The Georgia Athletic Trainers’ Association has announced the recipients of the Dr. Champ Baker, Jr. Young Professional Athletic Trainer Leadership Award. The award was created through the generosity of Dr. Champ L. Baker, Jr. of the Hughston Clinic in Columbus, GA with the intent of assisting with continuing education endeavors for one or more GATA Young Professional members in their first 12 years of certification as an athletic trainer.
Dr. Kadeemya Cooper is fresh off the completion of a DAT and works as an athletic trainer for Bainbridge High School. Kadeemya feels that helping people is her calling and her love for athletic training continues to grow with each passing year in the profession. Her goal is to be an advocate for other young professionals and help them succeed through mentorship and guidance. She is praised for her ability to think outside the box to go above and beyond to care for her athletes. Coop, as she is known by many, is praised for her compassion and her unwavering drive to overcome any obstacles that stand between her and being a better athletic trainer. Kadeemya shows much promise as a young leader, already serving on the GATA Ethnic Diversity Committee and the SEATA Early Professional Committee and making plans to move up to larger leadership roles.
Sherman Howze works for Hamilton Medical Center as the Head Athletic Trainer for Dalton State College. Sherman became an athletic trainer to help as many athletes – physically, mentally, and emotionally – as possible. His to professional goal in serving his athletes is to prepare them for life after sports as citizens, parents, and spouses. He is well-respected as a leader among his peers, serving as the Chair of the SSAC Athletic Training Committee, a board member for the NAIA-ATA, and a member of the NCAA ICSM Committee. Sherman is praised for his combined character and competence while maintaining a level of judgment and loyalty that is consistent beyond his years, all the while working to provide better health care in the most efficient and economically sound manner possible. He is considered a mentor, colleague, confidant, friend and overall great person who is an excellent representation of what a young professional athletic trainer should be.
The Georgia Athletic Trainers’ Association is an organization committed to the education of its members and enhancement of the profession of athletic training, leading to better healthcare for the population which it serves. The GATA is proudly composed of over 1000 licensed athletic trainers – ranging from professional, collegiate, and high school teams to industries, physician offices, and rehabilitation clinics – all working together to promote and practice the profession of athletic training within the state of Georgia. Follow the GATA on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.