NYSATA president Deanna Errico presented the 2014 Sheehan Award to Syracuse's Tim Neal.
Neal Receives NYSATA Sheehan Award
2/14/2014 1:51:00 PM | General
Syracuse assistant athletics director for sports medicine Timothy Neal, MS, ATC, is the 2014 Thomas Sheehan Award winner, as presented by the New York State Athletic Trainers' Association (NYSATA). The award recognizes commitment and excellence in the field of athletic training. Neal joined the Syracuse sports medicine staff in 1981 and was promoted to his current role in 2005. He is responsible for all aspects of the sports medicine program, including preventive training, first aid, injury management and rehabilitation, and programs for drug testing and eating disorders.
"Tim has been a significant contributor to the promotion of the profession of athletic training and a known professional for as long as I can remember," said National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) president Jim Thornton, MA, ATC, CES. "Before I met Tim personally, I was aware of his professionalism and contributions to the profession. Since our first meeting we have become friends and colleagues working to improve the delivery of athletic health care. His contribution on the topic of the psychological needs of the collegiate student-athlete has been a game changer in the treatment of students-athletes with every kind of psychological problem. Tim is the consummate professional. I cannot think of anyone who deserves this kind of recognition more than he does."
Presented by the NYSATA, the Thomas Sheehan Award is presented to the athletic trainer whose character, commitment and achievements in the athletic training profession clearly exemplify the traits of Thomas J. Sheehan Sr., who was the long-time head athletic trainer at RPI and is one of the founding fathers of the athletic training profession and NYSATA.
"Tim is an incredibly dedicated athletic trainer who represents our profession well in his many activities outside of the excellent work he performs at Syracuse University," said NYSATA president Deanna Errico, PT, DPT, ATC. "Tim has been involved in important roles with both the NYS Athletic Trainers' Association (NYSATA) and the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Tim will continue to represent athletic trainers through his NYS Education Department Athletic Training Board position and other positions with the NATA. The Sheehan Award is one of the top awards given by the NYSATA and the fine work Tim has done makes him very deserving of it."
"It is an honor for me to be selected to receive the Thomas Sheehan Award from the NYSATA. I thank my family for their support as I pursue my great passion for athletic training and providing care to Syracuse University student-athletes," Neal said. "I also thank the very accomplished and committed sports medicine staff and team physicians with whom I have the pleasure work on a daily basis for their contributions in meeting our department's mission in providing quality care. I appreciate the mentorship I have received from Ken Wright and Don Lowe, who is also a Thomas Sheehan Award recipient. I thank the Syracuse University athletics department and University administrations for their support of the sports medicine department. I humbly accept the Thomas Sheehan Award on behalf of the sport medicine staff and look to live up to this award by continuing to provide high quality care to Syracuse University student-athletes and contributing to the advancement of the athletic training profession nationally, as well as in New York State."
A member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), the Eastern Athletic Trainers' Association (EATA), the USOC Sports Medicine Society, and the New York State Athletic Trainers' Association (NYSATA), Neal is also certified as an athletic trainer by the New York State Department of Education.
Neal is a member of the New York State Board of Athletic Training and received the National Athletic Trainers' Association's Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award in 2010. Neal received the 2002 NATA Tough Cases Award for Outstanding Performance in the Athletic Training Profession (2002) for helping to save the life of Conference USA official Gerry Bram during the Syracuse University vs. East Carolina football game on September 29, 2001.
Neal authored the "Catastrophic Incident in Athletics" guideline, and authored revisions in the "Mental Health: Interventions for Intercollegiate Athletics" guideline in the NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook. He served on the panel for the NCAA Concussion in Sport Medical Management Summit. Neal served as NATA Liaison to the NCAA Football Rules Committee from 2004-2009, writing language for the helmet contact penalty, defenseless opponent penalty, and the Horse Collar Tackle penalty in college football. He also wrote passages in the Points of Emphasis section of the NCAA Football Rules Book on concussions, hydration, and MRSA. In 2013, Tim served on the NCAA Student-Athlete Mental Health Task Force. Neal has worked on the training staff of Team USA during the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis.
Neal has presented at many national, state, and local sports medicine conferences and written articles on athletic training, catastrophic incident preparedness, risk management, and psychological concerns among student-athletes for many national publications. He serves on the advisory boards of Training & Conditioning Magazine, Athletic Management Magazine, College Athletics and The Law publication, and The Jed Foundation. Neal is a subject matter expert for the Human Performance Resource Center for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Neal earned his bachelor's degree in health education from Ohio University in 1979 and his master's degree in education from SU in 1981. He is an adjunct professor in the exercise science department at Syracuse University.
"Tim has been a significant contributor to the promotion of the profession of athletic training and a known professional for as long as I can remember," said National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) president Jim Thornton, MA, ATC, CES. "Before I met Tim personally, I was aware of his professionalism and contributions to the profession. Since our first meeting we have become friends and colleagues working to improve the delivery of athletic health care. His contribution on the topic of the psychological needs of the collegiate student-athlete has been a game changer in the treatment of students-athletes with every kind of psychological problem. Tim is the consummate professional. I cannot think of anyone who deserves this kind of recognition more than he does."
Presented by the NYSATA, the Thomas Sheehan Award is presented to the athletic trainer whose character, commitment and achievements in the athletic training profession clearly exemplify the traits of Thomas J. Sheehan Sr., who was the long-time head athletic trainer at RPI and is one of the founding fathers of the athletic training profession and NYSATA.
"Tim is an incredibly dedicated athletic trainer who represents our profession well in his many activities outside of the excellent work he performs at Syracuse University," said NYSATA president Deanna Errico, PT, DPT, ATC. "Tim has been involved in important roles with both the NYS Athletic Trainers' Association (NYSATA) and the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Tim will continue to represent athletic trainers through his NYS Education Department Athletic Training Board position and other positions with the NATA. The Sheehan Award is one of the top awards given by the NYSATA and the fine work Tim has done makes him very deserving of it."
"It is an honor for me to be selected to receive the Thomas Sheehan Award from the NYSATA. I thank my family for their support as I pursue my great passion for athletic training and providing care to Syracuse University student-athletes," Neal said. "I also thank the very accomplished and committed sports medicine staff and team physicians with whom I have the pleasure work on a daily basis for their contributions in meeting our department's mission in providing quality care. I appreciate the mentorship I have received from Ken Wright and Don Lowe, who is also a Thomas Sheehan Award recipient. I thank the Syracuse University athletics department and University administrations for their support of the sports medicine department. I humbly accept the Thomas Sheehan Award on behalf of the sport medicine staff and look to live up to this award by continuing to provide high quality care to Syracuse University student-athletes and contributing to the advancement of the athletic training profession nationally, as well as in New York State."
A member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), the Eastern Athletic Trainers' Association (EATA), the USOC Sports Medicine Society, and the New York State Athletic Trainers' Association (NYSATA), Neal is also certified as an athletic trainer by the New York State Department of Education.
Neal is a member of the New York State Board of Athletic Training and received the National Athletic Trainers' Association's Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award in 2010. Neal received the 2002 NATA Tough Cases Award for Outstanding Performance in the Athletic Training Profession (2002) for helping to save the life of Conference USA official Gerry Bram during the Syracuse University vs. East Carolina football game on September 29, 2001.
Neal authored the "Catastrophic Incident in Athletics" guideline, and authored revisions in the "Mental Health: Interventions for Intercollegiate Athletics" guideline in the NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook. He served on the panel for the NCAA Concussion in Sport Medical Management Summit. Neal served as NATA Liaison to the NCAA Football Rules Committee from 2004-2009, writing language for the helmet contact penalty, defenseless opponent penalty, and the Horse Collar Tackle penalty in college football. He also wrote passages in the Points of Emphasis section of the NCAA Football Rules Book on concussions, hydration, and MRSA. In 2013, Tim served on the NCAA Student-Athlete Mental Health Task Force. Neal has worked on the training staff of Team USA during the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis.
Neal has presented at many national, state, and local sports medicine conferences and written articles on athletic training, catastrophic incident preparedness, risk management, and psychological concerns among student-athletes for many national publications. He serves on the advisory boards of Training & Conditioning Magazine, Athletic Management Magazine, College Athletics and The Law publication, and The Jed Foundation. Neal is a subject matter expert for the Human Performance Resource Center for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Neal earned his bachelor's degree in health education from Ohio University in 1979 and his master's degree in education from SU in 1981. He is an adjunct professor in the exercise science department at Syracuse University.
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