Latest News

A graduate assistantship position with the West Virginia University Athletics Department propelled Ray Booker, from rural Amelia County, Va., to transition as a student to launching his professional career in the sports field. Booker, WVU Sport Management M.S. graduate (2021), serves as the stadium and game operations coordinator for the College Football Playoff postseason event that determines college football’s national championship.

Booker says he was determined to make his dreams come true, even if it meant making sacrifices. He never imagined that one day he would have the opportunity to work for the College Football Playoffs. A typical work-day for Booker involves strategic planning and preparation for the annual CFP Championship game. His tasks include preparing manuals that effectively communicate the CFP policies to all participants, coordinating game operations and addressing potential risk management issues.

The West Virginia Black Bears have announced Leighann Sainato, M.S. in Sport Management (2019), as their general manager. As the second general manager in Black Bears history, Sainato oversees a broad range of responsibilities, from budgeting and team travel arrangements to sales and marketing.

With an extensive range of duties, Sainato has learned to strategically schedule her work time. “Every day is about completing specific tasks. I map out my agenda down to the hour because I have multiple responsibilities. I’m a very hands-on GM. I directly oversee our public relations efforts, from marketing to writing press releases and creating graphics,” she said.

The Association for Applied Sport Psychology has awarded a seed grant to Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology third year graduate student Tommy Minkler. The grant is intended to provide support for AASP members, especially early career professionals/pre-tenured faculty or students, for their community outreach/research endeavors.

Minkler’s study is titled ‘Drivers of Change in Mindfulness-Based Interventions with Athletes: Investigating the Influence of Dosage, Readiness, and Attitudes.’ Minkler says that his research explores wellbeing and performance outcomes along with the factors that contribute to them, during and after mindfulness interventions with college student-athletes.

Adam Zundell will serve as the inaugural director of communications and marketing within the emerging West Virginia University College of Applied Human Sciences. Zundell will lead strategic initiatives as the College of Education and Human Services and the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences transition for the launch, set for July 2022.

As a seasoned communicator, Zundell will focus on promoting efforts by the new College that highlight the holistic development and well-being of individuals at every stage of life. The new College is comprised of three schools, the School of Education, School of Counseling and Well-being and School of Sport Sciences, combining efforts to advance academics, student support and research.

Morgan’s Message, a pioneering student club within the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, was selected to receive a grant in support of their ongoing efforts to promote mental wellness for athletes.

The group participated in the “I Belong” event during a recent WVU Women’s Basketball game. “Our team networked and connected with other people and organizations flawlessly. The table looked incredible and brought us a lot of awesome opportunities,” Nora Hanlon, club secretary, said. “The I Belong mirror was especially loved. I could not be prouder of the team and I know they feel the same.”

Juliana Kingsborough, junior, sport and exercise psychology major, chose the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences because of the numerous doors it could open for her career plans. “I was in two different majors before I found WVU CPASS. Right away, I knew that the sport and exercise psychology program was the best fit for me,” Kingsborough said. “I could envision how it would lead me in the right direction to aim for Occupational Therapy.”

The Ridley Park, Pa. native says that WVU stood out to her during her selection process because of the beautiful campus and variety of majors WVU offers. “I always knew I wanted to pursue Occupational Therapy. Having an array of majors available allowed me to find the right one to get me there.”

Multiple College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences faculty, students and alumni participated in the first hybrid National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education conference, Jan. 5-8, 2022 in Phoenix, Ariz. CPASS stakeholders highlighted their expertise through presentations and lectures while receiving recognition for passion in the field.

The 2022 NAKHE conference featured how leaders can effectively use technology and creativity in meeting the challenges resulting from the pandemic and other ongoing national issues. COVID-19 has upped the ante for higher education administration and faculty in dealing with difficulties related to budget cuts, diversity, inclusion and legislation.

In honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, the WVU Association for Women in Sports Media and A2WD will host a panel discussion on mental health for women in sports on February 2 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. in the Media Innovation Center on the 4th floor, Evansdale Crossing or via live stream. The discussion, titled Women in Sport and Mental Health, is in partnership with the Association of Women in Sport Media – AWSM.

The panel will feature Marla Gladstone, doctoral student, CPASS coaching and teaching studies, as moderator. Panel participants include Kayza Massey and Brooke Brown, WVU Women’s soccer student athletes; Olivia Sneed, assistant director of athletics communication and CPASS SM master’s graduate; Sofía España Pérez, clinical and sports behavioral health therapist, WVU Athletics and CPASS doctorate degree in sport, exercise and performance psychology; and Felicia Hooper, behavioral health therapist, Carruth Center.

Maintaining a drive to constantly evaluate life aspirations has empowered CPASS graduate Ted Deljanovan to excel in coaching and his career. Deljanovan, physical education teacher education master’s degree (May 2019), says that goal setting has unleashed unlimited possibilities.

“Regardless of whether it was obtaining full time employment, using it in my coaching to be successful or in everyday life, goal setting and pushing me, my teams and individuals has provided opportunities across the board,” Deljanovan said. “I live the ‘never stay comfortable’ motto and keep setting new ambitions to better my teams and myself.”

The West Virginia University community is invited to attend the anti-racism activation experience titled “A Long Talk About the Uncomfortable Truth” on Feb. 15 and 22 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

The two-day event will begin with a virtual conference organized as thoughtful conversations where participants are asked to listen, view and respond in real time. The discussions will include large and small group settings using the breakout rooms feature.