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As an athlete, there are countless things that can go through the mind while playing a sport. Sports are exhausting both mentally and physically. Sophomore Morgan Phillips chose West Virginia University to study sport and exercise psychology while wanting to compete with the highly successful Mountaineer Rifle team. 

“I chose CPASS because rifle is a very mental sport and I thought sport [exercise] psychology was interesting. It’s really fascinating to learn more about sport psychology and be able to make connections between what I’m learning about in school and what I do athletically,” said Phillips.

When most people think of the Virgin Islands they envision clear blue water, white sandy beaches, tropical weather and stunning views. Melisa Efe experienced the Virgin Islands from a different angle.

Efe, sport and exercise psychology major, volunteers with All Hands and Hearts, an organization that helps communities effected by natural disasters. After Hurricane Irma and Maria in 2017, the U.S. Virgin Islands suffered severe flooding, wind damage and was left with mountains of debris. All Hands and Hearts sent a Rapid Response team to help with the damage following the storms. The relief continues. Efe traveled to St John over 2018 winter break to support recovery efforts.

Hundreds of people interested in applied sport science, strength and conditioning and long-term athlete development gathered at the International Coaching and Sport Science College Conference this past December 2018 at East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN.

College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences representation at the conference included graduate students Michael Derasmo, Jarric Haskins, Billy Cedar, Michael Schlund, Matt Anti, Connor Olson, Nicholas Berchock, Kanchana Venkatesh, Mike DeLong, undergraduate student Anthony Geeza and Abigail Tice, exercise physiology graduate student. Dr. Guy Hornsby, teaching assistant professor, athletic coaching education, joined the students on the trip.

In the world of athletics, there are hundreds of brands, influencers, products and accounts to follow and keep up with. Each may have their own story, but how often is there an opportunity to watch one build from the ground up?

Nick Knopf, a Maryland native, is a sport and exercise psychology major, with a minor in business administration. While researching different schools, Knopf wanted somewhere that was new to him along with offering a degree similar to kinesiology, the study of body movements. West Virginia University happened to fulfill his passion.

For some, strength training and conditioning might look intimidating. For others, it might be a way to relieve stress. For graduate assistants Jarrod Burton and Billy Cedar it’s their passion and a future career plan.  

Burton and Cedar are both working with student-athletes from high school to collegiate levels. As strength and conditioning coaches, they are focused on helping athletes train and reach their goals.

The Sport and Exercise Psychology program offers numerous classes that range from professional issues, psychological perspectives to sports in American society. One class focuses on the history and sociocultural contributions to sports in America, specifically historical figures who are African American.

“As a student, their presence in class today and listening to their speeches was very inspirational, motivating and knowledgeable. Their golden experiences are a reminder for this generation to understand the history and its importance," said Farhan Shaikh.

The WVU Department of Campus Recreation has announced five graduate assistant positions based at the Student Recreation Center.  Positions are designed as two, one-year contracts covering the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 academic years.

Graduate assistants will oversee administrative duties, staff supervision and project and event management. 

 A West Virginia University master’s cohort has created a fundraising effort to benefit the National Foundation to End Child Abuse and Neglect (EndCAN). The College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences sport management on line master’s students worked together to identify the non-profit recipient of the funds, decide on a product and generate a marketing plan.

“One member of our class, Morgan Montgomery, was instrumental in securing our start-up funds. She is in Colorado, near the charity’s headquarters, and contacted them, pitched our idea and gained their support. We knew we had a financial obstacle to overcome, so Morgan was successful in getting the organization to provide us with $500 to launch the product,” said Kevin Spano, team CEO. 

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.

In the world of sports teams and major events, many people forget about the office jobs that surround the team and help ensure success.

Casey Hudson, 2018 Sports Management master’s graduate, found himself learning the the behind-the-scenes business of a major league soccer team, the Columbus Crew. Hudson is currently responsible inside sales and manages around 1,000 accounts.