Nearly two full years after pausing competition, each of Chico State Athletics' 13 programs is officially back in action. The starting gun for the 100 meters at the 37^th annual Chico Multi-Event Invitational on February 23 signaled not just the start of the decathlon, but the return of our track and field teams after 718 days away from competition—the longest streak any of our teams had to endure. That means the West Region's best athletic training staff is back to being as busy as ever, providing the comprehensive athletic care our 350-plus student-athletes need to thrive both physically and mentally.
 
Chico State's current and former student-athletes can attest to the critical role the athletic training staff—Scott Barker, Devin Tacla, Halie Hall, and Shawna Valentine—plays in the unmatched success of our programs. The wisdom and care they provide gives our student-athletes a competitive edge in the areas of injury prevention and treatment; as well as a close-up view of what Wildcat Family is all about when it comes to injury evaluation and rehabilitation by caring for the person first. In conjunction with our team physician and based on the most current evidence-based practices, they help them get our student-athletes back to competing at the highest level when the time is right.
 
For all these reasons, on this Giving Day 2022, we are asking those who have benefitted from the Chico State Athletic Training Department's care, and all who appreciate it from afar, to consider a gift to help them continue to provide the best care in the West. CLICK HERE TO GIVE. Our goal is to raise $5,000, which will be used to purchase supplies, therapeutic agents, and equipment to ensure that Chico State's 350-plus student-athletes have the day-in, day-out care necessary to excel in every way.
 
Chico State Athletics:

• Excelling academically.
• Contributing in the community.
• Conquering in competition.
  • 80 CCAA titles.
  • 37 West Region Championships.
  • 16 NCAA Champions.

It is important to note that our time away was not wasted. We worked hard to enhance our strength and conditioning program, bolster our athletic training department, and to launch our 'CatsSkills student-athlete-centered curriculum focused on leadership development, personal development, professional development, and community engagement.
 
During our short time back together in 2021–22, Chico State's student-athletes are already back to blowing us away on every front. They've generated video companions aimed at encouraging all fellow Wildcats as part of their Scratch the Stigma initiative, re-launching with an enhanced version in March. They've earned six postseason berths, highlighted by CCAA and West Regional Men's Cross Country championships and the men's basketball team's highest-ever  national rankings and first No. 1 regional ranking. And they've exceled in the classroom, combining for 27 perfect 4.0 GPAs, while 217—more than two-thirds of them—earned GPAs of 3.0 or higher.
 
Your gift to Athletic Training, Strength and Conditioning, 'CatsSkills, the Wildcat Athletic Fund (which provides for the department's greatest overall needs), and/or your favorite program, gets us a crucial step closer to the next special moment for our Wildcat Family. We go farther together than we do alone. Thank you!