Derek VanDeWater was hired in August 2025 as staff athletic trainer at Albion.
He works with the football, swimming & diving, men's lacrosse and e-sports programs.
VanDeWater comes to Albion from Adrian College, where he graduated with his master's in athletic training this summer. He also attended the college as an undergraduate, graduating in 2024 with a degree in exercise science.
As a graduate student, VanDeWater did his clinical rotations with Adrian's men's lacrosse and men's basketball teams along with Siena Heights University's athletics programs.
Throughout his undergraduate years, VanDeWater worked with Adrian's men's soccer, women's hockey, rowing and women's lacrosse programs. Additionally, he spent time at Siena Heights, Adrian Madison High School and the University of Michigan (men's soccer) along with working the Big Ten tennis and track & field championships in 2024.
VanDeWater is a member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) and has unique educational experiences with muscle energy techniques, concussion comprehensive management and EMR systems such as Smart-a-Base and SPORTSWARE. He also received an EMT certification from the Madison Township Fire & Rescue team.
A native of Garden City, Mich., VanDeWater played football at Adrian for three seasons from 2020-22. He graduated from Garden City High School in 2020 and is the son of David and Jennifer VanDeWater.
