This episode of "DedicATed" features host Katie Scott, MS, ATC, CAE, and District Six Director Scott Galloway, MBA, LAT, ATC, as they discuss how Galloway turned his childhood passion for athletic training into a lifelong career. From his early exposure to athletic training in middle school to becoming the head of athletics at White Settlement ISD, Galloway has made significant contributions to the profession through volunteer work.
He discusses the leadership values that have driven his professional growth, his transition from athletic training to athletic administration and the essential qualities, such as business acumen and advocacy, that athletic trainers bring to leadership roles. Galloway also shares his mission to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and access. Tune in to this episode to discover the importance of volunteerism, building relationships and managing conflicts effectively.
“DedicATed” is a series in which we visit with ATs who have a passion for the profession. Whether it’s someone in a leadership role, an AT who is making strides in research or a member who is bringing increased awareness of the profession by working in an emerged setting, “DedicATed” highlights their stories and path as they advance athletic training.
This episode of "DedicATed" features host Katie Scott, MS, ATC, CAE, and District Six Director Scott Galloway, MBA, LAT, ATC, as they discuss how Galloway turned his childhood passion for athletic training into a lifelong career. From his early exposure to athletic training in middle school to becoming the head of athletics at White Settlement ISD, Galloway has made significant contributions to the profession through volunteer work.
He discusses the leadership values that have driven his professional growth, his transition from athletic training to athletic administration and the essential qualities, such as business acumen and advocacy, that athletic trainers bring to leadership roles. Galloway also shares his mission to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and access. Tune in to this episode to discover the importance of volunteerism, building relationships and managing conflicts effectively.
“DedicATed” is a series in which we visit with ATs who have a passion for the profession. Whether it’s someone in a leadership role, an AT who is making strides in research or a member who is bringing increased awareness of the profession by working in an emerged setting, “DedicATed” highlights their stories and path as they advance athletic training.
Have an idea for an episode or series? Send us an email! thenatacast@nata.org
Speaker 1:
I need to tell the story. The problem we have, I believe, not just in our profession but in our association, is that there's a story being told, and if we don't tell the correct one, the wrong story is going to get told, you know, and so I just think it's important that we all do our part to tell the good story of the good things that are happening, personally and professionally.
Speaker 2:
Welcome to the NATA Cast, the official podcast of the National Athletic Trainers Association. The NATA Cast is your audio source for exclusive insight from NATA, our leadership and athletic training thought leaders. This show will feature in-depth conversations about healthcare topics that interest you, the athletic trainer. Today's discussion is part of a special series titled Dedicated, in which we visit with ATs who have a passion for the profession, whether it's in a leadership role, an AT who is making strides in research or a member who is bringing increased awareness to the profession by working in an emerged setting. Dedicated highlights their stories and path as they advance athletic training.
Speaker 3:
Hello and welcome back to the Dedicated podcast series. I'm your host, Katie Scott, Association Project Manager and Certified AT on Staff at NATA. Today's guest is NATA Board of Director Scott Galloway, who represents District 6, and our current treasurer. Hey Scott, thanks for joining us today.
Speaker 1:
It's great to be here. I appreciate the opportunity.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I'm really excited to sit down and talk with you today. You and I have known each other for quite a while, but we've never really gotten in depth about your pathway to becoming where you are today, so I'm kind of excited to ask you some questions about it. Yeah, let's do it. Let's start like right at the beginning. So what was your first exposure to athletic training?
Speaker 1:
Well, I was a middle school student at the time and we were fortunate in my community to have an athletic trainer who worked at our high school and I think he was trying to grow his athletic training program at the high school and he came to our middle school classes and gave some presentations, really just to educate students about who he was and what the profession was about. I think I may have been in a career cluster class or something and I remember thinking, you know, I could see myself doing that long term and so that kind of began my journey. Thinking, you know, I could see myself doing that long term, and so that kind of began my journey.
Speaker 3:
And I joined his team as a high school student, and the rest is history. So they say, as you got into athletic training, when was your first opportunity in volunteerism and why did you take it?
Speaker 1:
Really pretty early in my career I wanted to be involved. My first job out of college was the head athletic trainer at DeSoto High School, which is just south of Dallas, and we were part of the North Texas Athletic Trainer Society and I just felt the need to be involved. I grew up going to district meetings our SWATA meeting, even as a high school student. There used to be programs available for high school students, and so I always saw myself wanting to volunteer and give back to the profession, and so I started as the social committee chairperson for the North Texas Athletic Trainer Society. I mean, I think that may have been in 2001. That's a long time ago. I'm starting to date myself, but that's really where the journey began and I was just able to progress from there as I got to know people and understand what volunteerism meant and what opportunities were available.
Speaker 3:
And then what's been interesting about your journey is it's not been what I would call the usual way. You've had a lot of really unique opportunities that you've been able to serve in, both at the district level and in your role now as an athletic director. Talk to me about your process of becoming on the SWATA Executive Board and the role you served with them, and why you wanted to do it and how it's benefited you to where you are now.
Speaker 1:
My first exposure to being on the SWATA Executive Board really came when I was the chairman of the Texas State Athletic Trainers Association.
Speaker 1:
So at that time both state associations, texas and Arkansas, which make up District 6, had representation on the district board. And so as the chairman of the state association I was selected to be the Texas state rep for the SWATA board. And then I continued to stay on the board because after that I was elected to the district secretary position for District 6. And so I stayed in the room. And then, as my term was ending as district secretary, just as times have changed and the need for continuity of leadership has changed, the board created an operations position, a non-voting position on the board that I assumed on the District 6 board for chief operations officer, which really just I maintained our computer data, really helped with operationalizing our district meeting every year and it just allowed for some continuity because I'd been in the room for so long and so that kind of kept me in leadership within the district. And then eventually I ran for district director. And here we are today.
Speaker 3:
And then, looking on the career side of your path, you serve now as the athletic director. Talk to me about the thought process of going from a role in athletic training to the athletic director and how your skill set has benefited you in the role you play today.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, you know, I think as long as I've been an athletic trainer and even my high school athletic trainer, who I saw as a leader in our school system I always felt like athletic trainers possessed the ability and really the visibility to lead in an athletic department.
Speaker 1:
I think the biggest issue was the barriers to opportunity, and so even early in my career some people may have considered it to be arrogance, but I've always felt like I had the ability to lead in many other areas other than just sports medicine, and so I began to serve and try to give back, wherever I was working at the time in leadership, to those around me, to whether it be coaches or administrative staff, trying to show value in our skill set outside of just clinical practice, and I was slowly given more and more responsibility.
Speaker 1:
Ultimately I did leave the secondary school setting and went to work in the hospital setting for a few years, thinking that that might would expand my leadership opportunities. I got my master's of business administration when I was out doing that, but ultimately my heart was still in sports, in athletics, and I came back to the secondary school setting and then eventually was fortunate to to be asked to lead and enroll in the athletic department and I think athletic trainers are the are the perfect fit for that, for those who possess that passion and those skills. We're the ones who've been on every on every bench and every locker room, on every field or court and have relationships with every coach, and traditionally, especially in Texas, those roles are filled by football coaches, because of the way things are structured and the way things have always been, and I just think it's time for athletic trainers to see themselves as leaders and not see themselves as leaving the profession, but leading the profession as an athletic trainer in a space where there needs to be advocacy for athletic trainers.
Speaker 3:
In your role as treasurer, as well as being able to pick up sort of the chairman role and the executive director role and now as an athletic director, there's definitely a need for a strong business acumen skill set. That you clearly have and that's been one of the coolest things that you and I have been able to talk about is just business acumen, financial literacy, terminology along the way Is that something that's always been a passion of yours or did you pick that up in your athletic training experience, or where did you get that unique skillset?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I think some of it is innate within me. I think I have a passion for the sell. I think I have a passion for marketing my time in the hospital. I worked in business development, but I just think some of it is a lot of it is also personality. You know, I did learn many things from my mentors about, you know, budgeting or working the system, so to speak. You know, and trying to find ways to get what you need or get what you want Sometimes no, is just another opportunity to find another way. You know, and I think those are skill sets that aren't necessarily taught in our curriculums, you know as athletic trainers, but they're things that you learn when you sit around in a circle and you talk to other athletic trainers or you dive into maybe the how and the why other people are operating the way they are.
Speaker 1:
For me, the business side is very important because in general, athletic trainers are working alone. You know it feels like across the country. We're fortunate, you know, in our state and even in our school system, we have four or five athletic trainers in one school, so we kind of have a department, but you talk to many athletic trainers and they're on an island by themselves, or they're one of two, and so they don't have somebody who's really watching out for their best interests, or they don't have a seat at the table, you know, when it comes to the business side, of whether it's the school setting or the hospital setting or wherever they're practicing. And so I think it's just important that there's a fundamental understanding, and that's one of the passions I have is helping others understand how to accomplish their goals and how to communicate with key stakeholders and have those conversations that help move them forward from an advocacy standpoint.
Speaker 3:
So, looking back on all of this success you've had, both on your career and on the volunteer side, if you could go back to that 21 year old, what advice would you give him?
Speaker 1:
I would say do everything that you did with the same passion that you did it, but just do it with a little more respect for those who have come before you. You know, I think early in my career, because I didn't want everything and I wanted it right now. And for those who didn't share my vision, I think I was critical of maybe their lack of passion or what they didn't have and what I felt like they could have achieved, of passion or what they didn't have and what I felt like they could have achieved. But I've learned over the years that it's not from a lack of want to.
Speaker 1:
All athletic trainers want to have more staff and better pay and great facilities and great job situations. A lot of it has to do with having the skills and the personality and the support to get to that place. And I think now, as I'm older, I feel like that's part of my role. You know is, at one time I was mentoring students and I still do. But now, in the role I'm in now, I feel like my job is to mentor younger professionals and even seasoned professionals in some strategies that can help advance and enhance their work situations and their settings to advance not only their personal careers. But ultimately, as we all do that individually, we're advancing our profession, we just. Everybody has to see it that way.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, that's really good. The other thing I wanted to ask you today, Scott, is, as I've been networking with various leaders outside of athletic training, one of the first questions they ask me in our networking conversations is what are my leadership values? What have I established as personal leadership values? And it's been a really interesting conversation and something that I've done some external exploration about, but curious to know if you've established any personal leadership values yourself.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I think for me what I've learned helps the value that makes me, I think, the most effective is establishing relational equity with those I'm leading. I think there's the old adage of people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care, and I know that that gets overused a lot, but I think there's a lot of truth. Without an investment of the people that you serve with, it's very difficult for them to trust that you have their best interest at heart as you lead, Because sometimes there's going to be hard conversations and sometimes no is an option and people have to trust and believe that if you have to say no or we have to disagree, that we don't have to have. It doesn't have to be personal.
Speaker 1:
You know there are things in leadership, especially in an organization, that are personnel driven you know, and it's not personal, and I think so often when there's not relational equity built, when those conversations come up or there has to be redirection or you have to make a big ask, it feels very personal, you know, and so I definitely, definitely, that's an area that I feel like is really important. It's establishing relational equity in the organization, not just among the leader and those around the leader, because I don't really believe leadership is positional. That's just something I truly believe. I think leadership can be executed by anybody in the organization, you know, but I think when there's relational equity amongst the group as a whole, then others will respect those who don't have positional leadership when they try to lead. There'll be some automatic respect given and some honor given to those who are, who are stepping forward to make a difference difference.
Speaker 3:
So, scott, the summer you were inducted into the Slaughter Hall of Fame, which that was really cool to be able to witness in person and watch you accept that honor, and during your acceptance speech you got really passionate talking about DEIA and all the ways that you have been able to infuse that into your workplace and throughout your career. You also serve on our DEIA task force, so I know this is something that hits very close and is very personal to you.
Speaker 1:
Tell me more about that, yeah.
Speaker 1:
So I think I've always had a passion for DEIA. I did not grow up in a community that had a healthy respect for diversity, just the way that it was. We still had a part of our town that was segregated, where it felt that way, you know. And so my first job was at DeSoto High School, south of Dallas, which was at the time a predominantly African-American community, and I was the minority, you know, in that community. But I never saw that as a barrier. I was accepted. I built great relationships with students and parents and the community. I built great relationships with students and parents and the community Ended up having a tragedy in 2002, a student athlete death who ended up having an underlying sickle cell trait which was at the time very much seen by many as a condition that was for African-Americans, which is not the truth.
Speaker 1:
It's not racial, it's a malarial condition in its root. But all of these things over time just kind of grew me into this person with some appreciation for people who are not like me, and then so just getting to the place where I got to see students of my own move on into the profession and hear their stories about going to universities and how they felt and having real conversations with them about their experiences as an African-American man in a predominantly white university or whatever it may be. As everything came to a head with the George Floyd incident and I was privileged enough to serve on the DEIA task force, it just really, it really culminated in a personal mission for me to make sure that I'm doing everything I can to promote and enhance and advance that mission.
Speaker 1:
And so for me as a director, I tried to be very intentional about appointments, very intentional about engaging with our volunteer team and making sure that you know if we have qualified candidates that not just represent necessarily other races, but whether it be gender equity or you know, there's several different important aspects of the DEIA. It's not just about race, but for me it's just very important. It's been a personal mission of mine and I think it's made me a better leader because of it.
Speaker 3:
So, Scott, one of the things that we hear a lot is that there tends to be an overwhelming sentiment among many in the profession regarding burnout and fatigue and the need to protect their time. A lot of times those sentiments prohibit people from volunteering, especially when asked to put their name into their hat to volunteer for NATA. What would you say to athletic trainers who may feel right now that volunteering is not worth their time or energy.
Speaker 1:
You know, I have a different type of philosophy when it comes to time, and maybe it's just because it's who I am and it doesn't mean that I'm 100% right. I believe in family and I believe in the importance of mental health and time, but I also know that investment is really important, the only way to get a return, and so you have to give to something to get something back. You put your money in the slot machine in Vegas. That's the only way that you're going to get a reward. You can't stand there and money come out of it without putting something into it, and so I just believe the investment that we make in our profession is what ultimately, is going to give us the return on that investment that everybody seems to want and that takes all of us, and if we all give a little bit of time, it won't take the few who have to give so much time. And I can just say from personal experience the amount of time that I've invested has come back to me tenfold in rewarding relationships, an intrinsic feeling of being a difference maker, seeing some real evidence of change in the profession, not only globally but personally, in my own workplace and other people's workplace around me who can call and say hey, you know, how did you accomplish this? Well, I didn't do it on my own, you know, and I think there's this real, especially right now, in today's time. There's this real sense because of the age of the profession now we're a little bit older than we used to be.
Speaker 1:
There's some who have forgotten the history of the NATA and the fact that this profession would not exist to the extent that it does today were it not for the work of the association years ago, that it does today were it not for the work of the association years ago. But there's people who don't fully understand or appreciate that and I don't blame them for that. I I think it's our responsibility to educate and I think if we can educate and navigate those waters as people come in to volunteer, I think they'll see the value. You know the each one reach one philosophy. You know the each one reach one philosophy. You know I just don't no more call to volunteering on social media is probably the answer anymore. You know, we've gotten so digital in our communication that I think we have to go back to being people. You know, and having these one-on-one conversations and and challenging people face-to-face and can be done electronically.
Speaker 1:
But I think it's important that that we view each other as people and understand that there is a lack of understanding, and sometimes you have to give a little to get a little. And I tell people this all the time when they ask about well, I would like to add staff, or I would like to be paid more, but they don't want to do anything extra either. Anything extra either, you know, and sometimes you have to do a little extra on the front side to show the value that you bring, for your voice, to be stronger, to then advocate later. And then the other argument is well, if I do everything, if there's never a need, there will never be a need to fill a need, you know, and so there's a healthy balance there. But I think most of it is knowing your stakeholders and knowing who your audience is, and volunteering in this association has helped me uncover all of those things, which I believe has helped lead to the successes that I've had personally and professionally.
Speaker 3:
The thing, too, is volunteerism isn't just confined to one thing, right, so there are really multiple ways that you can get plugged into helping the profession advance and contribute time to the association short-term and long-term volunteer opportunities. We've talked about how not everybody has to serve as a district director. For five years you could serve on the registration team for a district event. So what are some other examples that you know of that may be our shorter term opportunities? That would be something to consider.
Speaker 1:
You know, I think just being willing to be an ally is part of being a volunteer.
Speaker 1:
You know, I mean there's, especially in today's climate around membership associations, but ours in general, where there's people who don't see the value and who are actually arguing against the value. I don't think people understand that if they do believe in the mission and the vision and they would just raise their hand enough just to say, hey, I'll engage and have a conversation with someone. Even that small amount of time and engagement is volunteering for the association and the association may never, at events. To me, the thing that the NATA needs the most and the most people to raise their hand to do is just be a conduit of the truth, a conduit of the real action that's happening in our association, and you know being willing to share that. So many times the good people are silent because it feels exhausting to engage in negative conversations and I just think if more would raise their hand to say I'll do a little, then there'll be a lot less people raising their hand to have to do a whole lot.
Speaker 3:
Scott, one of the things that you also do really well is manage conflict management quite a bit. Especially as a district director, I know that you have to manage conflict quite often, if not daily. So what is your strategy when working with a peer who may not share a common goal and may actually be taking actions that are counterproductive towards your effort?
Speaker 1:
I've not always been good at that. I think that's come with maturity and time. I think the thing for me is listening first. I think it's been important for me. I think so many people just want to be heard.
Speaker 1:
I've learned this even in my current job with disgruntled parents or coaches that people, sometimes people just need a place to talk about it.
Speaker 1:
You know, and right now everybody's doing that online but I think it's okay for us to recognize that people feel differently than we do. I think that's part of being a great leader is recognizing the differences and sometimes even celebrating those. And while we don't have to agree, I think it's important that I show them respect, I hear them, I listen to their concerns and consider their point of view. And then I think the biggest key is in how I explain mine. You know, and there's your tone of voice and how you communicate my own beliefs and my own passions. You know, and I think at the end of it, if we come out of that and there is still that relational equity like I've talked about before, and there's still a relationship there, then no matter what the decision was or no matter how we got there, everybody wins, because that means we can. We may not agree on this one, but maybe we'll agree on the next one, you know, and I think it's just important that there's some intentional strategies given to not make people feel like they're not being heard.
Speaker 3:
Awesome, Scott. Before we wrap up, Tracy and I like to play a little rapid fire thing with our guests on the show. Is that something you'd be interested in joining us in?
Speaker 1:
Absolutely.
Speaker 3:
Okay. So the way that this is going to work is that we're going to ask you a series of rapid fire questions. They're one word answers, so just say what comes to top of mind and we'll see how this goes.
Speaker 1:
Okay, you may have to edit me, but go ahead.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, that's Tracy's job. She does a great job at that too. So, all right, here we go, ready.
Speaker 1:
Ready.
Speaker 3:
What pizza topping is your go-to?
Speaker 1:
Vegetables. What's your dream car? A yellow VW bug convertible.
Speaker 3:
Favorite word? No. What's one bucket list item you want to fulfill in your lifetime? Italy. Favorite social media platform Twitter. Favorite dessert Tiramisu, coffee or tea.
Speaker 1:
Coffee.
Speaker 3:
Favorite superhero.
Speaker 1:
Brack.
Speaker 3:
Favorite animal.
Speaker 1:
Spider monkey.
Speaker 3:
What's your favorite music genre? Singer songwriter what is your hogwarts house?
Speaker 1:
if that's a harry potter reference, I've not seen any of the movies we're never gonna get this one.
Speaker 2:
We're never, no one's ever gonna answer this one is that?
Speaker 1:
is that a harry potter question?
Speaker 3:
I actually think, based now the fact that you might be the fifth or sixth board member that has not answered or been able to answer anything about Hogwarts houses that we need to incorporate watching a Harry Potter movie as a board activity.
Speaker 1:
They're on all the time. There's something about it I can't engage with. I'd rather watch Food Network.
Speaker 3:
If President Derringer is listening to this podcast, I respectfully request we add watching Harry Potter as a board activity. It couldn't hurt. All right, let's keep going. Sweet or savory, savory Camping or hotel Hotel Dancing or singing Savory Camping or hotel Hotel Dancing or singing Singing Marvel or DC.
Speaker 1:
Washington DC.
Speaker 3:
Okay, Great job. Thank you for playing with us. Round of applause everybody.
Speaker 1:
Because the others? I don't know either one of those either applauds everybody, because the others I did.
Speaker 3:
I don't know either one of those either. I almost wonder if we should open the podcast with these rapid fire questions and then get into all the the conversation you might, because people might actually listen. Actually they realize you're talking to a human uh, well, scott, this has been a lot of fun. Before we wrap up, final thoughts that you have for today's listeners.
Speaker 1:
I just hope people will continue to be passionate about the profession, be passionate about the association, and if they are, they need to bring somebody along, they need to tell the story. The problem we have, I believe, not just in our profession but in our association, is that there's a story being told, and if we don't tell the correct one, the wrong story is going to get told, you know, and so I just think it's important that we all do our part to tell the good story of the good things that are happening, personally and professionally and athletic training and if we do that, I think the association and the profession will be stronger long-term.
Speaker 3:
Scott, thank you for joining us today and to those listening on today's podcast, make sure you head back and check out the other podcasts we have with our MATA leaders as they talk about their pathway to leadership and how volunteering has impacted their career trajectory. These have been a lot of fun. Big thank you again to Scott and everyone that's participated so far and, as always, if you have feedback or questions, we have contact information in the show notes and looking forward till we get to join again. Have a great day everyone.
Speaker 2:
Thanks for tuning in to Dedicated a special series of the NATA cast. All resources mentioned during this episode can be found in the show notes or at nataorg slash podcast. Listen. We want to hear from you. If you'd like to let us know what you thought or even what you want to hear in future episodes, send an email to the NATA cast at nataorg and, to make sure you never miss an episode, subscribe to the NATA cast and rate and review the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Until next time.
