In 2024, the NATA Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee announced the creation of four national awards, in addition to its existing Bill Chisolm Professional Service Award.
EDAC added the René Shingles EDAC Apple Award, Marsha Grant-Ford EDAC Distinguished Research Award, Frank Walters EDAC Trailblazer Award and the Barnes/Horton/Johnson EDAC Entrepreneurship Award to its list of recognitions presented to honor the legacy of diversity in the AT profession.
For each award, NATA members nominated must be in good standing and non-NATA members may be nominated. Candidates aren’t required to be a member of an underrepresented ethnically diverse population.
For more information about who qualifies for the awards, how to submit a nomination and apply for each, visit the EDAC resources page on the NATA website.
The deadline to nominate candidates for the awards is Jan. 15. Applications can be received through March 15.
Learn more about these and other NATA awards on the NATA Honors and Awards page.
PURPOSE AND HISTORY
EDAC Chair Darryl Conway, MA, AT, ATC, said the committee created the new EDAC awards to recognize more individuals for their contributions to the AT profession and the EDAC community. EDAC chose to name the awards after these AT leaders in homage to their service as founding members of EDAC.
“EDAC strives to develop awards centered around education, entrepreneurship, recruitment and retention, research and mentorship and leadership,” he said. “Each of the awards were thoughtfully named after EDAC pioneers.”
Conway said the René Shingles EDAC Apple Award was created in honor of NATA Hall of Fame member René Revis Shingles, PhD, ATC, for her commitment to the education, development and mentorship of many within the profession. He added that she is specially lauded for her “focus, persistence and tireless contribution” to professional development across numerous disciplines. She has particularly made an educational impact on cultural competence, diversity, equity and inclusion and patient-centered health care, he said.
“[Shingles] was the 2005 recipient of the Bill Chisolm Professional Service Award and was the first African American female and eighth African American overall to be inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in 2018,” Conway said. “[She] currently serves as president of the Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer and is the co-author of the book, ‘Cultural Competence in Sports Medicine,’ and an upcoming book, ‘Patient-Centered Care in Sports Medicine.’ Throughout her three-plus decades at Central Michigan University, she has received numerous national, regional, state and local awards for outstanding teaching, leadership, professional and community service. Congratulations, Dr. Shingles.”
The Marsha Grant-Ford EDAC Distinguished Research Award is named after Marsha Grant-Ford, PhD, ATC. Conway said Grant-Ford was the first African American woman to be certified as an athletic trainer in 1975 and the first African American woman to earn a PhD, which she did in 2001 from Temple University in Philadelphia.
Grant-Ford was also a recipient of the Bill Chisolm Professional Service Award in 2011, which she earned because of her national impact on ethnically diverse athletic trainers, Conway said. She has also produced multiple publications and the children’s book, “Do You Want To Be an Athletic Trainer?”
“She has worked clinically at all levels of sport and has been a servant and pioneer within the profession at the international, national, regional and state levels,” Conway said. “Congratulations, Dr. Grant-Ford.”
Conway said NATA Hall of Fame member Frank Walters, PhD, LAT, ATC, received the honor of the Frank Walters EDAC Trailblazer Award eponym for his role as an innovator and mentor throughout his career.
“After receiving his master’s degree in athletic training from Indiana State (likely the first African American to do so) and his PhD from Texas A&M University, he served as the first athletic trainer at Pharr San Juan Alamo High School in Pharr, Texas,” Conway said. “[Walters] paved the way for many [athletic trainers in the secondary school setting] and sports medicine programs as the coordinator of athletic health care services for the District of Columbia Public Schools. He was the chair of the first Education Degree Task Force within NATA, and has served as vice president of the BOC.”
Walters became the 2002 recipient of the Bill Chisolm Professional Service Award, and a member of the NATA Hall of Fame class of 2010 – the seventh African American to be inducted.
Within the realm of AT entrepreneurship, Senior Vice President of Medical Services and Head Athletic Trainer of the New York Football Giants Ronnie Barnes, ATC, Phillip Horton, LAT, ATC, and the late Demetrious Johnson, have also impacted the profession as ethnic diversity’s pioneers breaking through glass ceilings. For this reason, the Barnes/Horton/Johnson EDAC Entrepreneurship Award was named after them, Conway said.
“Entrepreneurship is something that many of us have dreamed of, but few have succeeded in doing, especially within athletic training,” he said. “When you think about entrepreneurship within EDAC, [these] three names come to my mind immediately and to the minds of many others that know them well.”
Barnes has worked for the New York Giants since 1981. He was the first African American athletic trainer to work in the NFL, Conway said. He was the sixth African American to become a member of the NATA Hall of Fame class of 1999. After receiving the 2013 Bill Chisolm Professional Service Award, he was honored with the Fritz-Pollard Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 and was inducted into the Giants Ring of Honor in 2022.
“An entrepreneur and world traveler in his own right, Ronnie also established the Ronnie Barnes African American Resource Center at East Carolina University’s Joyner Library,” Conway said.
A founding father of the current EDAC, Horton contributed to the establishment of the Minority Athletic Trainers’ Committee in the 1980s, Conway said. He was also the inaugural recipient of the 1994 Bill Chisolm Professional Service Award.
“His career has taken him from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University to Michigan State University to becoming the first head athletic trainer at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in 1985,” Conway said.
Horton served the Milwaukee Bucks as assistant athletic trainer and strength coach until he left in 1996 to establish his private AT practice and joined NASCAR as its first athletic trainer. Now, he is the director of athletic training performance at Rev Racing and the Pit Crew coach for NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program.
Although he was not an athletic trainer, Johnson was one of EDAC’s greatest advocates via his work as the national sales manager of Sherwood Medical (now Covidien), a global health care products company.
“D.J. was a skilled salesman and always had the athletic trainer’s best interest in mind,” Conway said. “D.J. always had an infectious smile, was a hero in the St. Louis community and was known for his benevolence, spirit of giving and incredible service to the community.”
REFLECTING ON THEIR EPONYMOUS HONOR
The new EDAC award eponyms shared their sentiments about their namesake awards.
René Shingles EDAC Apple Award
Established to recognize an individual, institution and/or company that has demonstrated excellence in the education, recruitment, retention, promotion and/or mentorship of ethnically diverse students, faculty, staff and/or employees.
For Shingles, having the EDAC Apple Award named after her came as a surprise.
“The honor means the world to me,” she said. “During my 10 years of service on [EDAC], we provided leadership opportunities, advocated for athletic trainers of color and provided education to NATA members regarding health issues impacting diverse patients. … The work on EDAC was a labor of love. To be recognized by the committee who gave me my foundation in professional leadership is unbelievably humbling and truly a blessing. Thank you for the honor.”
Marsha Grant-Ford EDAC Distinguished Research Award
Recognizes an individual and/or research team for excellence in research and/or authorship related to ethnically diverse athletic trainers, patient populations and/or injuries or illnesses commonly affecting ethnically diverse individuals.
Grant-Ford said having the award named in her honor was one of the most awe-inspiring experiences of her life.
“I was deeply honored not only by the recognition itself but by the energy in the room [of the EDAC Town Hall at the 75th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo] after the announcement; it was palpable,” she said. “The feeling of immense gratitude was bolstered by the awareness that so many believed I was worthy of consideration alongside my colleagues that were also honored. These are folks I have admired, ‘picked their brains’ and sought mentorship from. In a world where some choose to tear down rather than uplift, the honor stands as a testament to the power of representation and community.”
Frank Walters EDAC Trailblazer Award
Established to recognize an early career or career advancement professional (less than 12 years as a certified athletic trainer) who has demonstrated leadership and mentorship of ethnically diverse individuals and has fostered growth and a visionary approach toward ethnically diverse athletic trainers and/or patient populations.
Walters said that as a young NATA member at a pivotal point in the association’s history, he felt a great responsibility to help make NATA an inclusive organization.
"I am truly honored and grateful that my colleagues and peers have valued my contributions to the association so highly that they established this award in my name,” he said. “Early in my career, I recognized the need for greater involvement from NATA's diverse members. This realization inspired me to ensure that individuals of color were represented in every aspect of the organization and our profession. This commitment has been central to my volunteer efforts with NATA and the BOC.
“I didn’t aim to be a trailblazer, but this award is a personal honor that acknowledges the collective efforts toward inclusivity and representation. It inspires me to continue advocating for diversity and supporting the next generation of leaders in our field. I look forward to seeing NATA become even more inclusive and representative of all its members."
Barnes/Horton/Johnson EDAC Entrepreneurship Award
Established to recognize an individual and/or company or corporation that has shown dedication and excellence in providing products and/or services that directly impact ethnically diverse athletic trainers and/or patient populations.
Barnes said it’s an honor to have the EDAC Entrepreneurship Award named after him. He added that this recognition highlights his professional journey and commitment to athletic training excellence. It also underscores the importance of diversity, perseverance and entrepreneurship in influencing the future of sports medicine.
“To me, this award signifies the power of breaking barriers and creating opportunities for others, especially within underrepresented communities,” he said. “It inspires me to continue paving the way for the next generation of diverse leaders and to foster an environment where hard work, passion and innovation are celebrated. I am deeply humbled by this distinction and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the legacy of athletic training.”
Horton said he is proud to receive this commendation because of the hard work involved in the development of EDAC.
“Thirty-eight years ago, I, [Barnes], the late Billy Hill and the late Demetrious Johnson set out on a mission to raise awareness about and understanding of the athletic training profession,” he said. “Next, we provided an avenue for future minorities to become members of NATA and, subsequently, certified athletic trainers. The Minority Athletic Trainers Committee provided the foundation that later became EDAC and assisted such notable NATA members as Scottie Patton [DAT, LAT, ATC] and [Conway], along with many others. I am honored that mission continues today.”
Reflecting on Johnson’s influence on the diversity landscape of the profession, Conway said he praised Johnson for his momentous work. Johnson was the only non-athletic trainer who has ever earned the Bill Chisolm Professional Service Award.
THE BILL CHISOLM PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AWARD: THE WHO AND WHY
Since 1994, the Bill Chisolm Professional Service Award has been presented by EDAC to recognize individuals who have contributed to the development and enhancement of ethnically diverse athletic trainers. The recipient is selected by the committee and isn’t required to be a member of an underrepresented ethnically diverse population.
Who is Bill Chisolm and why name an award in his honor?
William “Bill” Daniel Chisolm, who died May 6, 1993, was a long-time NATA member and served on the NATA Ethnic Minority Advisory Council. He was also a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Corrective Therapy Association.
Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Chisolm received a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Xavier University in New Orleans and a degree in corrective therapy from Tuskegee University in Alabama.
After serving in the Korean War, he worked in Brooklyn, New York, as a corrective therapist at Fort Hamilton’s Veteran’s Hospital. He then accepted a position as an athletic trainer at Long Island University in New York, where he earned a master’s degree in business.
Chisolm ended his career in September 1992 when he retired from Brooklyn College after 22 years as an assistant professor in sports medicine.
Although an outstanding teacher and coach, Chisolm was best known for his service as director of the Sports Rehabilitation Center and coordinator of the athletic training program at Brooklyn College in New York City. According to the “In Memoriam” section of the July 1993 NATA News, he was always available to anyone who entered the athletic training facility at Brooklyn College, creating a friendly and supportive atmosphere.
In 1994, the council chose to name its Professional Service Award in honor of Chisolm to recognize and highlight the indelible mark he left on his students and the profession.
“His students have gone out to do very, very well,” former EDAC Chair René Revis Shingles, PhD, ATC, said in the January 2000 NATA News article, “Chisolm Leaves Legacy of Education, Excellence.” “His legacy is the mentoring he did for future certified athletic trainers and leaders within NATA.”
The award’s recipient is chosen based on the extent to which they reflect Chisolm’s qualities of service to the profession, commitment to developing athletic trainers and serving diverse patients.
“We try to honor a professional who has continued to mentor ethnically diverse certified athletic trainers as well as provide services for ethnically diverse athletes,” she said in the January 2000 NATA News article.
To learn more about the Bill Chisolm Professional Service Award, visit its awards page.
