APSU's Kimmel elected president of National Athletic Trainers Assocation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
F-03 BK/bk 10/22/348
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- Chuck Kimmel, Austin Peay State University athletic trainer for the last 23 years, has
been elected president of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA).
Kimmel will take office in June 2004 and will serve in that capacity through 2006. He will succeed Julie Max, the
athletic trainer at Cal State Fullerton.
"This is quite an honor," Kimmel said. "When I became involved in the NATA several years ago, this was not some-
thing I went into seeking or even thought about. So I am humbled by what has transpired.
"I am excited about the position and the opportunities it presents. Plus, I hope the attention this office receives will
benefit Austin Peay as well. I really want to thank Coach (Dave) Loos (APSU athletics director) and Dr. (Sherry) Hoppe
(APSU president) for allowing me the opportunity to seek this position and our athletic training room staff for their support in
this."
Kimmel currently serves as NATA District IX director and chair of the NATA Finance Committee. His new duties will
include working with the fulltime staff at the NATA office in Dallas as well overseeing a 10-member board of directors that
represent all geographical areas in the country. He will represent NATA at nationwide meetings as well and meetings within
the organization. The NATA is a group of 30,000 members.
"We are certainly excited for Chuck," Loos said. "It is a honor well deserved and earned. It reflects what we all know
about Chuck--he is one of the best in his profession and we are proud to have him as a part of our athletic department. And
it reflects well on his athletic training room staff.
"Holding this office will provide exposure for the University and our athletic program. One thing that we all agree upon,
Chuck carries the banner well for Austin Peay."
Kimmel is in his 23rd season as Austin Peay athletics trainer for all men and women's sports and 12th as assistant
athletics director. Kimmel came to APSU from East Tennessee State, where he served three years as assistant trainer after
obtaining his master's degree (1978). In November 1990, Kimmel was appointed assistant athletics director. Among his
duties, he is director of the sports medicine program and facility supervisor. He also directly oversees some of APSU's 16
sports.
Kimmel is certified by the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) and licensed by the state of Tennessee. He
served as president of the Tennessee Athletic Trainers' Society (TATS) from 1989-1993, and received the 1991 TATS College
Athletic Trainer Of The Year.
Kimmel served from 1981-1992 as exhibits chairman for the Southeast Athletic Trainers Association (SEATA). He
was presented that organization's district award in 1988 and its Service Award in 1997.
He was elected SEATA president in 1998 after serving as secretary/treasurer of SEATA from 1992. He was elected
District IX director for NATA in 2000 and was co-chair of the host committee for Summer 2000's national convention. In
summer 2001, he was elected NATA secretary/treasurer for the 2001-02 year.
In January 2001, Kimmel was inducted into the TATS Hall of Fame. Previously, he received the NATA Most Distin-
guished Athletic Trainer Award.
Kimmel was honored in spring 1995 by spending two weeks working at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colo-
rado Springs, Colo.
Born in Hopkinsville, Ky., Kimmel grew up in Frankfort, Ky. (1972 Franklin County High School graduate). He is a
University of Kentucky graduate (1976), having served as a student athletic trainer for the football team three seasons and
the Wildcats NIT basketball championship club his senior season. He next moved to East Tennessee.
He and his wife, Patty, have three children, Chad, age 23, who is the assistant marketing and promotions director at
Kansas State after graduating from Austin Peay in 2002; Meredith, 21, a senior pre-law major at Memphis University, and
Adam, 18, who is serving as a student assistant in the APSU athletic training room.