For 30 years as head athletic trainer for the Wenatchee School District, Dale Blair served more than 900 Washington state student-athletes. But through three decades of innovative excellence and infectious leadership, his influence has reached thousands more – from all corners of the country.

Throughout his career, Blair has involved himself in a variety of WIAA-led programs, operating as head athletic trainer at State Tournaments, speaking at professional development opportunities, and leading clinics for other athletic training staffs across the state. As the co-founder and co-president of The Washington Career and Technical Sports Medicine Association, he helped develop as many as 25 professional presentations, writing and delivering curriculum for three levels of sports medicine courses along the way. 

Meanwhile, with Blair at the helm, Wenatchee’s sports medicine programs rattled off 24 consecutive top-four finishes at State competitions, including five Championships and 15 second-place finishes. His consistent contributions to student-athlete health and development have led to his enshrinement in both the Washington State and Northwest Athletic Trainers Association Halls of Fame, earning him Athletic Trainer of the Year honors in Washington state.

On a national scale, Blair supported a variety of case students and research abstracts that were presented at the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) Conference. Twice his programs finished first in the American Academic Competition Institute’s (AACI) Sports Medicine category, where he supported 20 All-American competitors and two individual National Champions. NATA, which honored Blair with its Secondary School Committee Servant’s Heart Award, has also featured Blair’s sports medicine curriculum multiple times in its news publication.

A natural-born innovator, not only has Blair established one of the most renowned sports medicine programs in Washington, he’s also extended the gift of his ingenuity throughout the rest of the state. The Wenatchee-native’s Fitness Specialist course was the first of its kind in Washington, while his tech prep program became the first sports med curriculum to offer college credit. Blair’s course even broke new ground nationally, publicized as a model high school curriculum in other states. When he wasn’t writing curriculum, Blair was busy creating the Washington Career and Technical Sports Medicine Association – the only recognized student-led sports med organization in the entire country.

Perhaps Blair’s most impressive quality of all, however, is his “contagious dedication to student-athlete well-being.” Long before it was a consideration around the state, Blair provided free physicals for high school athletes who couldn’t afford the cost. Despite his consistently jam-packed schedule, he always lent a helping hand to those in need, providing opportunities for peers and students to attend countless conferences, inspiring them to pursue medicine themselves.

According to those who’ve spent time with him – both pupil and peer – Dale Blair’s enthusiasm is contagious. Noted for his “strong work ethic and friendly personality,” he’s embraced all student-athletes with a sort of welcoming easygoingness that both ensures their safety and inspires them to thrive for greatness in athletics, medicine, and all areas of academia.