Ithaca College Athletics

After graduating from Ithaca College in 1975, and a master's degree from Indiana University, Gretchen Schlabach accepted a position at Western Michigan University. She then spent eight years at the University of Mississippi, where she served as head women's athletic trainer. After completing her doctoral work, Schlabach entered the professoriate and accepted the program directorship at Northern Illinois University, where she retired in 2014. Schlabach's professional scholarship and service has been in the areas of professional ethics, values and responsibility in athletic training. She co-authored the first text dedicated solely to professional ethics, Professional Ethics in Athletic Training. Schlabach served on the inaugural NATA Women in Athletic Training Committee, which advanced women's concerns and life-balance issues in athletic training. Schlabach has been recognized with the professor emerita distinction from Northern Illinois, NATA Athletic Training Service and Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Awards, as well as a Gail Weldon Award of Excellence. She was inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in 2019.