�NYSATA �Hall of Fame��
SUNY Cortland
Cortland, NY
NYSATA Hall of Fame 2017
Joseph Abraham
Hobart College
Hall of Fame Class of 1998
Joseph Abraham earned both bachelor and master degrees from Ithaca College and then worked with the US Air Corps. He was a full professor and athletic trainer at Hobart College and worked hard to promote the athletic training profession. Abraham worked as an athletic trainer with the US Olympic team in Mexico City (1968), Munich, Germany (1972), and Lake Placid Winter Olympics (1980).
Joseph Abraham was one of the first professionals to recognize the need for quality athletic training programs at the high school level. He wrote articles, set up athletic training clinics and conducted surveys in order to make the New York State Education Department realize the importance of athletic trainers in the school system. He served over 20 years as the EATA Secretary-Treasurer after helping to found the EATA and served as secretary of the NATA for 20 years.
Awards: NATA Hall of Fame (1970); EATA Cramer Award (1973); NYSATA Thomas Sheehan Award (1976); and posthumously the NYSATA Hall of Fame (1998) and the EATA ‘49 Club (2017).
Throughout his many years in athletic training, John Sciera has been progressive and influential. He graduated from Cortland State Teacher's College in 1952 and got his physical therapy certification from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Under Sciera's leadership, Cortland State became the first college in New York to offer an athletic training curriculum. Sciera was also a driving force behind the movement to ban spear-tackling and other harmful practices from football. In 1976 he founded the New York State Athletic Trainers Association and served as its first president (1976-1977). Sciera was an athletic trainer for the 1975 Pan American Games.
Awards: He received the NYSATA Sheehan award (1978) and posthumously was awarded the NYSATA Hall of Fame (1998) and EATA ‘49 Club (2016). He received the NATA 25-Year Award (1981) and NATA Hall of Fame Award (1983).
John Sciera
Cortland University
Hall of Fame Class of 1998
Ed Abramoski
Buffalo Bills Football Club
Hall of Fame Class of 1999
Eddie Abramoski was head athletic trainer for the Buffalo Bills from the team’s inception in 1960 until he retired in 1997. He turned to sports medicine after a promising football career was cut short by a back injury at Purdue University. Abramoski was an assistant athletic trainer at West Point Military Academy before moving to work with the University of Detroit and then the Detroit Lions Football Club. His long tenure with the Buffalo Bills is greatly admired.
Awards: He was inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in 1986 and the NYSATA Hall of Fame (1999).
Donald Lowe
Syracuse University
Hall of Fame Class of 1999
Donald D. Lowe, a Kent State University graduate worked as their athletic trainer from (1965-1975). He was the Coordinator of Sports Medicine at Syracuse University (1975-2000) and became the Executive Director of Onondaga Sports Medicine clinics in 1986. He became an AT in 2000 at Georgia Institute of Technology and launched Sports Medicine Management Consultants in 2003. A founding member, Lowe was NYSATA president and assisted to obtain professional regulation of athletic trainers in New York State and he served as Secretary of District 2. He initiated the creation of the College Athletic Training Society in 1992 and served as its Executive Director. He was an Empire State Games host athletic trainer and worked the 1983 Pan American Games and the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Awards: NYSATA Sheehan Award (1983) and NYSATA Hall of Fame (1999); EATA Cramer Award (1991) and EATA ‘49 Club (2017); NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award (1995), NATA National Collegiate Athletic Trainer of the Year (1986) and NATA Hall of Fame (1999).
Kent Scriber
Ithaca College
Hall of Fame Class of 2000
Dr. Kent Scriber served as professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences at Ithaca College (1972-2015). He has taught over 400 students who have become BOC certified, given well over 100 professional presentations, authored numerous articles, and has been involved as a consultant or site visitor for many athletic training education programs. Scriber has worked with athletes at the World University Games, Paralympic Games, World Basketball Challenge, Canada Cup, Epson Ivy Bowl, and Empire State Games. Dr. Scriber served as EATA president and NYSATA secretary as well as various D2, EATA, and NYSATA committees. He had a District 2 scholarship award named after him in 2013, and a NYSATA Recognition Award named in his honor the same year.
Awards: NYSATA Sheehan Award (1990) and NYSATA Hall of Fame (2000); EATA Cramer Award (1995), Pinky Newell Addressee (2009) and the EATA ‘49 Club (2017); the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer (1994), NATA Hall of Fame (2000), and NATA Fellows Award (2011).
Thomas J. Sheehan, Sr
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Hall of Fame Class of 2001
Tom Sheehan was the Head Athletic Trainer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) for 27 years and was the first non-athlete inducted to the colleges' Athletic Hall of Fame. An extremely hard worker, Sheehan was one of the founders of the Eastern Athletic Trainers' Association (EATA), served as its first president for four years (1949-1951) as well as its first secretary-treasurer. Sheehan was a founding member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and for NYSATA, helping to lay the groundwork for their formation. NYSATA named the Thomas J. Sheehan Award after him, noting a man whose character, commitment and excellence in the field of athletic training was unsurpassed, and it was their highest award until the Hall of Fame was formed.
Awards: EATA Cramer Award (1972); RPI Athletics Hall of Fame (1976); EATA ’49 Club (2018) Posthumously awarded.
Pete Koehneke
Canisius College
Hall of Fame Class of 2003
Peter Koeneke began working as an athletic trainer at Canisius College in 1978. As the athletic training education program director, he is currently a full professor and chair of the Sports Medicine, Health and Human Performance Department. Pete has been involved on the state, national, and international levels with athletic training education. Koehneke served as a member of the NATA Professional Education Committee, the NATA Education Council Executive Committee (& Chair of the Competencies Committee), the NATA World Federation Task Force and the Education Council. He served as chair of the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Athletic Training (JRC-AT), and as Director of the Board of Certification (BOC). The Commission on Accreditation and Athletic Training Education (CAATE) established an award in his name (2016) to honor an outstanding leader who has made significant, ongoing contributions of exceptional value to AT education and accreditation and a lasting influence on the profession at the national/international level. Awards: NYSATA Sheehan Award (1994), NYSATA Hall of Fame (2003); NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer (1998), Sayers “Bud” Miller Distinguished Educator award (2000), and NATA Hall of Fame (2002); and the BOC Dan Libera Service Award (2015); the CAATE established Koehneke award (2016).
Frederick “Rick” Zappala
Hofstra University/Paul D. Schreiber HS (Port Washington, NY)
Hall of Fame Class of 2005
Rick (Frederick) Zappala, MS, ATC served as the Athletic Trainer at Paul D Schreiber High School in Port Washington, NY (2003 - 2023) and at Hofstra University as an Athletic Trainer (1981-2003), program coordinator of the athletic training minor and adjunct assistant professor in the athletic training education program.
He has worked as an Athletic Trainer with the US Olympic Committee for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona Spain, US Olympic Festivals (1990, 1991), the World Games for the Deaf (1985), and for New York State's Empire State Games.
Zappala served as NYSATA president, EATA President, and on NATA's Placement Committee. He was appointed as an athletic training committee member to the New York State Board of Medicine (2013-22). Awards: New York Parent Teacher Association Jenkins Memorial Award (1990), NYSATA Sheehan Award (1992) & NYSATA Hall of Fame (2005); EATA Joseph A. Blankowitsch Award (2001), EATA Cramer Award (2001) and EATA ‘49 Club (2018); he was the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award recipient (2005).
Gene Monahan
New York Yankees
Hall of Fame Class of 2006
Gene Monahan served the New York Yankee organization as the Head Athletic Trainer (1973-2011), starting in the minor leagues in 1962. He also served in the US Army Reserve National Guard as a Medical Corpsman, from 1969-1975.
Monahan served as NATA Public Relations Committee, and for over 18 years served as chair of the PBATS Scholarship Committee. He was active with the Princeton Child Development Institute, which is involved with research on autism. He served as a consultant for NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports and was an honorary member of the NASCAR MB-2 Motorsports Racing Team.
Awards: Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society Athletic Training Staff of the Year (with assistant Steve Donohue (1990)), American League All Star Game athletic trainer 4 times (1977, 1986, 1992, 2003); Frank O’Rourke Memorial Award, and Major League Baseball Service Award; ACSM New York Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award; NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award (2009); and the American Academy of Podiatry Sports Medicine Excellence in Sports Medicine Award (2010); and the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame (2011)
Martin S. Erb
Colgate University
Hall of Fame Class of 2009
Marty Erb served Colgate University as an athletic trainer (1973-2008) and was the youngest head athletic trainer in the nation when he began in that role in 1975. He was the first NYSATA By-Laws Constitution committee chair and served as NYSATA Public Relations Committee, and NYSATA Hall of Fame Committee Chair. He served as President of NYSATA and was selected as an athletic training committee member to the New York State Board of Medicine (2003-07). Marty served on the NATA Governmental Affairs Committee, the District 2 Executive Council, and was a member of the EATA Moyer Award Selection Committee.
Awards: NYSATA Sheehan Award (2003), NYSATA Hall of Fame (2009); EATA Presidential Award (2008), the Colgate University prestigious Sidney J. and Florence Felton French prize for Inspirational Teaching (2009).
Jill Walker Dale
Orthopedic & Sports Therapy Associates
Hall of Fame Class of 2010
Jill Walker Dale, after working at St. Josephs’ Hospital as the Coordinator of Sports Medicine with outreach athletic training with Elmira Southside HS, Jill and a colleague opened their own clinic: Orthopedic & Sports Therapy Associates where for 30 years she was a Partner, Clinician, and Practice Administrator. She also worked with local high schools, colleges, and professional teams, and was an adjunct professor at Corning Community College teaching Introduction to Athletic Training. She currently works as a Healthcare Contracts Administrator in Portland Maine .
Dale served as NYSATA Secretary and was NYSATA Clinical Committee Chair and 3rd Party Reimbursement Chair. She was appointed as an Athletic Training Committee member to the New York State Board of Medicine. For the Board of Certification (BOC) she worked as a Test Site Administrator, Practical Exam Development Panelist, Examiner Training Program Facilitator. She served as Chair of the Practical Exam Development Committee and Examination Development Committee. She currently serves as a Mentor as part of the BOC’s training for new Item Writers. Awards: NYSATA Hall of Fame (2010); NATA Athletic Training Service Award (2012); BOC Dan Libera Service Award (2004).
Steve Norman worked as an assistant athletic trainer at Columbia University before going to the Rye Country Day School in Rye, NY to be their Head Athletic Trainer. He also is the Director of the Raquette Lake Camps in Bedford NY (since 1988).
Steve has served with the US Olympic Committee at the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center, and traveled to Houston and Bermuda and then with the US Volleyball teams for the 1987 Pan American Games.
Steve served as an examiner for the NATA/BOC Licensure exam (1984-2006) and was NYSATA regional rep (1983-1988) before serving as President (1990-1992) and the Joseph Abraham Award Committee Chair (1998-2015). During his tenure in NYSATA he was instrumental in the development and passing of Article 162 giving NYS athletic trainers certification in the state. He was appointed as an Athletic Training Committee member to the New York State Board of Medicine (1994-2000).
Awards: NYSATA Sheehan Award (1995) & NYSATA Hall of Fame Award (2010); EATA Henry Schein Award (2010).
Steven Norman
Rye Country Day School
Hall of Fame Class of 2010
Steve and Jill 2010
Kathryn Koshansky
Stony Brook University
Hall of Fame Class of 2011
Kathy Koshansky began as the Head Athletic Trainer working with Football at Stony Brook University at a time when it was rare to have a female in such a position. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 1996, to Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine in 2004, and serves now exclusively as the chair of the Athletic Training Program.
Koshansky traveled with US Olympic Development Program women’s soccer teams to France, Italy, and England in 1999 and 2000. She was a member of US Medical Staff for 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She was involved with Empire State Games Medical Support Staff beginning in 1979 and eventually was ESG Head Athletic Trainer. She served NYSATA as President and Treasurer and on the District 2 Executive Board & Auditing Committee. Koshansky served as a Board of Certification Oral Practical Examiner for the Certification Exam. She served as an Athletic Training Committee to the NYS Board of Medicine (2013-22) and alternate (1994-2000). Awards: NYSATA Sheehan Award (2005) & Hall of Fame (2011); NATA Athletic Trainer Service Award (2006); President's and Chancellor's Awards for Excellence in Teaching (1989); Brookhaven Town Woman of the Year (2008); Stony Brook University Rita & Kurt Eppenstein Athletic Hall of Fame (2020).
Timothy Kelly
U. S. Military Academy- West Point
Hall of Fame Class of 2012
Tim Kelly is an athletic trainer at the US Military Academy (1987-present) and is the John A. Feagin Orthopedic Sports Medicine Fellow (since 2009). He is also Adjunct Faculty for the US Military-Baylor University Post-Professional Sports Medicine-Physical Therapy Doctoral Residency Program. Tim has been a Medical Advisor for US Army Special Operations, and worked Empire State Games, US Olympics in Atlanta, GA (1996) and Los Angeles, CA (1991), and Pan-American Games in Mar Del Plata, Argentina (1995). Tim Kelly’s service to NYSATA includes Region Rep, President, Sciera Service Award Chairman, Sheehan Award Chairman. He was appointed as an Athletic Training Committee member to the New York State Board of Medicine (2000-11). Tim was the Armed Forces Athletic Training Society President (2009-15) and serves as a NATA Military Mentor, an Approved Clinical Instructor (ACI) and Board of Certification (BOC) Home Study Reviewer. He serves as the EATA Treasurer. Awards: All-American Football Foundation College Athletic Trainer of the Year (1999), NYSATA Sheehan Award (2004) & Hall of Fame (2012); NATA Athletic Trainer Service Award (2006) & Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award (2014); & 1st Lieutenant Derek Hines Memorial Service Award (2008).
Andy Smith serves as Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine at his alma mater, Canisius College, (1996-present), after working as an Assistant Athletic Trainer at West Point (1990-1996). He serves as an AT Concussion Spotter for the NFL. Andy has held NYSATA positions of President, Treasurer, Region 2 Rep, Region 7 Rep, Scholarship Committee Member, Awards Committee Chair, Website Manager (and initial creator) and NYSATA Hall of Fame Chair. Andy worked to pass the NYS amendment requiring High School Athletic Trainers to have current AED Certification. He has held numerous roles with NATA, NATA District 2 and Board of Certification (BOC). Smith was a member of the NCAA Drug Task Force, the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects in Sports; NCAA Sub-Committee on Drug Testing and Education Chair; and the NCAA Concussion Protocol Review Committee. He was a speaker and Task Force member of the NATA Consensus Statement “Inter-association recommendations on emergency preparedness and management of sudden cardiac arrest in high school and college athletic programs.”
Awards: NYSATA Sheehan Award, NYSATA Hall of Fame, Canisius College Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award, and NATA Athletic Training Service Award.
Andrew Smith
Canisius College
Hall of Fame Class of 2014
Deanna M. Errico
Utica University
Hall of Fame Class of 2018
Deanna Errico taught at Clarkson University and now Utica University in Doctor of Physical Therapy programs. NYSATA: President, Government Affairs Committee member & co-Chair, Hall of Fame committee member & Chair, Awards Chair, secretary and region rep. She helped organize a new Hall of Fame display and 40th Anniversary (2016) celebration. She was devoted to NYS AT scope of practice bill advocacy (including bill drafting and opposition mediated meetings). Public relations campaign initiative (including new NYSATA logo creation and branding), NYSATA Grant program initiative for Secondary School and University ATs (with Treasurer Byrnes – 2014) for AT facility improvement, NATA GA Grant co-writer & recipient (2017-2020), COPE grant co-writer & recipient (2022 & 2023). EATA: Information Center Chair, secretary, Anniversary committees (50th, 60th, 75th), & EATA ‘49 Club committee member & co-chair. District 2: Value Committee member & chair. She published several articles on the AT and the environment (2008-10) in the NATA News.
Awards: NYSATA John Sciera Service Award (2005), Sheehan Award (2009), & Hall of Fame (2018); EATA Presidential Award (2009) & Cramer Award (2018); NATA Athletic Trainer Service Award (2013).
Steve Donohue has worked in professional baseball since his graduation from the University of Louisville in 1979, eventually leading to an assistant position with the New York Yankees and then Head Athletic Trainer (2011-present).
He has served on the Gatorade Advisory Board, Major League Baseball Medical Research Committee, the PBATS Hall of Fame Committee and the Major League Baseball Medical Advisory Board. He has been the lead or co-author of numerous articles and has presented at a number of conferences.
Awards: Steve was honored with the PBATS 20 Year Service Award, twice as the PBATS Major League Athletic Trainers Staff of the Year, three times as the Major League Baseball All Star Game Athletic Trainer and is a member of the Westchester Community College Hall of Fame. He received the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainers Award in 2018 and the NYSATA Hall of Fame in 2020.
Steven Donohue
New York Yankees
Hall of Fame Class of 2020
Aimee Brunelle has provided extraordinary service to NYSATA, engaging first as Newsletter Editor, serving in the Presidential sequence, Governmental Affairs Co-chair, and Conference Chair. At the district level she also served as Newsletter Editor and Treasurer for District 2. During her time as President-Elect & Conference Chair, Aimee created student programming and workshops at annual conferences. Aimee has volunteered with Empire State Games, the Olympic Training Center, and as the healthcare provider for the Haudenosaunee Men’s National Lacrosse Team. She has worked at junior college and secondary school levels and served as a volunteer EMT.
Brunelle is the face of NYSATA in NYS with frequent television, radio and newspaper interviews in the Albany area; she also provided NYSATA’s testimony in New York City for the Council on Youth Sport Safety while president. Brunelle is a committee member and chair for the Brain Injury Association of New York State’s Concussion Initiative and is an integral member of the Concussion Outreach Prevention & Education (COPE) grant team, which has secured over $350,000 to support concussion education initiatives.
As GA co-chair Brunelle organized Lobby Day for years, participated in meetings with sponsors, senators, assembly members, and assembly program & council, and opposition leaders. She hosted the NFL Alumni players supporting us at the Capitol. Aimee organized and hosted the “Athletic Trainers Save Lives” press event at the NYS Capitol highlighting the Buffalo Bills medical staff’s heroic save of Damar Hamlin with the two Bills’ ATs and our licensure bill sponsors. Ultimately her advocacy helped pass the NYS licensure bill.
Awards: NYSATA Awards: NYSATA Hall of Fame (2025), Sheehan award (2024), Sciera Service Award (2021), Scriber Recognition Award (2017), Secondary School Grant (2019) D2 Awards: Goldenberg Grant (2019). NATA Awards: Service Award (2019), Head Athletic Trainer of the Year for Junior/Community College (2015). Other: Stony Brook Outstanding Alumni Award (2021), BIANYS Educational Advocacy Award (2021).
Aimee Brunelle
South Colonie HS
Hall of Fame Class of 2025
Current NYSATA Hall of Fame