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The West Virginia University School of Sport Sciences and the WVU Baseball Biomechanics and Performance Center are partnering to elevate sport sciences education and baseball performance by combining science, technology, and applied learning to set new standards in athletic performance and professional preparation across all disciplines in the School of Sport Sciences.

A key component of the partnership is a new role that connects the School of Sport Sciences and the Baseball Biomechanics and Performance Center. This position will lead the center’s daily operations while contributing to teaching, research, and outreach in sport biomechanics and related areas.

The West Virginia University College of Applied Human Sciences has announced a new online Master of Arts in Leadership Studies in Education designed to prepare educators for school and district leadership roles in K-12 schools.

 The program includes a 30-credit curriculum that offers multiple certification pathways, which can be earned along the way to degree completion or pursued independently. Students can earn a Principal Certificate (18 credits) and a Superintendent Endorsement (6 credits), with the option to complete both while progressing toward the full master’s degree. A separate General Supervisor of Instruction Certificate is also available.

Students and faculty in the Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology program recently traveled to the University of Kentucky for the American Association of Sport Psychology Midwest Sport and Exercise Psychology Symposium.

For much of her athletic career, Hannah Swartz (née Severs) carried a quiet, growing exhaustion—one that had little to do with the physical demands of the sport she loved. A standout soccer player growing up in North Carolina, she was driven, competitive, and committed to improving. But as she progressed in the game, the emotional and mental toll of coaching styles around her began to wear her down.

As early as 12 years old, Swartz can remember going to the sideline during a game to be yelled at for a mistake. At an age when sport should have been a source of joy and growth, Swartz felt tension creeping in. Anxiety followed her into games. Practices felt like pressure cookers rather than learning environments. She continued competing at a high level but felt drained by the culture around her.