Athletico Physical Therapy Announces 5th Annual Coach of the Year Award Winner

OAK BROOK, Ill., Dec. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Athletico Physical Therapy is proud to announce Sal Konkle of Marshall High School in Michigan as the winner of the 5^th Annual Athletico Coach of the Year Award. In addition to receiving a commemorative plaque, Coach Konkle received four tickets to the Big Ten Football Championship game held on December 2, 2017 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Athletico Coach of the Year Award was created to recognize coaches for all they do to serve their local communities, including sportsmanship, coaching success and classroom involvement.

"We were pleased to honor Coach Konkle with this award. Every year we receive nominations of many great coaches, however we felt that Coach Konkle really stood out amongst her peers with not only her coaching success, but what she has done for the Marshall community and the emphasis she places on sportsmanship," said Jason Bannack, Vice President of Outreach Services at Athletico. "Sal is a true role model for her student-athletes and we are proud to be affiliated with her and Marshall High School. We want to congratulate her on winning this award and wish her the best of luck during this basketball season."

Nominated by multiple individuals within Marshall High School and the community, Coach Konkle has displayed high levels of excellence on and off the court within her role. As the Head Coach of Marshall's Girls Basketball team, the Redhawks have had two consecutive trips to the Final Four in Class B, including winning the State Championship during the 2015-16 season.

In addition to that coaching success, it was Coach Konkle's impact in the community and on her athletes that set her apart from other coaches that were nominated. Coach Konkle's team recently won the Basketball Coaches of Michigan Sportsmanship Award as well as received Academic All-State honorable mention in 2017. The team also supports the American Cancer Society yearly by raising money through an annual free-throwathon. Additionally, Coach Konkle is a volunteer assistant coach for the Girls Varsity and JV Golf teams. Through all of these accomplishments, Coach Konkle has demonstrated what a true student-athlete should be and has served as a strong role model within Marshall High School.

"We are excited about Coach Konkle being named the Athletico Coach of the Year," said Dan Coddens, Marshall Public Schools Athletic Director. "Coach Konkle is extremely dedicated to her team and her entire program. Winning the Michigan Girls Basketball Class B State Championship in 2016 and returning to the Final Four in 2017 are testaments to her success as our Head Coach. Her players represent our school and community with the same dedication to excellence both on the floor and in the classroom. We are very proud of Coach Konkle, her staff and of course the players here at Marshall. Thank you to Athletico for recognizing Coach Konkle and our entire Girls Basketball Program." 

The Coach of the Year Award was open to any junior high or high school level coach within the states of Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin. Nominations were open to the public and submitted via an online entry form. Nominators were required to explain why their coach should be recognized. A selection committee within Athletico reviewed the nominations before selecting Coach Konkle as the winner. Nominations for the 2018 award will be accepted next fall.

About Athletico
Athletico Physical Therapy provides the highest quality orthopedic rehabilitation services to communities, employers and athletes in over 400 locations throughout eleven states with more than 4,500 employees. Athletico is committed to our patients and referring physicians through our patient-centric focus, positive work environment, attention to quality and high standard of care. Athletico measures patient outcomes and satisfaction and is dedicated to continuous improvement. Athletico was named #1 Workplace in Chicago, "Best Physical Therapy Practice in the Nation" by ADVANCE magazine, Top Workplace in the Nation and has been recognized as a leader in employee volunteering and charitable giving.  Our services include physical and occupational/hand therapy, workers' compensation, women's health therapy, concussion management and athletic training. For more information, or to schedule a free injury screening, please visit www.athletico.com and follow us on Twitter at @athletico.

CONTACT:  Cassie Burica | Weber Shandwick
312-988-2199 | [email protected]

SOURCE Athletico Physical Therapy