Latest News

An appreciation for a local school and a discovery about a health and physical activity-based award evolved into national recognition. The picture on the left shows Ishonte’ Allar, CPASS grad student, with Suncrest Middle School representatives. (Photo by The Dominion Post)

Christopher Roth is a middle school physical education teacher at Eastern Greenbrier Middle School, Greenbrier County, West Virginia. Throughout the past six years teaching physical education and coaching middle school football, Roth describes his greatest accomplishment as creating experiences for students to try and succeed in areas that they themselves did not believe they were capable. 

Dr. Amy Sidwell and a student team at Fairmont State University were among 10 project winners nationwide for the 2014 Ford Community College Challenge.

CPASS graduate Lindsey Blom was inducted into the Georgia Southern Athletics Hall of Fame. Blom was honored in July for her athletic accomplishments and impact on Georgia Southern University as a student-athlete, coach and supporter.

“I am humbled and a bit in shock still. I enjoy the ability to be active, learn new skills, and work with others; this is why I still play soccer several times a week,” Blom said.

Coach Matt O’Neil, ACE May 2013 graduate, has grown his career in the last six months as the coach of multiple competitive and high school swimming teams in the Cleveland area. O’Neil credits his success to the inspiring lessons the professors at CPASS provided him while earning his degree.

After graduation O’Neil was offered a position as the head swim coach at a country club where he coached 80 kids during multiple practices per day.

Tyson Thompson, sport management MS 2010 graduate, was honored by a national tennis magazine for his contributions to the United States Tennis Association. Thompson is the USTA community program and training coordinator in North Carolina. 

Racquet Sports Industry magazine recently released their annual “30 Under Thirty” list recognizing members in the tennis community who are helping the industry grow.

Jack Marucci, CPASS athletic training grad, and director of athletic training at Louisiana State University, was featured recently in USA Today about how his company, Marucci Bat Company, is rivaling the Louisville Slugger.

Jack Marucci’s hobby of making baseball bats in his backyard led him to start his company in 2002 to meet the demand of big league hitters. What no one knew was how successful the bats would become and that they would rival the infamous Louisville Slugger.

James C. Jenkins, a Physical Education Teaching Education graduate, has become a jet setter since earning his degree. Jenkins, certified in both physical education and mathematics, has been teaching internationally for nine years.

“I spent two years in Bangkok, Thailand, two years in Tel Aviv, Israel, and five years in Hong Kong,” Jenkins said.

Justin Isberg, a 2013 graduate of the Physical Education Teacher Education program, will begin teaching full time at one of North Carolina’s top performing middle schools this month. Isberg interviewed with a variety of schools for physical education/health teacher positions and learned that thanks to the WVU PETE program, he stood out from the other candidates in many ways.

The WVU PETE program focuses on developing students into physical educators and has established itself as a national leader in physical education teacher training. The program has a unique approach to teaching skill analysis and by enabling students to gain hands-on experience; most graduates are generally employed as elementary or secondary health and/or physical education teachers and athletic coaches.

An article written by third year PETE masters cohort teacher, Tyler Cathcart, is featured in the 2013 summer edition of The Pulse, an on line newsletter published by aahperd.org. Tyler tells the story of The Education Center at The Watson Institute in Sewickley, PA where he teaches. The Education Center serves children between the ages of three and 21 who have various disabilities.

Tyler, who will graduate this month, explains that The Center has participated in the American Heart Association’s Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart for the past decade. He says that although students deal with their own challenges, the lessons that they learn from actively participating in these fundraisers encourage them to lead healthier lifestyles.