Advanced Orthopedics of Oklahoma Names Local Candidates for The Newell National Athletic Trainer of the Year Award
Athletic trainers Michael Catterson of Jenks High School, Dan Newman of Union Public Schools and Kyle Whitten of Booker T. Washington High School have a chance to become the athletic trainer selected as the Regional Nominee for The 2019 – 2020 Newell National Athletic Trainer of the Year Award. The athletic trainer selected as the Regional Nominee will advance on to join other Regional Nominees from across the nation to be considered for the National Award. The Regional Nominee will be announced in the coming weeks.
In partnership with local leading orthopedic practices, such as Advanced Orthopedics of Oklahoma in Tulsa, Owasso, Claremore, Bixby, McAlester and Wagoner, The 2019 – 2020 Newell National Athletic Trainer of the Year Award recognizes athletic trainers for the service and leadership they provide to local athletic communities. Nominations for the National Award are based on examples of service, leadership and shared experiences from community members, and nominees are determined regionally.
Catterson has worked as an athletic trainer at Jenks High School since January 2016. Prior to coming to Jenks, he served in different settings and provided athletic health care to a broad spectrum of patients. He completed his undergraduate work at The University of Tulsa and continued his education as a graduate assistant at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He then worked at Deer Creek High School as an athletic trainer and later moved on to Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where he was head athletic trainer before becoming the athletic training program director. He also worked as a sports medicine instructor at Tulsa Technology Center. Catterson currently serves as the head athletic trainer for Jenks High School.
A graduate of The University of Tulsa undergraduate athletic training program and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, graduate kinesiology program, Newman has been a professional athletic trainer since 1996. He has been the head athletic trainer for Union Public Schools since 2002, and he has served in the athletic training profession for over 20 years. During his professional career, Newman has provided care to athletes and the physically active in collegiate, secondary school, clinical and professional settings. Newman’s leadership experience, including serving on state, district and national boards and committees for athletic training, has been focused on the health care of secondary school and youth student-athletes.
Since 2013, Whitten has been dedicated to providing care to the community in which he was raised. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training from The University of Tulsa. While working for Advanced Orthopedics of Oklahoma and covering athletics at his alma mater, Booker T. Washington High School, Whitten has evaluated, rehabilitated and supported hundreds of patients and students over the past six years. At the clinic, Kyle directs a Functional Movement Screen based performance program. He is certified in dry needling, movement restoration and clinical strength.
“We feel very fortunate to work with such incredible medical professionals,” says Dr. Bradford Boone, fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeon at Advanced Orthopedics of Oklahoma. “And we feel honored to acknowledge their efforts by partnering with The Newell Award to recognize the region’s — and potentially, the nation’s — top athletic trainers for the service and leadership they display while treating our community’s athletes.”
Visit TheNewellAward.com/AOOK to learn more about The Newell Award.