WVU College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences faculty and students attended the 33rd Annual Association for Applied Sport Psychology conference in Toronto, Canada in early October. AASP hosted an awards ceremony, announcing top performers in various categories, including numerous CPASS recipients.
Ian Connole, CPASS alumnus, received the Distinguished Applied Contribution Award for significant work that has impacted the field of sports psychology. Connole, a partner with Vision Pursue, provides a focus on improving mental skills to impact life experiences, including mindfulness for high performance individuals and organizations.
Erika Van Dyke, CPASS graduate student, received the AASP 2018 Conference Student Travel Award, allowing her to travel to the conference this year and present her work. Van Dyke was one of eight recipients of the award.
Zenzi Huysmans, CPASS doctoral student, and Damien Clement, associate professor, were acknowledged and awarded a grant for their research, “Coaching Life Skills Through Youth Sport: An Application of the TPSR Model in Swaziland.”
CPASS undergraduate student, Farhan Shaikh, received the Student Diversity Conference Travel Grant. This grant recognizes first-time racially and ethnically diverse student attendees, providing the opportunity to attend the annual fall conference, learn more about the field of SEP and develop professional connections within the industry.
Dana Voelker, assistant professor, received the Dorothy V. Harris Memorial Award, acknowledging her contributions to the sport psychology field.
Kristen Dieffenbach, associate professor, serves as the public relations and outreach division head, overseeing four subcommittees for AASP.
The conference is the largest annual sport psychology conference worldwide for applied practitioners who work with pro and elite athletes, ranging from high school, collegiate and youth sport athletes. The AASP 2018 Annual Conference featured more than 100 workshops, lectures, panels and symposia, while delivering continuing education on the latest techniques and practices in the field.
AASP is an international multidisciplinary and professional organization with more than 5,000 members in 55 countries worldwide. Members have backgrounds in a variety of areas including sport science, social work, counseling and clinical psychology.