AT LAST: Christopher Bates and Adam Cady Are Forging Universal Access to Sports Medicine, Starting in Inglewood

Inglewood is full of athletic talent. Its athletes, coaches and families already bring the skill, the work ethic and the support. What is often missing is easy access to high-level sports medicine, so many of them have to work twice as hard to get the care that keeps a season, and a future in sport, on track.

AT LAST was built to close that gap. Christopher Bates and Adam Cady, two Southern California sports medicine practitioners, lead a nonprofit that starts with what a community already has and adds the care it is missing. Inglewood is where they are proving the model. The goal is to take it across Southern California and the country. On Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, they invite supporters to the organization’s soft launch and inaugural benefit evening, Uncommon Care in Common Space, at The Common Space Brewery in Hawthorne.

Key takeaways

• AT LAST stands for Athletic Trainers Leveraging Activism for Social Transformation. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit forging universal access to sports medicine care and athletic performance development.
• Inglewood is AT LAST’s showroom, the place where it proves its model. It plans to grow across Southern California and nationally as its capacity grows.
• Through its Elite Rehab Accelerator (ERA) and pre-participation cardiac exams, AT LAST has provided more than $70,000 in care to more than 30 athletes.
• Its approach builds on strengths: athletes, coaches, families and neighborhoods already have real talent, and AT LAST adds the specific care and connections that are missing.
• AT LAST is raising $300,000 to fund paid athletic trainers and sustainable growth. Donors, foundations and corporate partners are the gap-fillers who can close it.
• Co-founder and CEO Christopher Bates, ATC, RSCC, grew up in Lynwood, California. COO Adam C. Cady holds a Master of Health Science from Duke University and serves as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force.
• The soft launch and inaugural benefit, Uncommon Care in Common Space, is Nov. 14, 2026, 7 to 9 p.m., at The Common Space Brewery in Hawthorne. RSVP at 562.965.1519.

What is AT LAST?

AT LAST is short for Athletic Trainers Leveraging Activism for Social Transformation. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit based in Southern California. AT LAST states its mission this way:

“We’re forging universal access to sports medicine care and athletic performance development, so the athletes, families, and neighborhoods who are already overcoming systemic odds no longer have to work twice as hard to be well, flourish, and prosper.”

AT LAST does that work through three channels: clinical programs that reach athletes directly, an integrated network of service providers such as surgeons, clinics and physical therapists, and key stakeholders in the community.

The approach starts from strength. AT LAST sees athletes, coaches, families and neighborhoods as assets with real talent. Its job is to make that talent easier to see, give it a bigger platform and add what is missing, one specific gap at a time, whether that is a faster path to surgery, a fuller sports physical or a connection for a future athletic trainer.

Why does AT LAST start in Inglewood?

AT LAST calls Inglewood its showroom. It is the city where the organization proves its model in real life, with real athletes and real results, before taking it further. The plan is to scale across Southern California and then nationally as capacity grows.

The invitation for the November event puts it in one line: “Built in Inglewood. Designed to Scale, for Every Athlete.”

The local roots show up on screen, too. A four-minute documentary short by Duda features Inglewood Mayor James Butts and coaches and athletes from Inglewood High School, putting the city’s own people at the center of the story.

What has AT LAST done so far?

The early numbers are concrete. Through its Elite Rehab Accelerator and pre-participation cardiac exams, AT LAST has provided more than $70,000 in care to more than 30 athletes, according to materials AT LAST shared with Booked Impact.

Behind each of those numbers is an athlete with real ability who wanted to get back to their team. AT LAST’s role was to make sure an injury or a missing exam did not get in the way of that talent.

AT LAST also points to the journey of athlete Chris Eversley as an example of what is at stake. His story, as AT LAST tells it, shows how elite sports medicine care preserves collegiate, professional and human potential.

How did AT LAST start?

AT LAST began in 2020 as The AT Last Podcast. A group of Los Angeles sports medicine practitioners started sharing ideas and research about health equity for athletes of color. The show has been hosted by Adam Cady, Christopher Bates and Kristen Ross, and its guests have included nutrition researcher Robert Lustig, sports scientist Tim Noakes and activist Hawk Newsome.

The group calls that first phase “awareness and education.” The next phase, it says, is “vision in action”: building programs that reach athletes directly. The Inglewood work is that next phase.

Who is Christopher Bates?

Christopher Bates, ATC, RSCC, is the co-founder, CEO and president of AT LAST. His bio on weareatlast.org says he was born and raised in Lynwood, California, the son of a nurse and a therapist. He writes that he has “served athletes from the inner city to the Olympic stage.”

Bates has spent more than two decades in athletic and human performance. His career began right after college in Compton, working on youth and community sports and well-being programs. He launched the first strength and conditioning program at California Baptist University and helped shape its athlete performance center, which his bio says is still thriving 15 years later. His bio also says he directs a multidisciplinary sports medicine and human performance team for USA Water Polo’s men’s Olympic team.

His aim with AT LAST is to give young athletes access to “the people, places, and platforms” that help them and their communities flourish.

Who is Adam Cady?

Adam C. Cady is AT LAST’s chief operating officer and vice president. He grew up in Portland, Oregon, and has lived more than half his life in Southern California. According to his AT LAST bio, he holds a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology and athletic training from California State University, Fullerton, and a Master of Health Science from Duke University. He completed the sports medicine fellowship program at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado.

His bio says he works as a physician associate at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles and practices military medicine as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force. He also completed a certificate in applying functional medicine in clinical practice from the Institute for Functional Medicine.

Cady describes himself as “an accomplice in the fight for health,” and he believes the work “can be generationally impactful.” AT LAST’s board also includes treasurer Dr. Trevor Bates and secretary Dr. Charles J. Ramos, according to the AT LAST team page.

What programs does AT LAST run?

Each AT LAST program fills one specific gap:

• Elite Rehab Accelerator (ERA). For youth athletes whose injury goes beyond what their school’s athletic trainer can handle, or whose school has no athletic trainer. AT LAST plugs the athlete into its provider network: it connects them with the right specialists, contacts clinics, works to fast-track surgery dates, helps with transportation and sets up physical therapy, so they can recover and get back to their team.
• Beyond the Baseline pre-participation exam. For many young athletes, the sports physical is their only visit with a medical provider all year. AT LAST’s version looks at the whole person, including physical, mental and relational health.
• Bridging the Network Gaps. A program that builds a network of connections around athletic training students. One example on its site: Sierra Cruz, an East Coast university student who landed an internship at Stanford. AT LAST supported her fundraising and connected her with an athletic trainer at Stanford so she had a familiar face on campus.

AT LAST is also running the Elite Access Challenge, a fundraising competition for Master of Athletic Training students that it describes as “a quest for equity through access.”

What do athletes and providers say about AT LAST?

Testimonials on the nonprofit’s website come from both sides of the training room. Christina Scutti, ATC, of Leuzinger High School writes that AT LAST “has been a game changer,” and that without the partnership her athletes “would have had a lower level of care” and might not have returned to sport as quickly or at as high a level.

Kari Ayoob of Evolution Physical Therapy writes that “these students’ dreams have been kept alive and you can see their hope revive as they start to get back into playing their sport.” An athlete named Zion says his insurance would not cover high-level physical therapy, and “AT Last removed those barriers.”

What is Uncommon Care in Common Space?

Uncommon Care in Common Space is AT LAST’s soft launch and inaugural benefit evening. It takes place on Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Pacific at The Common Space Brewery, 3411 W. El Segundo Blvd., Hawthorne. Christopher Bates and Adam Cady are hosting.

The evening has three parts, according to the invitation:

• 7:00 p.m. Pre-Game Fuel & Fellowship. Dinner from Gochu Gang (Korean BBQ fusion) and craft beer from The Common Space Brewery.
• 7:30 p.m. Plan & Vision Launch. AT LAST’s story so far, the vision ahead and an interactive table experience.
• 8:45 p.m. Lift-Off & Send-Off. Closing remarks, a post-game toast and networking.

Guests are asked to RSVP as soon as possible at 562.965.1519.

What’s on the menu at the AT LAST benefit?

Dinner and two drinks are included with each invitation, and additional drinks are available to buy. Gochu Gang is serving four kinds of bulgogi (prime beef, spicy pork, chicken and a vegan zucchini bulgogi) with rice, a gochu vinaigrette spring salad, cucumber salad and homemade kimchi. Vegan and gluten-free options are marked on the menu.

The Common Space Brewery, which brews in Hawthorne, is pouring from a rotating lineup that ranges from light lagers to hazy IPAs, Oktoberfest styles, dark beers and fruit beers. Seltzers, micheladas, nonalcoholic beer and soft drinks are also available.

How can you help AT LAST reach its $300,000 goal?

AT LAST is raising $300,000 to fund paid athletic trainers and build for sustainable growth. Donors, foundations and corporate partners are the gap-fillers who can close that distance and help the Inglewood model reach more athletes.

The simplest first step is to show up on Nov. 14 and hear the plan firsthand. Beyond the event, AT LAST asks supporters to fund its programs, share their skills through leadership and volunteer roles, and bring new ideas. Sports medicine professionals, organizations and community leaders are all invited to, in its words, “join the revolution in sports medicine.”

You can donate to AT LAST, back the Elite Access Challenge, follow @atlastpod on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. Booked Impact covers more mission-driven leaders in our Founders section.

Frequently asked questions

What does AT LAST stand for?

AT LAST stands for Athletic Trainers Leveraging Activism for Social Transformation. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit forging universal access to sports medicine care and athletic performance development.

What is AT LAST’s mission?

In AT LAST’s words: “We’re forging universal access to sports medicine care and athletic performance development, so the athletes, families, and neighborhoods who are already overcoming systemic odds no longer have to work twice as hard to be well, flourish, and prosper.”

Why is AT LAST based in Inglewood?

AT LAST calls Inglewood its showroom, the place where it proves its model. It plans to scale across Southern California and nationally as its capacity grows.

What has AT LAST accomplished so far?

Through its Elite Rehab Accelerator and pre-participation cardiac exams, AT LAST has provided more than $70,000 in care to more than 30 athletes.

How much is AT LAST raising?

AT LAST is raising $300,000 to fund paid athletic trainers and sustainable growth. Donors, foundations and corporate partners can help close that gap.

Who leads AT LAST?

Christopher Bates, ATC, RSCC, is the co-founder, CEO and president, and Adam C. Cady is the COO and vice president. AT LAST grew out of The AT Last Podcast, started in 2020 by Los Angeles sports medicine practitioners.

Who is Christopher Bates?

Christopher Bates is the co-founder and CEO of AT LAST. A Lynwood, California native, he has more than 20 years in athletic and human performance, launched California Baptist University’s first strength and conditioning program, and works with USA Water Polo’s men’s Olympic team.

Who is Adam Cady?

Adam C. Cady is AT LAST’s COO and vice president. He holds a Master of Health Science from Duke University, completed a sports medicine fellowship at The Steadman Clinic, works as a physician associate in Los Angeles, and serves as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force.

When and where is the AT LAST soft launch?

Uncommon Care in Common Space, AT LAST’s soft launch and inaugural benefit evening, is Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 7 to 9 p.m. Pacific at The Common Space Brewery, 3411 W. El Segundo Blvd., Hawthorne, California.

How do I RSVP for the AT LAST benefit?

Call or text 562.965.1519 as soon as possible. Dinner from Gochu Gang and two drinks are included with your invitation.

What programs does AT LAST offer?

AT LAST runs the Elite Rehab Accelerator, which connects injured youth athletes to surgery, rehab and physical therapy; Beyond the Baseline, a whole-person pre-participation exam; and Bridging the Network Gaps, which builds connections for athletic training students.

How can I donate to AT LAST?

You can donate through weareatlast.org or support its Elite Access Challenge on Give Lively. AT LAST is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

This profile draws on AT LAST’s website (weareatlast.org), its team bios, the official event invitation and menu, and materials AT LAST shared with Booked Impact. Quotes come from those materials. Booked Impact did not interview Christopher Bates or Adam Cady, and this article is not medical advice.