growth, concerns, and hopes to volunteer because nothing strengthens an organization like engagement. I am aware this is my last newsletter submission as President of SCATA which is amazing because it feels like I just started. I want to tell everyone that it has been an honor and pleasure serving as the SCATA President. I want to say Thank You to all of you for your support, encouragement, and kind words. I hope to see all of you in Columbia in July.
Will Christman
Letter from the President Elect
Happy Spring!
Busy season is here! For SCATA it means National Athletic Training Month, Hit The Hill Day, symposium prep, committee work and the beginning of conference season for many. I appreciate all our members who have participated in all of the events we have hosted the past few months. Many thanks to those who serve on committees and put in time and dedication to SCATA year round. I encourage you all to stay engaged, read our newsletters and stay active in our athletic training profession.
I attended Hit The Hill Day where we met with many legislators and had quality conversations about athletic training in our state, profession advancement and patient safety. This day is a favorite of mine. You can feel the excitement when bragging and educating others about the best profession in SC. I hope you join us next year.
We are excited for another great symposium this summer. Please mark your calendars and join us in Columbia. Our website is now live, be sure to check out all the events!!
I am excited to continue my path in SCATA leadership and look forward to serving as president this coming summer. Thank you to all those who have encouraged me, and helped me grow as an athletic trainer and leader. Thank you to all our candidates and their willingness to serve. Congratulations and welcome our new secretary, Clint.
I will be attending MAATA in May, so if you are in town ~ let’s connect!
Stay healthy,
Abby
Letter from the Secretary
Happy Spring from a pollen covered upstate!!
I hope the spring season is finding everyone healthy and excited for our 2026 Annual Symposium. I am personally very excited about this year’s Pre-Con; The Mass Casualty Event for the Athletic Trainer. This lecture/hands on simulation is being taught by Donna and Chuck Taylor (who also happen to be my parents). Donna has been a Registered Nurse and EMT Paramedic for over 40 years and has taught every level of paramedicine during her career. Chuck is a retired North Carolina Highway Patrolman and current volunteer firefighter who specialized in accident reconstruction and scene management. With their shared experiences, knowledge, and an appreciation for athletic trainers; they are excited to connect and teach valuable triage/emergency management skills to athletic trainers (that hopefully we will never need). We have an excellent symposium on the schedule for this year. I want to thank our program committee and all that are involved in making our event one of the best in the country.
As we look forward to the summer and the symposium, I want to take a quick moment to thank our membership. We are able to be a successful organization because of you, our members. I personally want to thank you for the opportunity to continue serving SCATA and I look forward to transitioning into the president elect role.
Looking forward to seeing you all in Columbia!
Amanda
Letter from the Treasurer
Hello spring. That means registration for the summer symposium is around the corner. Our association is in a good financial position. Attending the summer meeting is one way you can continue to help SCATA stay strong. Another way you can help is encourage sponsors to sign up for a booth at our annual meeting. Please send anyone interested in sponsoring our event to Danny Poole, Exhibits Committee Chairman. He can be reached at [email protected]. Space is limited.
Kevin
SCATA Elections
The SCATA Executive Council would like to congratulate Clint Haggard on being elected as the next SCATA Secretary. Clint will take over as secretary after the business meeting during the 2026 Annual Symposium. We would also like to thank Wyatt McCrackin for his willingness to continue to serve SCATA.
Annual SCATA Symposium
SCATA 2026 Annual Symposium
The 2026 Annual SCATA Symposium website is now LIVE!!! Please visit our website to check out all things symposium related. Early Bird registration will open 5/1/26 and will stay open until 6/1/26.
2026 Pre Con Education course
"The Athletic Trainer Response: A Mass Casualty Incident"
Wednesday, July 15th 2026
2-5 pm, 1:30 pm onsite check-in
3 Category A CEUs
Early Bird Registration will open on 5/1. Be sure to have your calendar marked!
https://scata.starchapter.com/meetinginfo.php
2026 SCATA Annual Symposium Registration
Return of SCATA Casino Night!
Date: Thursday, July 16
Time: 8:00–11:00 PM
The theme of this year’s 2026 SCATA Social is the “Return of Casino Night!”
For many years, Casino Night was a SCATA favorite, featuring Blackjack, Roulette, Texas Hold’em, and Craps. Thanks to a sponsorship by Carolina Prosthetics and Orthotics; we are excited to bring this tradition back for another great night of entertainment and connection. Each attendee will receive a set amount of “fun money” to use at casino tables from 8:00–10:00 PM.
In addition to casino games, the evening will include:
* A live DJ
* Cornhole and casual games
* Cash Bars
* Prizes
We look forward to seeing everyone for an evening of fun and SCATA camaraderie!
South Carolina Athletic Trainers Association Annual Symposium Golf Tournament 2026
Date: July 15th, 2026
Time: 8 AM Check In (Breakfast provided); 9 AM Shotgun Start
Cost: $100 registration cost (breakfast, lunch, range, cart fee included in cost)
Location: The Windermere Club- 1101 Longtown Road East Blythewood, SC 29016
Mulligans Offered
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Mulligan Pack Offered included: Mulligans (front 9 & back 9), Putting Rope, 1 Tee-buster & others) $100
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Mulligan re-purchasing options available. $10/per
All Mulligan proceeds will be allocated to Athletic Training Advocacy in the state of South Carolina.
Lunch will be provided during prize presentations.
Committee Reports
History Committee
We continue to collect information for our Historical Archives. If you are new to South Carolina, left South Carolina, or have changed jobs, please let us know. We want to include you in our history. Everyone counts!
Have you been recognized, won an award, been acknowledged, served at the North/South All Star Games? Please let us know.
A Work History Questionnaire can be found here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCxjWBFgHNNknC_jFJzu0OUy4J00N7QLqnb4DevgnuCigFKw/viewform?usp=sharing
To submit information for our Historical Archives, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]
Old Timer Athletic Trainer Spirits Raffle
Don't forget our annual Old Timer Athletic Trainer Spirits Raffle at the 2026 Clinical Symposium in July! This year we will again offer many premium bourbons and wines, as well as adding some other spirits such as tequilas.
If you'd like to donate a spirit or a bottle of wine to the cause, we would welcome them! Bottles should be 750ml and at least $40 in value.
Please reach out to Dr. Jim Berry ([email protected]) if you'd like to donate or have questions.
The Old Timer ATs have created a South Carolina LAT Patch that we are making available to the membership for $11.00, which includes postage. We have a limited number of these patches available as a first run to gauge interest. If we sell out the first 100 we have, we will consider getting more. ALL net proceeds from the sale of these patches will go to the SCATA Scholarship Fund.
