Ben Snyder
Ben arrived in El Paso in 2013 after graduating from Missouri Valley College with a bachelor's degree in athletic training. From 2013-2015, he attended UTEP and worked as a GA AthleticTrainer under Dawn Hearn with the UTEP football team & women's golf team. During this time, he completed his master's degree in educational leadership. Following UTEP, he was the Head Athletic Trainer at Anthony ISD for 3 years, Sports Medicine/HST Instructor & EPISD sub-athletic trainer for the next 4 years. Ben has completed his doctorate in athletic training from A.T. Still University and is currently an Associate Professor at New Mexico State University in the masters of athletic training program since 2022. Ben has been a SCATA member since 2014 and has served as Vice President and President for the past 4 years. He is married to Sadie and has 2 awesome kids, Scarlett and Oliver.
Tanya Watson
Tanya is from Las Cruces NM. Graduated from New Mexico State University with her Bachelors Degree in Athletic Training Education in December 2001. She then served as the NMSU Track & Field Intern Athletic Trainer at NMSU for the Spring 2022 Semester. From 2002-2004 Academic Years she was a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at the University of Wyoming earning her Master’s Degree in Kinesiology and working with Cross Country, Track & Field, Football, Swimming and Diving. 2004-2006 Tanya worked at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she working with the Blazer’s Women’s Basketball team and supervised the Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer working with Women’s Athletic Teams. 2006-2009 Tanya was the Associate Athletic Trainer at the University of Southern Mississippi working with Golden Eagle Women’s Basketball and Men’s Tennis, and was also responsible for the yearly Sports Medicine Budget. In 2009 Tanya returned home to Southern New Mexico and worked as a Physician Extender at Las Cruces Orthopedic Associates with Dr Michael McGuire until 2014. 2014-2018 Tanya served as Interim and Adjunct Faculty at NMSU in the Athletic Training Program and Department of Kinesiology, while also earning a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. 2018-2019 Tanya was a Teacher-Athletic Trainer at Las Cruces High School. Since 2019 Tanya has been an Athletic Trainer at Coronado High School. Tanya has served as the Southern Representative for the New Mexico Athletic Trainer’s Association, New Mexico TUFSS Committee Chair person and Public Relations Committee Chair.
Sadie Snyder
Sadie earned her Associates degree in 2011 from Iowa Western CC in Council Bluffs, IA. She then continued her education at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, MO where she earned her bachelor’s degree in 2013. Sadie started her career at El Paso CC in 2014 working with softball, baseball, cross country and half marathon teams. In 2016 she made the switch to El Paso ISD/Irvin High school, where she currently works. Sadie has been a SCATA member since 2014 and was a recipient of Manny Pacias award in 2020. She is happily married to Ben and mother to Scarlett and Oliver.
Maria Tuck
Maria is an El Paso native. She graduated from Burges High School where she had the honor of learning under one of SCATA’s legends Manny Pacillas. She went on to study at UTEP under 2 other SCATA greats, Dave Binder and Dawn Hearn. She Graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science in 1993. She has held every office in SCATA at some point in her career. She has worked at Jefferson High School since 1994, recently completing her 26th year. She was inducted into the SCATA Hall of Fame in 2015. She is a proud mother to 2 wonderful teenagers.
Emilio Araujo
Emilio is an El Paso native who graduated from Cathedral High School. He is on his 4th term as SCATA President. Before that he was Public Relations Representative for 2 years. He graduated with his Bachelors from the Athletic Training Education program at New Mexico State University in 2004. He started his athletic training career at Irvin High School In 2006 and was there for 8 years. He received the Manny Pacillas Award through SCATA in 2014. He is now in his 5th year at Coronado High School.
Eric Rueda
Eric is an El Paso native, graduating from Montwood High School. He received his Associate of Arts from EPCC in 2012, then attended UTEP where he studied under Dawn Hearn and Tony Cordova. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from UTEP in 2016. He received his Master of Science in Advanced Athletic Training from the University of South Florida in 2019. He was employed at Southwest Sport and Spine for 1 year, and worked at Mountain View High School for 5 years before moving to J.M. Hanks High School. He has been a SCATA member for 6 years, and has been public relations officer since 2018.