Barker Inducted Into LATA Hall of Fame
Serving LSU as Senior Associate Athletic Trainer and Insurance Coordinator since 1996, Andy Barker was recently inducted into the 2023 Louisiana Athletic Trainers Association (LATA) Hall of Fame. This June 2023 celebration was held at the Renaissance Hotel in Baton Rouge as the athletic trainers from Louisiana gathered for the Annual LATA Summer Educational Symposium.
Barker accepted this award surrounded by some of his family as well as over 25 former and current LSU athletic trainers who had the honor of working along side him while at LSU. “For a guy as humble as Andy is, I know this type of acknowledgment can bring mixed feelings.” said Shelly Mullenix. “I believe that Andy would say he was just doing his job- but he has meant so much more to all of us. He always brought a sense of responsibility and duty to the role of athletic training. Working along someone who has a strong moral compass and extraordinary work ethic is something you just don’t see very often.”
In addition to his skills as a certified athletic trainer, Barker developed a medical database that assisted in documenting and tracking injuries and illnesses in a way that was previously unheard of in the collegiate athletic setting. “There are still some schools out there that are providing injury reports and tracking private medical data by paper and pen. We could not have excelled in our roles as athletic trainers without Andy’s expertise in database development. It streamlined our communication with coaches and allowed us to track on the progression of returning the athletes to play while also managing the financial end of the business,” said colleague Micki Collins and current Director of Sports Medicine. Collins made it clear that “LSU athletic training would not be where it is today without Andy’s skills and ingenuity.”
Past & Present LSU Athletic Trainers at the 2023 LATA Hall of Fame Induction
Jack Marucci presented the distinguished award to Barker and reminded the attendees that “Andy has been a great friend for over 40 years.” Marucci provided some sound advice stating that, “you’re only as good as the people around you and Andy made us all better.” Athletic training has changed so much over the years but Marucci knows that it was the relationships that Andy developed with his players along the way that helped them return back after injuries feeling stronger and more confident. Marucci said, “Andy was efficient in his approach to rehabilitation and pushed the athletes to overcome obstacles. He helped them believe.”
Barker currently works part-time for LSU Athletics as Insurance Coordinator and has been assisting in the transition to a shared health care system with our Championship Healthcare Partner Our Lady of the Lake. Retirement is around the corner for this great athletic trainer and even better friend!