The wait is over! After receiving over 800 nominations this year (phew!), we’re thrilled to finally announce the top 10 nominees for the 2024 Perry Weather AT Excellence Awards. Our judges read through every entry, looking for a passion for sports medicine that goes above and beyond. While every AT is a winner in our eyes, these nominees rose to the top.
Building upon the extraordinary legacy of last year’s winner, David Csillan, these ten nominees represent the very best of the profession. Here’s a sneak peek at what makes them so special:
1. Mack Harvey, Dutch Fork High School, 34 Years Experience
“An athlete had a very significant surgery right around the Christmas holidays. Mr. Harvey met him at the school on Christmas Day to change his dressing. There are not many people that would sacrifice time away from their family to do this for an athlete, especially knowing how valuable family time is for an athletic trainer.”
2. Windee Skrabanek, Temple High School, 21 Years Experience
“Windee not only teaches her students the skills to help athletes during practices and games, but she invests in the individual. She takes her students on college visits. She helps them with public speaking and builds their confidence. She has taken classes in cupping and needling to further enhance treatment of the athletes she serves. The greatest thing Windee has done as an Athletic Trainer is save a life. She performed CPR and that kid is alive today because of Windee’s quick response.”
3. Chris Polsinelli, Notre Dame Preparatory School, 23 Years Experience
“Chris has been the leader of the emergency response team, and served as the first point of contact on athletic injuries and return-to-play standards in an athletic program where 77% of the student body plays at least one sport and there are over 160 coaches. Chris developed a class for athletic training after high school. He built the course syllabus, objectives, lectures, and exams based on his own research and experiences.”
4. Dr. Amanda Andrews, Life School Oak Cliff Secondary, 19 Years Experience
“Dr. Andrews provides individualized treatments to our student-athletes. She has been called several times when the school nurse is not around to assist in whatever is needed. She provides targeted interventions and is the best when it comes to crisis management and emergency preparedness. She ensures medical bags, emergency equipment are all filled, have batteries, and things are in place.”
5. Jen Chimienti, Three Village Central School District, 25 Years Experience
“One of Jen’s most remarkable achievements has been her leadership in expanding the availability of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) machines within the Three Village School District. Recognizing the importance of prompt medical intervention in cases of sudden cardiac arrest, Jen spearheaded initiatives to ensure that AED machines are readily accessible not only in athletic facilities but also across the district. Her proactive measures have potentially saved countless lives and underscore her dedication to the welfare of students and staff alike.”
6. Robert Stevenson, Northwest High School, 17 Years Experience
“As a leader within the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Robert serves as a beacon of inspiration, guiding young athletes not just in physical fitness but also in spiritual and moral growth. This integration of character development into his coaching is truly commendable, shaping athletes not only as competitors but as well-rounded individuals.”
7. Kaitlyn Deshaies, IMG Academy, 14 Years Experience
“Kaitlyn helped develop an Injured Athlete Program that individualized return-to-play plans for athletes out of sport for extended periods of time (greater than 30 days or more). This has greatly benefited the athletes and improved their ability to practice and compete in the sports they love. She has led a critical arm of the IMG Academy Treat My Injuries Journey work focused on enhancing efficiencies and the overall student-athlete experience.”
8. Emily Renna-Beers, Danbury (CT) High School, 15 Years Experience
“Emily handles concussion management for Danbury’s 1,300 athletes, manages the budget for the athletic training program, handles all the communication with parents of injured athletes, and handles all the medical insurance claims for athletes. In addition Ms. Renna-Beers created the existing return to play protocol used by the Danbury Public Schools for athletes who suffer a concussion.”
9. Erin Long, Johns Hopkins University, 16 Years Experience
“Erin helped create and organize a Female Athlete Health and Performance Seminar. She organized a group of experts from Johns Hopkins to cover topics including the relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S), menstrual cycle, training/sports performance, nutrition, and mood / mental health. Erin took the initiative to listen to the students’ needs, plan a deliberate response to address the gap, coordinate the programming, and execute in a way that had not yet been done.”
10. Dustin Rush, Frenship ISD, 13 Years Experience
“When a student is transported to the hospital for an injury, Coach Rush is the first one there by the bedside to visit the student AND the family – making sure they have what they need and feel supported by Frenship. This isn’t a one-time deal. Coach Rush does this all the time, and as a Frenship ISD administrator, I find comfort in knowing our Frenship families feel supported during some of the most difficult and traumatic moments in their lives.”
Who will win the Grand Prize of a $2000 Sports Medicine Scholarship Fund? Stay tuned as we announce the winner soon!
