WAYNESBURG, Pa. (June 12) – Waynesburg University's head athletic trainer and Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) Erin Leaver was named as Training & Conditioning's Most Valuable Athletic Trainer of the Year for the college category in the magazine's National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) 2024 Convention Issue. 

Training & Conditioning Release

Training & Conditioning's annual Most Valuable Athletic Trainer of the Year award is celebrating its 12th year and recognizes unparalleled dedication, innovation and impact of athletic trainers that go above and beyond in their commitment to athlete care and professional development. Leaver will be recognized alongside high school category honoree Melissa Portela of Sandra Day O'Connor High School (Ariz.) and non-traditional award winner, Jeremey Howard of the Florida Army National Guard, at NATA's 75th annual clinical symposia and expo in New Orleans on June 26.

Leaver completed her 10th year as a member of the Yellow Jacket athletic training staff. She was promoted to Waynesburg's head athletic trainer last summer and became the department's SWA in December 2023.

"In my time at WU a lot of the peripheral things have shifted, but the core has remained the same: student-athlete healthcare and well-being," said Leaver. "From the beginning until now, the focus has been about improving the student-athlete experience by providing them with a high level of care, allowing them to compete at the highest levels."

Leaver oversees Waynesburg's athletic training clinic and staff, implements NCAA best practices, coordinates with outside medical professionals and serves as a preceptor for Waynesburg's Master of Science in Athletic Training program. Leaver has brought attention to the mental health well-being of student-athletes and serves on Waynesburg's "Care Team" which identifies students that need help and providing early intervention and treatment. In addition to a myriad of other initiatives and duties, she has provided care and built relationships with student-athletes for last decade.

"I greatly value when graduates return and are able to reminisce on our times together in a positive way, even when those times were occurring during very difficult circumstances like major injuries," said Leaver. "My hope is to be a safe harbor for a student athlete going through rough seas, and ultimately to be a servant leader."