Connecticut athletic trainers plan Capitol lobbying day, statewide outreach and grants push to recruit and retain staff

Members of the Connecticut Athletic Trainers Association (CATA) and allied stakeholders at a task‑force meeting this month set a lobbying day at the State Capitol for Wednesday, March 26, and discussed plans for statewide outreach, mentorship programs and potential grant funding to recruit and retain athletic trainers.

The meeting produced concrete next steps, including a Hit‑the‑Hill event next Wednesday at the State Capitol Legislative Office Building, Atrium 2, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., a CATA‑led survey of athletic trainers and athletic directors, and an effort to compile more complete lists of team physicians and who signs standing orders at local schools.

The work is aimed at addressing shortages and retention challenges in secondary‑school and emerging settings by educating stakeholders, expanding mentorship and creating funding streams to support hiring and training.

CATA said it has prepared testimony templates and a one‑page resource with a QR code that links to a preliminary task‑force report and a Google form so volunteers and witnesses can indicate their viewpoint and whether they will testify in person or submit written testimony. “We’ll convene altogether. There’ll be a proclamation of National Authentic Training Month. Our lobbyist will speak. Eleni will speak kind of on this task force and why we’re all here,” a CATA organizer said.

Attendees described multiple outreach channels. Those include attending athletic director (AD) and referee league meetings, putting short seasonal reminder items in AD newsletters, tabling at health and student fairs, and creating high‑school outreach events (CPR/first‑aid and introductory athletic‑training skills) to cultivate local students who might enter the profession.

“Just get the schedules out, get them early. Any changes — it’s more my checklist,” said Bobby, an athletic director, urging improved advance notice from coaches and schedule planners. “You always gotta try to stay a day ahead.”

Task‑force members outlined mentorship and early‑career supports: a CATA‑run series of lunch‑and‑learns and symposium sessions focused on burnout, mental‑health strategies and transition‑to‑practice topics such as communication with ADs and conflict resolution. One attendee described conversations with a certified mental‑health counselor and plans for a series of events to teach both clinical red flags and self‑care strategies for athletic trainers.

On the funding front, meeting participants discussed a governor‑sponsored bill pending in the statehouse that, as drafted, would cover multiple health professions and includes a provision described in the meeting as “specific to athletic trainers about developing grants to bring athletic trainers into the state.” “There is a bill before the state house right now that was actually introduced by the governor,” one organizer said. Meeting participants said they will seek clarification of the bill’s definitions and consider asking to be explicitly added to the bill language or included in related appropriations requests.

Attendees cautioned that even if language exists in the bill, any funding must be approved by the Appropriations Committee and by the legislature. “The bill is going to be sent to appropriations, and they have to approve any kind of money,” an attendee said, noting fiscal constraints and uncertainty at the state and federal levels.

Other operational follow‑ups include: creating a short survey of athletic trainers to identify recurring frustrations and resource needs; coordinating CATA material to be shared with league commissioners for monthly AD meetings; asking CIAC and CAD for slots to present at new‑AD orientations; and attempting to gather names for officials’ contacts to solicit testimony about how athletic trainers improve game safety and operations.

CATA leaders said they will circulate meeting minutes and asked attendees to add any missing tangible items so the group can assign follow‑up tasks. The task force scheduled its next meeting for April 11 at noon.

There were no formal votes or motions during this meeting. Discussion items were described as planning and outreach steps; the only legislative action noted was the bill under review, which the group said requires further clarification before anyone can claim concrete funding outcomes.