2020 - John Cottone

John Cottone served as the program director of the SUNY Cortland Athletic Training (AT) Program for 22 years (1985-2008), and the Head Athletic Trainer of Cortland’s athletic programs (1985-2000). He has educated, developed and mentored hundreds of ATs. Cottone has provided AT Education program development consultation (1994-2008) and accreditation reviews for AT Education programs (via CAATE) (1983-2008). He provided leadership in Dean positions at Cortland since 2008 and served as Dean of Professional Studies, overseeing six academic departments. He served as NYSATA’s elected President (2008-2010) and Hall of Fame committee member (2006-2020). In 2007 he received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service, in recognition of outstanding and sustained service and significant contribution to institutional quality. Cortland AT Alumni developed an endowed scholarship in his name (2008), given out each year to a SUNY Cortland student majoring in AT who must demonstrate academic and clinical excellence as well as service to the community and the profession.

Awards: NYSATA Sheehan Award (2002) & Hall of Fame (2021). SUNY  Chancellor’s Award (2007)

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2020 - Steve Donohue

Steve Donohue has worked in professional baseball since his graduation from the University of Louisville in 1979. He has served the Head Athletic Trainer of the West Haven Yankees – Nashville Sounds, and the Columbus Clippers, before working with the New York Yankees as an Assistant, and current Head Athletic Trainer since 2012. Steve has long been an advocate for and active in the profession of Athletic Training. He has served on the Gatorade Advisory Board, Major League Baseball Medical Research Committee, the PBATS Hall of Fame Committee and the Major League Baseball Medical Advisory Board.

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Steve has been recognized for his professional service with the PBATS 20 Year Service Award, the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainers Award in 2018, twice as the PBATS Major League Athletic Trainers Staff of the Year, three times as the Major League Baseball All Star Game Athletic Trainer and is a member of the Westchester Community College Hall of Fame. He has been the lead or co-author of many articles from Progressive Throwing programs to articles on Dermatology. 

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Steve has always been willing to help and mentor any AT in New York, be it in the form of career guidance, taking phone interviews from Athletic Training Students enrolled in programs at universities and colleges in New York State, and of course educating others about the profession of Athletic Training.

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Long-time Head Athletic Trainer and his predecessor Gene Monahan best stated, “Steve demonstrated impeccable professionalism, tireless devotion to duty, and character unequalled; He is the epitome and class of our wonderful profession.”

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2018 - Deanna Errico

Deanna Errico is a graduate of the University at Buffalo (BSc), Alfred University (MEd), Clarkson University (MPT), and Simmons College (DPT). She worked as an athletic trainer at Wells College and St Lawrence University, and completed her education to become a physical therapist in 2002. Her academic career includes teaching at Clarkson University and Utica College in their DPT programs. Deanna started her involvement of AT leadership as NYSATA secretary which led to involvement with the EATA as Information Center Chair and EATA secretary. She also held roles as the Hall of Fame Chair and regional representative for NYSATA. With the Hall of Fame committee, she instituted a new display for the Hall of Fame including the new location, and organization of the 40th anniversary celebration and Hall of Fame unveiling at SUNY Cortland (2016). While president of the NYSATA, she wished to get more members involved in the association through task forces and projects. A major undertaking was the effort to guide development of a plan to improve the scope of practice for ATs in NYS. This initiative began with drafting a new bill – guided through a task force led by Deanna, but her efforts have continued as NYSATA has worked for the past six years towards passing this bill. She helped orchestrate this process requiring multiple mediated meetings with the physical therapy association and other organizations.  As part of this effort she guided several public relations initiatives with the PR committee including initiation of a public relations campaign to make more people in NYS aware of athletic training, development of a new NYSATA website to support the PR efforts, and the creation of a new NYSATA logo with branding. Additionally, during Deanna’s presidency, NYSATA initiated a Grant program for High School and University ATs to help them develop/improve their athletic training facilities.

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Deanna’s research interests are the environment (writing multiple NATA News articles on this topic), & hypermobility syndrome, and has received NYSATA awards: John Sciera Service Award (2005), the Sheehan Award (2009), and 2018 induction into the NYSATA Hall of Fame. She is the recipient of the EATA Presidential Award (2009), and the Cramer Award (2018). She received the NATA Athletic Trainer Service Award in 2013. 

 

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2014 - Andrew Smith

Andrew Smith, MS, ATC received his Bachelor of Science at Canisius College and his Master of Science Degree at Illinois University at Urbana/Champaign in Kinesiology and Athletic Training.  He worked as an Assistant Athletic Trainer at West Point from 1990-1996 and left there to become an athletic trainer at his Alma Mater (Canisius College) (1996-present) where he is currently the Director of Sports Medicine.

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Andy’s accomplishments are very balanced with service to NYSATA, NATA, NCAA, and other organizations. The highlights are as follows:

NYSATA positions held: President, Past-President, President-Elect (1994-2000), Treasurer (2 yrs.), Region 2 Rep (3 yrs.), Region 7 Rep (1 yr.), Scholarship Committee Member (4 yrs.), Awards Committee Chair (5 yrs. (current)), Website Manager (and creator) (1997-2006). Andy worked tirelessly to change the regulation governing the High School Athletic Trainer Scope of Practice. This amendment included requirement for High School ATCs to have current AED Certification and it was successfully passed during his Presidency. Andy has held positions in District 2 including Website Advisory Group, Chairman of the Auditing Committee, and currently continues on the Moyer Award Committee.

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Nationally Andy’s contributions include the NCAA Drug Task Force (2013-present), the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects (2010- 2014), and Chairperson for the NCAA Sub-Committee on Drug Testing and Education (2012-2014). As a volunteer for the Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC) he serves as an Exam Development Committee Member (2013-2016), and previously was an On-Site Evaluator and Candidacy Reviewer for the NATA Joint Review Committee on Education in Athletic Training (CAAHEP, now CAATE).

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Andy Smith is a sought after presenter on Sudden Cardiac Emergencies and has presented as a lecturer on other topics and has published in the Journal of Athletic Training as well. He was a contributing member of an NATA consensus statement, “Recommendations on Emergency Preparedness and Management of Sudden Cardiac Arrest in High School and College Athletic Programs” (June, 2006).

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Andy has been recognized by NYSATA previously with the Sheehan Award (2006) and by Canisius College with an Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award (2008).  He was inducted into the NYSATA Hall of Fame on May 31, 2014 in Jamestown NY, during the NYSATA Annual Conference.

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2012 - Tim Kelly

Tim Kelly, MS, ATC, received his. Bachelor of Science, Physical Education. Department of Exercise Science and Physical Education from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa and his Master of Arts, Exercise Science. Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska.

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Following his education, Tim left the mid-west to work as an assistant athletic trainer at the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, and five years later, in 1992, he was named Head Athletic Trainer. He has also served as Academic Staff through the John A. Feagin Orthopedic Sports Medicine Fellowship (2009 – present), and as Adjunct Faculty for the United States Military-Baylor University Post-Professional Sports Medicine-Physical Therapy Doctoral Residency Program (2001- present).

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His athletic training experience includes working as a Medical Advisor Department of the Army, US Army Special Operations, Fort Bragg, NC (1998, 00, 02), Empire State Games, (1996, 1997), United States Olympic Team Staff Athletic Trainer Selection, Atlanta, GA (1996), United States Pan-American Team Staff Athletic Trainer in Mar Del Plata, Argentina (1995), as a US Olympic Sports Festival Staff Athletic Trainer in Los Angeles, CA (1991), and initiated his USOC work as an Intern in Lake Placid, New York. (1990). He worked for the NFL Buffalo Bills as an Intern Athletic Trainer during the Summers 1984, 85, 87, 88, and 89.

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Tim Kelly’s service to the New York State Athletic Trainers’ Association (NYSATA) included positions as a Regional Representative (1992 – 1994) President-Elect, President, Past President (1994 – 2000), the John Sciera Service Award Chairman (2003 – 2008), Thomas Sheehan Award Chairman (2000– 2008) and Thomas Sheehan Award Committee Member (2008-present). He was a member of the New York State Board of Education Committee on Athletic Training from 2001- 2011 with an extended position.

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Tim is currently the Armed Forces Athletic Training Society President-Elect, President, Past-President (2009 – present) and serves as a National Athletic Trainers’ Association Military Mentor, 2007- present, an Approved Clinical Instructor (ACI) and Board of Certification (BOC) Home Study Reviewer. 2000- present, and serves as a medical consultant for the United States Military Academy Preparatory School in Ft. Monmouth, NJ (1992- present).

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He also has presented on the local, regional and national level and has published research. He was honored as the College Athletic Trainer of the Year by the All-American Football Foundation (1999). He also received the NYSATA Thomas J. Sheehan Award (2004), the NATA Service Award (2006), the 1st Lieutenant Derek Hines Memorial Service Award (2008), and the NATA 25 year membership award (2009). In 2012, NYSATA awarded Tim with the Hall of Fame induction. 

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2011 - Kathy Koshansky

Kathy Koshansky, MS, ATC, received her BS in Physical Education, from the State University of New York College at Cortland with a concentration in Athletic Training where she was fortunate to learn under John Sciera, NYSATA founder and first president. She received her Master of Science in Physical Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a specialization in Exercise Physiology/Sports Medicine.

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Koshansky began as the Head Athletic Trainer working with Football at Stony Brook University at a time when it was rare to have a female in such a position. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 1996, promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine in 2004, and serves now exclusively in the athletic training education program.

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Koshansky’s involvement with the United States Olympic Committee’s Sports Medicine Division and Sports Medicine Advisory Committee included her initial work as a Sports Medicine volunteer at the Lake Placid United States Olympic Training Center. She traveled with United States Olympic Development Program women’s soccer teams to France, Italy, and England in 1999 and 2000. She was a member of USA Medical Staff for 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in July-August 2003.

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Her involvement with the Empire State Games Medical Support Staff began in 1979 and after many years of participating, she became the co-head athletic trainer in 1996, and eventually the Head Athletic Trainer in 2004 until the games were placed “on hold.”

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Kathy Koshansky served the New York State Athletic Trainers’ Association (NYSATA) on the Nomination/Membership Committee (1988 – 1989), as treasurer (1990 – 1998), and President-Elect/President/Past President (1998-2004). Kathy served on the D2 Executive Board (2000-2002), District 2 Auditing Committee, (1993-1998).

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For the Board of Certification, Koshansky served as an Oral Practical Examiner for Certification Exam (1991-2006). She was a New York State Education Department Board Medicine/ Committee for Athletic Training Alternate (1993-1998) and then was selected in 2012 to serve on the Board.

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Kathy Koshansky has been honored by NYSATA with the Sheehan Award (2005), the NATA Athletic Trainer Service Award (2006) and was named the Brookhaven Town Woman of the Year (2008). RETURN TO HALL OF FAME PAGE.

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2010 - Jill W Dale

Jill W. Dale MS, ATC, LAT, after working at St. Josephs’ Hospital as the Coordinator of Sports Medicine with outreach athletic training with Elmira Southside HS, Jill and a colleague opened their own clinic: Orthopedic & Sports Therapy Associates where she is a Partner, Clinician, and Practice Administrator (1989-present).  She also works with local high schools, colleges, and professional teams and is an adjunct professor at Corning Community College teaching Introduction to Athletic Training.

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She served as NYSATA Secretary (1990-1994) and was NYSATA Clinical Committee Chair and 3rd Party Reimbursement Chair. She was appointed as an athletic training committee member to the New York State Board of Medicine (2003-07). For the Board of Certification she worked as a Test Site Administration (1996-2006), an Exam Development Panelist for the Practical Exam (1997-2002), and an Examiner Training Program Facilitator (1999-2006).  She was the Chair of the Practical Exam Development Committee (2002-2007) and Chair of the Examination Development Committee (2008-present).

 

Awards: NYSATA Hall of Fame (2010), NATA Athletic Training Service Award (2012), and the BOC Dan Libera Service Award (2004). 

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2010 - Steve Norman

Steve Norman, MA, MEd, ATC, received his BS in Physical Education from SUNY Cortland, His Masters of Arts and Masters of Education from Columbia University. He worked as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Columbia during his education and then became the assistant athletic trainer before going to the Rye Country Day School in Rye, NY to be their Head Athletic Trainer. He also is the Director of the Raquette Lake Camps in Bedford NY (since 1988).

Steve has served with the US Olympic Committee at the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center, and traveled to Houston and Bermuda with various teams before having the opportunity to travel with US Volleyball teams for the 1987 Pan American Games.

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Steve has served as an examiner for the NATA/BOC Licensure exam from 1984-2006. He Served in the NYS Athletic Trainers’ Association as a regional rep (1983-1988), as the President-Elect(1988-1990), President (1990-1992), and the Past President (1992-1994). He also served as the inaugural Joseph Abraham Award Committee Chair. During his tenure in NYSATA he was instrumental in the development and passing of Article 162 giving NYS athletic trainers certification in the state. He also served as a member on the NYS Education Department Athletic Training Board (1994-2000).

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He was honored by the EATA with the Henry Schein Award in 2010 and by the NYSATA with the Hall of Fame Award.

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2009 - Martin S Erb

Martin S. Erb, MS, ATC, (Marty) received his undergraduate degree from Bucknell University and his master’s degree from Indiana University in Physical Education with an emphasis in athletic training. His career began at Colgate University where he became the assistant athletic trainer in 1973 and taught physical education classes; He soon progressed to the head athletic training job in 1975. At the time he was 24 years old, and was the youngest head athletic trainer in the nation. He instructed work-study students in emergency care in order to assist his staff in the athletic training room and became the Coordinator for Sports Medicine Services in 2005 until his retirement in 2008. When he left, the department had grown to 4 full time certified athletic trainers and 2 certified assistant athletic trainers working on one-year contracts.

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He has served on a variety of committees within Colgate University, including the Personnel Review Committee, the Faculty Health Sciences Advisory Committee, the Home Event Management Group, the Athletic Director Advisory Committee, and the Coordinator of the Athletic Department’s Risk Management/Insurance.

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Marty had the great fortune to be able to put to use his graduate thesis when he created a new athletic training room at Colgate. This was partly necessary because Colgate became co-educational shortly after his arrival and no access to the athletic training facility existed for women. He was able to make a number of renovations and acquired additional space to create what is now the Colgate athletic training room.

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Marty Erb served as the President-Elect, President, and Past President of the New York State Athletic Trainers’ Association from 1996-2002, stepping into the president position for NYSATA when certification began in NYS. He also served on the Public Relations Committee from 2000-2002, and the Hall of Fame Committee as the initial developer and then chairperson from 1996-2007. In the early years of NYSATA, he worked as the By-Laws Constitution committee chair (1976-1978) and the Continuing Education committee chair in 1980 and in 1981 the Professional Advancement and Education committee chair. He was appointed as an athletic training committee member to the New York State Board of Medicine from 2003-2007.

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On the District level, Marty served on the NATA Governmental Affairs Committee from 2000-2002 and on the District II Executive Council from 1998-2000. He served as a member of the EATA Moyer Award Selection Committee from 1990-1997.

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Marty’s proudest accomplishment at Colgate was of the work study athletic training program which still exists. He ensured that the students were educated well, and prepared to deal with injuries they may encounter with athletes on the field. The students were provided with formal education but few continued on into the athletic training professions. Over the years eight became certified, while most others went on to medical school or physician assistant school. He was pleased to have the opportunity to mentor young professionals.

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Marty Erb was awarded the NYSATA Thomas Sheehan Award, New York State’s highest award in 2003. He received the EATA Presidential Award in 2008, and was honored with the NYSATA Hall of Fame in January of 2009. Marty was also honored by Colgate University at convocation in 2009 with the prestigious Sidney J. and Florence Felton French prize for Inspirational Teaching. He is now retired from athletic training and lives in Holly Springs, NC.

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2006 - Gene Monahan

Gene Monahan, ATC, has been in the Yankee organization his entire working life, nearly 40 as the Head Athletic Trainer. Considered the Dean of Professional baseball athletic trainers, he has been a fixture in the Yankee dugout, through 4 decades being the consummate professional for the elite athletes who wear the Yankee uniform. Gene started in the Yankees organization in the minor leagues in 1962. Along the way he earned his Bachelor of Science Degree at Indiana University. After completing his degree work, and while maintaining his position with Yankees, he served in US Army Reserve National Guard as a Medical Corpsman, from 1969-1975.

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He became the Head Athletic Trainer for the Yankees in 1973. In a game where longetivity seems to be measured today in terms of months, Gene’s tenure with the Yankees is remarkable. His work with Yankees has long been one of respect by all involved with baseball. He, along with assistant Steve Donahue, were named baseball athletic training staff of the year in 1990 by the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society. He has been the American League All Star Game athletic trainer 4 times, in 1977,1986,1992, and 2003 – once a decade.

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He has been recognized countless times for his professional work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of sportsmedicine’s New York Chapter, The Frank O’Rourke Memorial Award, and the Major League Baseball Service Award, and the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award in 2009. The American Academy of Podiatry honored him in 2010 with the Sports Medicine Excellence in Sports Medicine Award.

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​He has published several times and spoken on many an occasion, sharing his expertise in dealing the problems unique to the throwing athlete. As with most of us, our primary job takes most of our time, and in the case of a professional sport athletic trainer, that is especially true. But Gene has found time to help in other areas of the profession, including work with the NATA Public Relations Committee, as well as chairing the PBATS Scholarship Committee for the past 18 years.

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​He is active with the Princeton Child Development Institute, which is involved with research on autism. Nascar Racing remains a primary interest for Gene, and is an honorary member of the MB-2 Motorsports Racing Team and in retirement from the Yankees has become more involved with them.

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2005 - Rick Zappala

Rick (Frederick) Zappala, MS, ATC has been the Athletic Trainer at Paul D Schreiber High School in Port Washington, NY since 2003.  Prior to arriving at Port, he was the Head Athletic Trainer at Hofstra University from 1981 to 2003. He served as program coordinator of the athletic training minor (1981-86) and was an adjunct assistant professor in the athletic training education program until his departure in 2003.  Before that Zappala was the Head Athletic Trainer at American University (1979-81) where he also taught in the physical education department.

 

Rick is a 1978 graduate of Boston College with a BA in Secondary Education and History, and a 1980 graduate of Central Connecticut State University with an MS in Physical Education.  He also worked as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Central Connecticut State.

 

He has worked as an Athletic Trainer with the United States Olympic Committee for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona Spain and at the US Olympic Festivals, in Los Angeles, CA (1991) and Minneapolis, MN (1990), as well as at the Olympic Trainer Center in Colorado Springs, CO (1989).  Rick was the Head Athletic Trainer for the U.S. team at the World Games for the Deaf in 1985, held in Los Angeles, CA.  He has also volunteered as an Athletic Trainer for New York’s Empire State Games.

 

Mr. Zappala has presented at various professional meetings including the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), the Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association (EATA), and at several Sports Medicine seminars.   For the EATA he has held the positions of president-elect (1995-97), president (1997-99), and past president (1999-01).  He was an Executive Committee member (1986-92) and president (1988-92) of the New York State Athletic Trainers’ Association (NYSATA).  From 1985 -94 he served on the NATA’s Placement Committee.  He has also served as a NATABOC examiner.

 

Rick served as a manuscript reviewer for Athletic Therapy Today Journal and for the book Management Strategies in Athletic Training (2nd Ed., Ray R, Human Kinetics, Champagne, IL).  He has also co-authored two articles on knee rehabilitation.

 

Active in community service, Zappala has given many presentations on athletic training to high school and middle school students.  He was also involved in Little League and the Boy Scouts of America.  He has been honored with the New York Parent Teacher Association’s Jenkins Memorial Award (1990), the NYSATA Thomas J. Sheehan, Sr. Award (1992), and was inducted into the NYSATA Hall of Fame in 2005.  He received the EATA Joseph A. Blankowitsch Award (2001), and the EATA Cramer Award (2001).  Most recently he was recognized by the NATA as a Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer award recipient (June 2005).

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2003 - Pete Koeneke

Pete Koeneke, MS, ATC, has been involved in education throughout his athletic training career.  As an undergraduate and graduate student at Indiana State University, he assisted with athletic training laboratory course instruction.  Pete was employed at Rhode Island College as the head athletic trainer and instructor before moving to Canisius College in Buffalo, New York in 1978.  As the athletic training education program director, Koehneke is currently a full professor and chair of the Sports Medicine, Health and Human Performance Department.  Maintaining his Indiana heritage, Pete remains clinically active with the Canisius men’s basketball team in addition to providing health care for the women’s softball team.

 

Pete has been involved on the state, national, and international levels with athletic training education.  In 1994 Pete was honored with the NYSATA Thomas J. Sheehan, Sr. award, in 1998 as an NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer, and in 2000 with the Sayers “Bud” Miller Distinguished Educator award.  Koehneke was a member of the NATA Professional Education Committee and Chair of the Competencies Committee of the NATA Education Council and a member of the NATA World Federation Task Force and the Education Council Executive Committee.  He was elected as chair of the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Athletic Training (JRC-AT) in 1998, and is currently the Director of the Board of Certification.

 

Pete’s philosophy on athletic training education is to prepare students so that he would be confident of their ability to provide health care to his daughters.

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2001 - Tom Sheehan

Tom Sheehan, Sr., ATC, was the Head Athletic Trainer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) for 27 years. His dedication and integrity was such that he became the only non-athlete to be inducted to the colleges’ Athletic Hall of Fame. An extremely hard worker, Sheehan was one of the founders of the Eastern Athletic Trainer’s Association (EATA). He served as its president from 1949-1951 and was also its treasurer for four years. In 1972, he was honored with the Cramer Award for Distinguished Service by the EATA. Tom Sheehan was one of the men responsible for laying the groundwork for the formation of the National Athletic Trainer’s Association (NATA) as well as for the New York State Athletic Trainers’ Association (NYSATA). The contributions made by Thomas Sheehan are ones for which we are all grateful. Tom always had time for others. A good-natured individual, Tom was one of the most popular and respected men in the athletic training profession. The profession would not be where it is today if it were not for his efforts. It is for these reasons that the New York State Athletic Trainers’ Association honored the memory of Mr. Thomas J. Sheehan with the Sheehan Award. It is an award that is presented by NYSATA to the athletic trainer whose character, commitment and achievements in the athletic training profession clearly exemplify the traits of Thomas J. Sheehan Sr. The Award is named after a man whose character, commitment and excellence in the field of athletic training was unsurpassed. In one of the first years of the NYSATA Hall of Fame, Tom Sheehan was inducted.  It demonstrates NYSATA’s respect and admiration for a very special athletic trainer; a founder in our history.

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2000 - Dr. Kent Scriber

Dr. Kent Scriber is a professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences at Ithaca College. Since graduating from Ithaca College in 1972 (BS, Physical Therapy), he has served as a Certified Athletic Trainer for Intercollegiate Athletics and was the Athletic Training Program Director at his alma mater for 30 years. Professor Scriber received his doctorate from Syracuse University.

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Scriber is a member of the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame and in addition to serving Ithaca College student-athletes, Kent has worked with athletes at the international level at the World University Games, Paralympic Games, World Basketball Challenge, Canada Cup, and Epson Ivy Bowl.

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He has been active professionally and has gained recognition numerous times for his valued contributions at the college, state, regional, and national levels. He was the 1990 recipient of the NYSATA Sheehan Award and was inducted into the NYSATA Hall of Fame in 2000. Dr. Scriber is a past-president of the EATA and received the EATA’s Cramer Award in 1995. In 1994 he was selected as an NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer and he was inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in 2000. He was the Pinky Newell Addressee at the 2009 EATA meeting. He had a District 2 scholarship award named after him in 2013, and a Recognition Award through NYSATA named in his honor. The NATA named him a fellow in 2011.

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He has taught nearly 400 students who have become BOC certified, given well over 100 professional presentations, authored numerous articles, and has been involved as a consultant or site visitor for many athletic training education programs.

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1999 - Eddie Abramoski

Eddie Abramoski, MS, ATC, was head athletic trainer for the Buffalo Bills from the team’s inception in 1960 until he retired in 1997. A native of Erie, Penn., he turned to sports medicine after a promising football career was cut short by a back injury at Purdue University. Abramoski was an assistant at West Point before going to the University of Detroit and the Detroit Lions. He was inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in 1986. He was honored with the NYSATA Hall of Fame induction in 1999.

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​1999 - Donald D. Lowe

A native of Marietta, Ohio, Donald D. Lowe, MA, ATC, LAT, earned both bachelors and masters degrees from Kent State University, where he also served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer (1965), assistant athletic trainer (1966-1969) and head athletic trainer (1969-1975).

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In 1975, Mr. Lowe became the Coordinator of Sports Medicine at Syracuse University. Lowe has served the greater Syracuse community and the central New York region by creating the organizational structure and becoming the Executive Director of Onondaga Sports Medicine clinics in 1986. He began working in 2000 as the Head Athletic Trainer at Georgia Institute of Technology but then launched Sports Medicine Management Consultants in 2003.

 

Don Lowe has a multitude of US Olympic Committee experience, highlighted by his services as the men’s basketball athletic trainer in the 1983 Pan American Games, and on the US. Olympic training staff at the 1992 summer Olympic Games in Barcelona.

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​Lowe has served the NATA on various committees and was the Secretary of District 2 from 1982-1992. Don Lowe, along with other New York state athletic trainers, was instrumental in forming the New York State Athletic Trainers’ Association, and served as president of that association from 1984-1986. He was empire state games host athletic trainer, and helped to obtain professional regulation of athletic trainers in New York State. He initiated the creation of the College Athletic Training Society in 1992 and served as the Executive Director.

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​Mr. Lowe has received many awards for his outstanding service. On the state level these include his 1983 Thomas Sheehan award for most outstanding athletic trainer in New York State, and the NYSATA Hall of Fame award in 1999. He was named the National Collegiate Athletic Trainer of the Year by the NATA in 1986, the Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association Cramer’s Excellence Award in 1991, and the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award in 1995. He was selected to the NATA Hall of Fame class of 1999 and was inducted into the NYSATA Hall of Fame that same year.

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1998 - Joseph Abraham

Joseph Abraham, ATC, worked hard to promote the athletic training profession.  He earned both bachelor and master degrees from Ithaca College and then worked with the US Air Corps. In 1945 he was appointed physical education instructor and athletic trainer at Hobart College.  By 1955 he had become director of the PE department and received full professorship.

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Abraham worked as an athletic trainer with the US Olympic team in Mexico City (1968) and again in Munich, Germany (1972).  In 1980 he worked with the US team at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics.

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Joseph Abraham was one of the first professionals to recognize the need for quality athletic training programs at the high school level.  He wrote articles, set up athletic training clinics and conducted surveys in order to make the New York State Education Department realize the importance of athletic trainers in the school system.

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In a career that spanned 40 years, he spent over 20 years as the Eastern Athletic Trainers Association (EATA) Secretary-Treasurer after helping to found it.  He also served as secretary of the NATA for 20 years.

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In 1968 he received the Hobart Alumni Citation for Merit.  He was awarded the Statesmen Athletic Association Annual Award for Outstanding Contributions to Hobart athletics.  In 1979 he was named Hobart Director of Athletic and received Hobart-William Smiths’ highest honor in 1981 which is the Honorary Degree of Humane Letters.  In 1988 he was inducted into the Hobart College Hall of Fame.

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In recognition of his contributions to athletic training, he was inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in 1970 and in 1973 he was honored with the EATA Cramer Award.  He received the New York State Athletic Trainers’ Association Thomas Sheehan Award in 1976, and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in their inaugural class of 1998. 

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​1998 - John Sciera

Throughout his many years in athletic training, John Sciera PT, ATC, been progressive and influential. He graduated from Cortland State Teacher’s College in 1952 and got his physical therapy certification from the State University of New York at Buffalo. After working for several years in Ohio and Michigan, he returned to SUNY-Buffalo and served as athletic trainer there (1958-65) before going to SUNY at Cortland, where he completed his career. Under Sciera’s leadership, Cortland State became the first college in New York to offer an athletic training curriculum. Sciera was also a driving force behind the movement to ban spear-tackling and other harmful practices from football. In 1976 he founded the New York State Athletic Trainers Association and served as its first president. Sciera was an athletic trainer for the All-America Football Games played in Buffalo (1962-65) and for the 1975 Pan American Games. He received the NYSATA Sheehan award in 1978, the NATA 25-Year Award in 1981, and he was honored with the NATA Hall of Fame Award in 1983. He was inducted into the NYSATA Hall of Fame posthumously as part of the inaugural class in 1998. 

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