To The Bone: Sports Medicine Podcast

About To The Bone: Sports Medicine Podcast

Cutting to the bone on topics related to Athletic Training by providing a platform for the voices of Athletic Training to discuss the business, politics, new technology and applications, and current events of sports medicine. An informal open discussion to create discourse to get to the meat of the matter at a pivotal time to help progress the profession of Athletic Training. www.tothebonepodcast.com Warning* Topics may be controversial, but to create solutions one must think outside of the box. We need to get our hands a little dirty getting blood out of the stone.

Publisher

Shelby Daly MS ATC CSCS

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Aug 2024

Latest episode

22 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

108 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   22 Oct 2026

   Ep 105. To The Bone: The Truth Behind Pro Sports Sawyer Williamson

   Professional sports athletic training looks glamorous from the outside, but Sawyer Williamson says the reality is much messier, more political, and far less personalized than most people realize. If you're an athletic trainer, student, or sports medicine professional wondering what it actually takes to thrive in pro sports, this conversation pulls back the curtain. Sawyer, owner of Tea House Athletic Training Services, shares the unlikely path that took him from a seventh-grade dream at a Utah Jazz game to the University of Utah, Ohio University, the Cincinnati Reds, FC Cincinnati, the Detroit Pistons G League, and finally building his own independent practice. Along the way, he explains why he stepped away from the “pinnacle” setting and built a model centered on rehab, relationship, and athlete-first care. You'll discover why Sawyer calls Tea House a nod to Avatar: The Last Airbender and Uncle Iroh, and how that philosophy shapes his approach to rehab as a process of guidance, trust, and intentionality—not “fixing” people. He and Shelby break down why so much of pro sports medicine is driven by protocol, urgency, and organizational pressure rather than true individualization. We break down the hidden costs of the industry: rushed return-to-play decisions, blackballing fears, the “yes person” culture, and why athletic trainers are often asked to be industrial risk managers instead of clinical leaders. Sawyer also makes the case that athletic trainers have been underselling their real value—as quarterbacks of the medical team, community connectors, and accessible care providers who can improve outcomes long before an injury becomes a crisis. The conversation goes beyond pro sports and into the larger identity problem facing the profession: the master’s transition, the loss of specialization pathways, the rise of dual credentials, and why strength and conditioning seems to have clearer metrics and better leverage. If you’ve ever wondered why athletic training still feels stuck between potential and recognition, this episode will give you a sharper, more honest answer. Perfect for athletic trainers, AT students, sports medicine professionals, and anyone curious about the truth behind professional sports care. This one is equal parts career story, industry critique, and blueprint for what athletic training could become when it stops trying to blend in and starts leading. #athletictraining (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/athletictraining?__cft__[0]=AZhxrVqaKRYaQcAm4X91mAukIrcZqbStVGqOck6eAzbIxL3QWLumLkXFOGn86PWfyZgYcKp-_0jWo2KvnbWS7S3AvodX91QvjYOixJd2hgU4FT-SVhsSuZKd0qKggffuZDLwV4_u-n7peaJpxJGLJiYvhaPUF8AEXvgA1GR3sbmJGPFPMJDOWvDQE_KwD_E&__tn__=*NK-R) #athletictrainer (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/athletictrainer?__cft__[0]=AZhxrVqaKRYaQcAm4X91mAukIrcZqbStVGqOck6eAzbIxL3QWLumLkXFOGn86PWfyZgYcKp-_0jWo2KvnbWS7S3AvodX91QvjYOixJd2hgU4FT-SVhsSuZKd0qKggffuZDLwV4_u-n7peaJpxJGLJiYvhaPUF8AEXvgA1GR3sbmJGPFPMJDOWvDQE_KwD_E&__tn__=*NK-R) #sportsmedicine (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/sportsmedicine?__cft__[0]=AZhxrVqaKRYaQcAm4X91mAukIrcZqbStVGqOck6eAzbIxL3QWLumLkXFOGn86PWfyZgYcKp-_0jWo2KvnbWS7S3AvodX91QvjYOixJd2hgU4FT-SVhsSuZKd0qKggffuZDLwV4_u-n7peaJpxJGLJiYvhaPUF8AEXvgA1GR3sbmJGPFPMJDOWvDQE_KwD_E&__tn__=*NK-R) #professionalsports (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/professionalsports?__cft__[0]=AZhxrVqaKRYaQcAm4X91mAukIrcZqbStVGqOck6eAzbIxL3QWLumLkXFOGn86PWfyZgYcKp-_0jWo2KvnbWS7S3AvodX91QvjYOixJd2hgU4FT-SVhsSuZKd0qKggffuZDLwV4_u-n7peaJpxJGLJiYvhaPUF8AEXvgA1GR3sbmJGPFPMJDOWvDQE_KwD_E&__tn__=*NK-R)

2. 

   20 Oct 2026

   Ep 104. To The Bone: Who is working on the Californian Sidelines? with Veronica Heard

   California’s athletic training title protection was supposed to be a win. Instead, it sparked a high-stakes debate over who can practice, who is protected, and what happens when a school district prioritizes compliance over expertise. Shelby Daly speaks with Veronica Heard, a certified athletic trainer working in a California school district, about the effects of AB 796. They discuss reclassification, title changes, the departure of a certified colleague, and concerns about athletic training roles being filled by people who may not be certified healthcare providers. Together, they explore how district decisions can affect athlete safety and professional credibility, and why a change in job title can have consequences beyond recognition. The conversation also examines scope of practice, liability coverage, school district policies, and the difference between title protection and licensure.In this episode, you’ll hear about: Why California’s title protection is not the same as licensure How district policies can fall short of a law’s intent The concerns behind reclassification—and why the fight is about respect, not removing people from their jobs The risks of assigning healthcare responsibilities to staff without athletic training credentials Why parents and administrators need to understand what athletic trainers do This discussion reaches beyond one district to consider the future of athletic training in schools, sports medicine, concussion care, return-to-play decisions, and the need for stronger professional standards and protections. If you’re interested in athletic training, school-based healthcare, sports medicine, or title protection in California, this episode offers an important look at who is working on the sidelines—and what’s at stake.

3. 

   15 Oct 2026

   Ep 103. To The Bone: AI Ethics with Matt Mills

   AI is already part of athletic training—but how can clinicians use it responsibly? On To the Bone, host Shelby Daly talks with Matt Mills, associate professor at Springfield College and member of the NATA Professional Responsibility and Athletic Training Committee, about AI ethics, patient privacy, HIPAA considerations, and professional liability. They explore how athletic trainers are using AI for patient education, clinical documentation, rehabilitation planning, research, and administrative work. Matt explains why free public AI tools carry privacy risks, what to ask about institutional agreements and AI policies, and why clinicians remain responsible for reviewing and signing AI-assisted notes.The conversation also covers patient consent for AI transcription, the risk of over-relying on AI in clinical decision-making, and how athletic training educators can help students build essential hands-on and critical-thinking skills. Matt shares lower-risk ways to start using AI, including reviewing policies and procedures, and discusses how time saved on documentation could support more high-impact patient care. Whether you’re an athletic trainer, healthcare educator, or student, this episode offers practical guidance for using AI thoughtfully—without losing sight of patient trust, privacy, and professional accountability.

Who has been a guest on To The Bone: Sports Medicine Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Toby Brooks
• Kyle Peckham
• Gavin Marco
• Alicia Yamamoto
• Eva Frank

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

767

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.6 / 5

10 ratings

Spotify

4.8 / 5

6 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 49 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

59

Social presence

0

YouTube

66

Engagement

32

Contact To The Bone: Sports Medicine Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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