Vonnie Hitchcock Named The 2018 – 2019 Newell Award National Athletic Trainer of the Year
Vonnie Hitchcock, M.Ed., A.T.C., L.A.T., certified athletic trainer with Houston Healthcare Hospital and outreach athletic trainer for Northside High School, was named The 2018 – 2019 Newell Award National Athletic Trainer of the Year. The Newell Award National Committee chose her as the recipient of this national award because of her exemplary displays of service and leadership in the local athletic community.
In partnership with local leading orthopaedic practices, such as Middle Georgia Orthopaedics in Warner Robins and Perry, The Newell Award National Committee reviewed Regional Nominees from across the nation to determine which nominee best exemplifies the values of the award's namesake, William E. Newell, the "Father of Athletic Training." Regional Nominees were determined based on examples of service, leadership and shared experiences from local community members. Over 300 exceptional shared experiences from community members were received in support of Hitchcock’s regional nomination for the National Award.
Hitchcock, a longtime certified local athletic trainer for the region currently employed by Houston Healthcare Hospital and outreach athletic trainer for Northside High School, received her Bachelor of Science degree in human movement studies from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, where she went on to earn her Master of Education degree in exercise physiology. She has been extremely involved in the sports medicine community for over 25 years, caring for injured athletes and educating future athletic trainers through her work.
“Most people say you aren't what you do, but I do feel I am an athletic trainer. It is who I am, not just what I do for a job,” says Hitchcock. “I feel athletic training is a calling and you have to have a passion for caring for others. It is very rewarding for me personally; I do feel I can make a difference.”
To learn more about The Newell Award or Middle Georgia Orthopaedics, visit TheNewellAward.com/MGO.