January 10, 2012
INDIANAPOLIS – The National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association (NBATA) has awarded Indiana Pacers Head Athletic Trainer Josh Corbeil and Assistant Athletic Trainer Carl Eaton its highest honors.
At the NBATA annual meetings, Corbeil was honored with the Joe O’Toole Athletic Trainer of the Year Award and Eaton was honored with the David Craig Assistant Athletic Trainer of the Year Award. The two will be recognized and presented with their awards prior to the Pacers’ game with the Atlanta Hawks, Wednesday night, Jan. 11, in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
To be eligible, an athletic trainer must have served in the NBA for at least five years. The criterion is “outstanding service.” Each year, an NBA Athletic Trainer is chosen by his peers to be recognized because of his record of outstanding service to the NBA, the NBATA and his community. Both Corbeil, in his eighth season with the Pacers (seven as Head Athletic Trainer) and Eaton, in his seventh season with the Pacers, were cited for their service in the NBA, outstanding service and emergency response to a serious medical emergency.
Atlanta Hawks Head Athletic Trainer Wally Blasé will present the awards Wednesday night.
Corbeil’s award is named for long-time Hawks’ Athletic Trainer Joe O’Toole, the founding member of the NBATA. Eaton’s award is named for David Craig, the long-time Head Athletic Trainer of the Pacers and original advocate of the assistant athletic trainer position in the NBA. Eaton is the inaugural winner of this award.