University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Big South honors Member Institution Athletic Training Staffs with Singleton Leadership Award
05.26.2021 | Athletics News
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Big South Conference has awarded its Dr. Edward M. Singleton Leadership Award to the Athletic Training Staffs of its member institutions for the group's dedicated work during this challenging 2020-21 year. The Conference formally recognized the honorees Tuesday evening, May 25, as part of the league's annual Spring Awards Banquet at The Westin Resort in Hilton Head, S.C.
The Singleton Leadership Award is named for the Big South's first commissioner and is not an annual award. The purpose of the Singleton Leadership Award is to recognize a former Big South student-athlete or administrator that has exhibited exemplary leadership and character during their career. The Singleton Award Selection Committee waived its normal criteria for this year in light of the extraordinary dedication of Big South athletic trainers during the pandemic.
"I cannot thank our athletic training staff enough for their effort put forth this past year," stated UNC Asheville Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone. "On top of their normal duties, Tim White and his staff worked tirelessly with COVID-19 protocols, conducting nearly 2,700 tests, so that our student-athletes could return to their respective fields of play and compete in a safe manner. Our partnership with Mission Sports Medicine is invaluable, and we simply would not have been able to compete this past year were it not for our Mission Sports Staff and the training staffs around the Big South. They are all extremely deserving of the Singleton Leadership Award."
The Big South Athletic Training Staffs were critical in developing the conference's Return To Play policies, COVID-19 procedures and protocols, and decisions in regards to Conference Championship operations amid the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to their regular sports medicine responsibilities, the Athletic Trainers administrated countless COVID-19 tests to student-athletes and coaches, and facilitated health and safety measures that allowed the Big South to conduct nearly all of its regular-season competition and championship events in a safe manner.
"Having worked with our head athletic trainers since last spring on the Big South's response to the ever-changing pandemic, I witnessed firsthand their sacrifice, work ethic, and selfless dedication to Big South student-athletes," commented Big South Commissioner Kyle Kallander. "If we told you the average number of hours worked by our athletic training staffs this year, especially when we had 17 sports competing at the same time, you would find it hard to believe. Yet they carried on and found a way to make it happen. The fact that Big South teams completed over 90% of their scheduled contests is directly attributable to our athletic training staffs, who helped craft policy, implement protocols, and kept our student-athletes and staff safe. They are completely deserving of the highest leadership award the Big South presents -- the Dr. Edward M. Singleton Leadership Award."
To view the full release from the conference, visit BigSouthSports.com.
UNC Asheville Mission Sports Medicine Staff
Tim White (Head Athletic Trainer), Eliza Parker, Justin Byland, Dan Welch
