Daniel Merrill of Crown Point High School Named the Regional Nominee for The 2018 – 2019 Newell National Athletic Trainer of the Year Award

Daniel Merrill, M.Ed., L.A.T., A.T.C., of Crown Point High School has been named the Regional Nominee for The 2018 – 2019 Newell National Athletic Trainer of the Year Award. As the Regional Nominee, Merrill will advance on to join other Regional Nominees from across the nation to be considered for the title of The Newell Award National Athletic Trainer of the Year, which will be announced in the coming weeks.

In partnership with local leading orthopedic practices, such as Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute in Chesterton, Crown Point, Knox, LaPorte, Michigan City, Portage, Schererville and Valparaiso, The 2018 – 2019 Newell National Athletic Trainer of the Year Award recognizes athletic trainers for the service and leadership they provide to local athletic communities. Based on examples of service, leadership and shared experiences from community members, nominees for The Newell National Athletic Trainer of the Year Award are determined regionally. Nearly 100 exceptional shared experiences from community members were received in support of Merrill’s regional nomination for the National Award.

“The outpouring of support from community members on Mr. Merrill’s behalf has been tremendous and certainly well-deserved,” says Dr. Anthony Levenda, fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeon at Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute. “We feel honored to acknowledge his efforts by partnering with The Newell Award to recognize the region’s top athletic trainers for the service and leadership they display while treating our community’s athletes.”

Formerly an athletic trainer for Valparaiso High School and Willowcreek Middle School, Merrill currently serves as the athletic trainer for Crown Point High School through Franciscan Alliance. After receiving his Bachelor of Science in health and safety with an emphasis in athletic training from Indiana University in Bloomington, he went on to earn his Master of Science in education at Indiana University Northwest in Gary. Merrill has served the local community as an athletic trainer and teacher for over 30 years, caring for injured athletes and educating future athletic trainers through his work.

In addition to Merrill, there were other exceptional candidates considered for regional nomination for The 2018 – 2019 Newell National Athletic Trainer of the Year Award, including Vanessa Birky of Kankakee Valley High School.

To learn more about The Newell Award, visit TheNewellAward.com/LBJI