Bradley University Athletics

Whitson Receives Drug Free Sport Award

Drug Free Sport News Release

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications General 5/9/2017 4:33:00 PM

KANSAS CITY, MO - Joe Whitson, now in his second year as Bradley University Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Training Services, has been recognized as one of five recipients of the 2017 Drug Free Sport Continuing Education Award, as well as a corresponding $1,000 grant, according to an announcement Tuesday by the National Center for Drug Free Sport®, in partnership with the Kansas City Community Foundation.

According to Tuesday's news release, Drug Free Sport established the Continuing Education Award in honor of the work high school and collegiate certified athletic trainers perform to prevent drug abuse, in correcting dietary supplement misinformation and as safeguards on the front lines of preventing addiction. Drug Free Sport is the industry leader in sport drug testing and sport drug education and since 2013, the organization has granted more than $28,000 in continuing education funds toward certified athletic trainers in high schools, colleges and universities across the United States.

"Drug Free Sport continues to provide opportunities for athletic trainers through education and service," said Whitson. "The continuing education award program is another fine example of its commitment to athletic trainers and the welfare of the student-athletes we serve. I am extremely appreciative of being selected as one of this year's recipients. I applaud Drug Free Sport for its commitment to athletic trainer continuing education."

Whitson's fellow 2017 award recipients are Tandi Hawkey, Senior Athletic Trainer at UCLA; Chris Lacsamana, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine at Jacksonville State University; Casey Northcraft, Assistant Athletic Trainer at Creighton University; and Mike Van Bruggen, Head Athletic Trainer/Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine at Carson-Newman University.

Whitson joined the Bradley staff in February 2016 from Illinois State, where he was Associate Athletics Trainer and spent the previous 10 seasons as the primary athletic trainer for the Redbirds football team. A member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association and the Illinois Athletic Trainers' Association (IATA), Whitson serves on the IATA Board of Directors and he is the state of Illinois representative to the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers' Association (GLATA) with positions on the GLATA Finance Committee and Honors and Awards Committee.

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