Lawrence Willock has been nominated and accepted into the Colorado Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame class of 2012.   Larry graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor’s of Science in Physical Education in 1969 and followed that with his Masters of Science in 1970.  He passed the NATA Certification Exam in 1971.   Lawrence was a candidate for one of the very first NATA certification examinations in Palo Alto, CA and also participated as an examiner in the final oral practical in 2007.
 

Lawrence began his Athletic Training career as an Assistant Athletic trainer at the University of New Mexico in 1969-1987 before becoming the Head Athletic Trainer at the University of New Mexico until 1994. During his tenure at the University of New Mexico he taught athletic training courses:  Evaluation of athletic injury, Introduction to Athletic Training, Clinical Experience in Athletic Training, Administration of Athletic Training, and Muscle Testing in Sports Medicine.   He authored the “Orthopedic Evaluation in Athletic Training-a study guide” which is utilized in the Athletic Training Curriculum at the University of New Mexico in 1985 and copy righted in 1993.  From 1973-1983, Lawrence was on the District 7 Placement Committee Representative for the NATA, and President of the New Mexico Athletic Trainers Association (NMATA) from 1983-1985.  In 1992, Lawrence, presented the keynote address at the RMATA.   He was awarded the NATA “Educator of the Year”, in 1993.  In 1994, he was inducted into the New Mexico Hall of Fame.  
 

In 1994 he was hired as a staff athletic trainer at the United States Air Force Academy before taking over as the Head Athletic Trainer from 1997-2008.  From 1997-2001, he became the Treasurer of the RMATA district 7 and 1999-2001 was the Vice-President of the CATA.   Lawrence helped immensely with the push for state licensure in the state of Colorado.   He received several awards while at the Air Force Academy including, the Civilian of the Quarter in 1996, Civilian Supervisor of the Year in 2005, Senior Civilian of the Quarter in 2007, and in 2008 the Outstanding Civilian Career Service Award.   Lawrence presented “Compliance with Drug Testing” in 1997 and in 2008 “Relationships in Sports” at the RMATA annual meetings.  He also volunteered and worked the Colorado games and state games in 2004 and 2006.
 

In July 2008 he was hired at the Men’s Basketball athletic Trainer at the University of Colorado-Boulder and retired in 2010.  Lawrence was always promoting the field of Athletic Training and was a NATA-BOC examiner from 1982- 2007.   Joe Scott, the then Men’s Basketball Coach at Air Force, fondly remembers  their early morning coffee sessions where they discussed many topics in life outside of sports.  So I have you to thank for tempering his sometime volatile mood swings.  
 

Please welcome Lawrence Willock into the Colorado Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame class of 2012. Mr. Willock is also a member of the NMATA and RMATA Hall's of Fame, please click on the links below to see his profile.