Mar. 21, 2023
Open Comment on Proposed Professional Outcomes Standards
The CAATE Board of Commissioners approved, for open comment, changes to Standards 2, 4, 5, and 7 along with revised glossary definitions pertaining to those standards for the 2020 CAATE Professional Program Standards, during the February 2023 board meeting. The CAATE Professional Standards Committee and Professional Accreditation Council proposed the changes as charged by the Board of Commissioners following the changes to the bright-line standards at the February 2022 meeting.
The CAATE Professional Standards Committee will evaluate and incorporate the feedback before returning it to the Professional Accreditation Council and the CAATE Board of Commissioners for final approval. The open comment period closes on March 31, 2023. Those wishing to share their thoughts on these changes can do so to this form.
Just Launched: The CAATE Foundation
On Feb. 28, the CAATE launched the CAATE Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to serve as a catalyst to advance athletic training education through the promotion of quality improvement, innovation, diversity and best practices for student recruitment.
In alignment with the CAATE’s values of accountability, integrity, leadership, transparency, excellence and collaboration, the CAATE Foundation will:
- Develop and implement an awards program recognizing continuous improvement and innovation within accredited programs
- Develop and implement an awards program recognizing diversity initiatives within accredited programs
- Support student and trainee recruitment for accredited programs
The foundation is being developed to help support accredited programs in ways that an accrediting body cannot. The CAATE Board of Commissioners considered current program enrollment and the desire to support quality improvement and innovation in athletic training education and increase the diversity within our student populations to better represent patient populations. The CAATE Foundation will work collaboratively with other athletic training and health care organizations to further its mission and support accredited programs.
Check Out the New CAATE Accreditation Standards Video Library
The CAATE has been hard at work creating new resources for program administrators to aid in understanding and implementing the CAATE's accreditation standards. As part of this initiative, the CAATE recently launched the Standards Video Library, which contains information on each standard's intent, a summary of how to demonstrate compliance and common challenges programs face in an approachable format.
Special thanks to the following volunteers for their assistance:
- Lindsey E. Eberman, PhD, LAT, ATC
- Zachary K. Winkelmann, PhD, SCAT, ATC, CHSE
- Luzita Vela, PhD, LAT, ATC
- Carlitta M. Moore, EdD, LAT, ATC
- Amanda J. Tritsch, PhD, LAT, ATC, CSCS
- Nicolette Harris DAT, LAT, ATC, CSCS
- Ryan Krzyzanowicz, DAT, ATC
- Samar Long, EdD, AT, ATC
- Jessica R. Edler Nye, PhD, LAT, ATC
- Taylor Wilmoth, DAT, LAT, ATC
- Jessica Barrett, PhD, LAT, ATC
- Barton Anderson, DHSc, ATC
- Tamaria Hibbler, MS, LAT, AT, ATC
- Jolene Henning, EDD, ATC, LAT
2020-2021 CAATE Analytic Report Now Available
The 2020-2021 CAATE Analytic Report is now available on the CAATE website. Released annually, the eighth edition of the CAATE Annual Report contains detailed demographic information about the accredited programs at the professional, post-professional degree and residency levels.
Volunteer With the CAATE
The CAATE has new opportunities to get involved and make an impact on the profession! Getting involved helps you engage with your colleagues and support the advancement of the athletic training profession. Watch the Involvement Webinar to learn more about volunteering with the CAATE, and visit our website to view our current opportunities!

Volunteer Spotlight: Chris Schmidt, PhD, ATC
When Chris Schmidt, PhD, ATC, was a junior in high school, an opportunity to meet the school’s athletic trainer changed his life forever. Since then, athletic training (AT) has become his life's calling, and over the years he has been able to teach the next generation of athletic trainers and give back to the community through volunteer work with the CAATE. Get to know Chris, including his volunteer work on the CAATE Peer Review Committee and what excites him about the future of the profession in the Q&A below.
What first sparked your interest or got you involved in athletic training?
I was first introduced to the profession as a junior in high school when, fortunately, my high school was able to employ a part-time athletic trainer who was funded through the parent athletic booster organization. At the same time, I was beginning to think about where I wanted to go to college and what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was fairly good at science and math and I had a lot of really good friends who were athletes at my school, even though I wasn't particularly blessed with athletic talent. As I was starting to make life decisions and hang out with my friends at their practices and games, I met and began talking and volunteering with the athletic trainer. Needless to say, that experience lit a fire in me for athletic training and I quickly realized it was my life's calling. It was an amazing time of my life and one that I am forever thankful for. My heart and admiration go out to all secondary school athletic trainers — you are making more of a difference than you realize. Thank you for the difference you made in my life!
Why do you think you were drawn to volunteering for the CAATE and what keeps you motivated every day?
I became a CAATE volunteer to make a positive impact in the lives of my students and my academic and preceptor-clinician colleagues. I was encouraged to become a site visitor/peer reviewer by a former dean as a way to serve my profession and to also fully understand the accreditation process and educational standards. This not only served to improve our program — I was also able to explore and advocate for the many different ways that athletic training education can be delivered. Each day that I serve as a CAATE volunteer, I am motivated to support programs and institutions to achieve the expected level of quality defined by the standards. Quality education and accreditation do not have cookie-cutter approaches. I desire to represent the full breadth and depth of athletic training programs and be a voice on committees and councils for those who have been underrepresented.
Looking back on your time with the CAATE, what is one of your proudest moments?
I am blessed to say that I have had so many proud moments as a CAATE volunteer that I can't boil it down to just one moment. However, I am especially proud of the times when I served as a peer review team chair. I had the opportunity to serve alongside so many capable and collaborative team members, and I am proud that our approach was to help develop and enhance our assigned athletic training programs through the comprehensive review process. Each team I served with brought a developmental approach and engaged in a collaborative conversation with the program. In this way, I believe we demonstrated that the comprehensive review process can be a positive and beneficial experience. For that, I am most proud.
Is there anything you'd like to share that excites you about the future of athletic training or athletic training education?
This is a critical and important time in athletic training education, and it represents a season of growth, development and change. Through volunteer service and steady, collaborative leadership, I believe we can achieve the ultimate goal of improving the educational experience for the next generation of athletic training clinicians as they prepare to have a positive impact on the lives of their patients. For the future of athletic training education, I am excited to see where it goes and I hope to continue to push the boundaries on traditional approaches to curricular content delivery and clinical education. Together, we will innovate in ways that we haven't even considered yet. While much work lies ahead, I know there are bright days on the horizon.
View the Spring CAATE Town Hall Recording
Did you miss the recent CAATE town hall? Catch all the updates from key CAATE leaders on topics such as new officers, volunteer opportunities, the CAATE Foundation, outcome measurements and more in the recorded version.
Congrats to Initially Accredited and Continuing Accreditation Programs
The CAATE would like to extend its congratulations to the athletic training programs who received initial and continuing accreditation during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years.
The following programs successfully attained initial accreditation during the latter part of 2021-2022 academic year:
- Union College
- Colorado State University – Pueblo
- California State University – Fresno
- Utah Tech University
- PennWest University
- University of Cincinnati
The following programs successfully attained continuing accreditation during the 2021-2022 academic year:
- Lasell University
- SUNY – Stony Brook
- Neumann University
- Ohio University (professional)
- Troy University
- Westfield State University
- California State University – Long Beach
- West Virginia Wesleyan College
- University Southern Maine
- University of Nebraska – Omaha
- Sterling College
- Gannon University
- Southern Utah University
- Barry University
- Iowa State University
- High Point University
- Appalachian State University
- South Dakota State University
- Winona State University
- Piedmont University
- Gustavus Adolphus College
- Central Methodist University
- Merrimack College
- Castleton University
- Slippery Rock University
- University of Evansville (master’s)
- Oregon State University
The following programs successfully attained initial accreditation during the 2022-2023 academic year:
- University of Kansas Medical Center
- Indiana State University
- Kansas State University
- University of West Florida
The following programs successfully attained continuing accreditation during the 2022-2023 academic year:
- University of Montana
- Lock Haven University
- Western Carolina University
- Florida International University
- Illinois State University
- Central Connecticut State University
Happy National Athletic Training Month!
Athletic trainers make anything possible. They push boundaries, aid healing and celebrate patients’ success. The CAATE wishes athletic trainers a happy National Athletic Training Month.
We are the start, the finish, the hope along a transformational journey.
We are the healing force, the light on a path to improvement.
We are hard work. We are dedication. We are unstoppable.
We push boundaries, explore opportunities, guide health and wellness.
We know pain, progress, and passion.
We are educators, scholars, practitioners, and patients.
We look forward not back.
We are people. We are power. We are concentration.
We see finish lines as nothing more than a new door to travel through.
We are athletic trainers and we are ready for anything.
Catch Up on Recent Issues of ‘Research to Clinical Practice’
View the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Foundation’s latest “Research to Clinical Practice” newsletters: January 2023 (patient reported outcome measures), February 2023 (sudden cardiac arrest) and March 2023 (documentation of patient care in athletic training).
Upcoming Dates
April 3: CAATE Volunteer Leadership Development Webinar
April 6: Creating a Winning Recruitment Strategy