Bio

Nate Kelley, MS, ATC oversees the day-to-day operations of the Plainsmen Sports Medicine Program covering the institution's 10 intercollegiate teams. In addition to his sports medicine responsibilities, he teaches the athletic training/sports medicine classes offered at NJC.  Nate brings a solid background of academics and experience to the position at NJC.

Before coming to NJC, Kelley was the Head Athletic Trainer at West High School in Denver. While working at West he also worked with the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) to provide athletic training coverage for a variety of state championship events including football, basketball, tennis, ice hockey, and track & field.

Prior to WHS, Kelley served as an athletic trainer for McKee Medical Center in Loveland, CO where he was an outreach athletic trainer for Berthoud and Mountain View High Schools. He also served a brief stint at Front Range Orthopedic Center in Longmont, CO, as a Physician Extender and outreach athletic trainer for Niwot and Skyline High Schools.  Nate has also spent time working in several clinics front and back office’s dealing with billing, coding, and medical records as well as serving as a physician extender / medical assistant.

Kelley has been certified as an athletic trainer through the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) – Board of Certification (BOC) since 2002.  He is an active member of the NATA, Rocky Mountain Athletic Trainers Association, and Colorado Athletic Trainers Association.

Kelley graduated suma cum laude, from Huron University in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training.  While at HU Kelley was named the student athletic trainer of the year in 2002, he also played football and was honored as a two-time Academic All-American. Kelley secured his master’s degree in teaching and learning in 2012 from Colorado State University – Global Campus.  Kelley is now pursuing his Doctorate of Athletic Training (DAT) from A.T. Still University’s (ATSU) Arizona School of Health Science based in Mesa, AZ.  A.T. Still’s DAT program is one of the first of its kind and looks to produce ‘scholarly clinicians’.  Kelley is working on honing his clinical and leadership skills to truly become an expert in the field of Athletic Training.  He expects to graduate in the Spring of 2020. 

Outside of the athletic training clinic and classroom, Kelley enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters.  Nate also enjoys spending time outdoors: camping, hiking, hunting, or fishing.