Mike Van Bruggen

Mike is the head athletic trainer at Halls High School, provided by Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky, master’s degree from the University of Arizona and an EMT certificate from Walters State Community College. He is a licensed and certified athletic trainer (ATC) and state-licensed advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT).

He previously served as an athletic trainer at West Greene High School in Mosheim, Tennessee, from 2023-24 and as associate athletic director for sports medicine at Carson-Newman University from 2001-23. Before moving to Tennessee, Mike was the head athletic trainer and assistant athletic director at Howard Payne University in Texas. He has held appointments at Flowing Wells High School in Tucson, Arizona, and in the New York Mets Minor League Baseball system.

Van Bruggen is an active volunteer with extensive service in his field.

VOLUNTEER SERVICE

• CPR instructor, American Heart Association and American Red Cross
• Volunteer, Medical Reserve Corps in East Tennessee

• Current vice president of finance and chair of the finance committee, National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Research and Education Foundation; previously, district nine director and state ambassador
• Athletic trainer critical incident stress management (CISM) team member for NATA, Southeast Athletic Trainers’ Association (SEATA) and Tennessee Athletic Trainers’ Society (TATS)
• Previous Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer, continuing professional certification advisory group and continuing professional certification workgroup
• Previous SEATA executive board member, college/university athletic trainers’ committee (CUATC) chair, governmental affairs committee chair
• Previous SEATA CUATC most distinguished athletic trainer committee, finance committee and policy & procedures workgroup
• Previous executive board liaison, SEATA athletic trainer care committee and governmental affairs committee
• Previous NATA state association advisory committee and governmental affairs committee
• Previous TATS, chair of numerous committees, East Tennessee representative to the executive board (four years), vice president (four years), president (two years)