Westminster's Thompson Receives MoATA Outstanding Service Award
Westminster's Head of Athletic Training and Performance Josh Thompson received the 2016 Glenn L. McElroy, MD Outstanding Service Award presented by the Missouri Athletic Trainers' Association (MoATA) on Saturday, June 4, at the MoATA State Meeting in Kansas City, Missouri.
"I am humbled and appreciative that the MoATA feels I am deserving of this prestigious honor," said Thompson.
The Glenn L. McElroy, MD Outstanding Service Award is a prestigious award given to an individualwho played an exemplary role in the profession of athletic training. The recipient of this award has provided remarkable service to the profession of athletic training and to the patients they serve.
Thompson is in his 14th year as a head athletic trainer and his 11th year as head of athletic training and performance at his alma mater, Westminster College. He is in charge of coordinating the athletic training needs of the 18-sport athletic program while also creating and monitoring the strength and conditioning programs for the female student-athletes at Westminster.
Thompson is a Westminster College graduate, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in 2000 with degrees in sports medicine and education. He went on to complete his Masters of Education in health and wellness promotion at the University of Cincinnati in 2002, and has been a certified athletic trainer since 2000.
Thompson was announced in March as the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Division III Athletic Trainer of Year and will receive the award on June 24, 2016. In 2015, Thompson received the William T. Griffin Award from the NATA for his outstanding leadership in legislative advocacy, and in 2009, he was named the MoATA Athletic Trainer of the Year. He was also a prominent contributor in the 2011 Missouri's Interscholastic Youth Sports Brain Injury Act.
Currently, Thompson is serving as the MoATA Governmental Affairs Chair and is on the State and Regional Planning Committee for the Department of Health's Annual Sport Concussion Seminars.
He is a certified instructor for the American Red Cross in both Lay Responder and Professional Rescuer certifications. He is also a certified instructor for Human Trainers and became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist in 2014.
Dr. McElroy, was a physician in Columbia, MO who dedicated his time and practice to providing excellence in the field of sports medicine. A tremendous supporter of athletic trainers in the state of Missouri, he emphasized the need for athletic trainers in Missouri schools and at all sporting events. He valued the athletic trainer the primary health care professional in treating athletic injuries. He was willing to share his knowledge and expertise with athletic trainers. Most of all Dr. McElroy was a very giving and selfless man who went out of his way to help his fellow man. He was a great role model. He was a charter member of the Missouri Sports Medicine Hall of Fame.
Founded in 1851, Westminster College is one of the top liberal arts colleges in America, according to all major educational ranking firms, including U.S. News & World Report, Forbes magazine, The Princeton Review and Washington Monthly. The selective coeducational college is located on an 86-acre residential campus in Fulton, Mo. Westminster offers a challenging academic environment, where students are educated to lead and inspired to achieve. Ninety-six percent of Westminster graduates start their first job or enroll in graduate or professional schools within six months of graduation. For more information, visit westminster-mo.edu.
STORY COURTESY OF WESTMINSTER COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE
