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Cassie Smith, league director for the West Virginia Interscholastic Cycling League, is using sport to jumpstart the road to a long, healthy life for West Virginia teens.

Smith, from Aldie, Va., is a 1993 graduate of West Virginia University with a degree in physical education. As a passionate mountain biker for the last 25 years, Smith works to engage youth in cycling throughout the state of West Virginia.

Coaching and Teaching Studies doctoral student Maggie Roberts is passionate about working with students and helping them progress through their own learning experience. Roberts says the WVU degree program has opened new doors and provided opportunities for future work and experiences. 

Coaching and Teaching Studies, EdD

Alexa Miley's career goals involve becoming an athletic director or working within sport operations or marketing. The WVU Sport Management master's program prepares students to compete in the sport market as an industry leader.

Sport Management (on campus)

Adam Hansell wants to use sport to promote positive outcomes for athletes around the world. He plans to use his graduate degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology to pursue his passion to make the world a better place.

Sport and Exercise Psychology (PhD)

Coaching and Sport Education master's student Kanchana Paromita Venkatesh wanted to dive deeper into strength and conditioning coaching. She chose WVU because it integrated science with the art of coaching.

Coaching and Sport Education

Sarah Gould Wright, B.S. (1995) sport behavior, is all too familiar with the necessities and importance of developing resources needed to thrive. Originally from Cabot, VT, Wright has traveled up and down the east coast serving under-resourced individuals through her commitment to enhancing programs, policies and systems inclusive of these populations.

With her extensive expertise in coaching, leadership and student-development, Wright has directed projects for the greater good of innumerable organizations. Her background includes leading new initiatives and working diligently to transform “good” programs into “award winning” level ones.

As conversations regarding the profession of sport coaching and support of coaching as a profession continue to expand, the Center for Applied Coaching and Sport Studies in the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences is one of the first programs in the United States to support the academic preparation of potential coaches, coach educators and coaching directors.

Kristen Dieffenbach, associate professor, coaching and performance science, served as guest editor and key contributor for a special issue on sport coaching in the 32nd volume for the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, the official journal of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.

The outlook for the West Virginia University men’s lacrosse team this season is high. Coming off the team’s best season in school history, there are numerous expectations to look forward to in 2020.

No one may be more confident than junior defensemen Jake Purdy, who was recently named team president and co-captain for the upcoming campaign. Purdy, a native of Granville, OH, is an athletic coaching education major with a sport communication minor.  

A West Virginia University graduate has worked his way through the collegiate athletic administration ranks to reach the top leadership role at a respected New England university. Marcus Blossom, M.S. (2005) sport management, is the new director of intercollegiate athletics at College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass.

As announced last year, Blossom oversees the development of Holy Cross’ 27 NCAA Division I teams as members of the Patriot League, Atlantic Hockey Association and the Women’s Hockey East Association.

Three CPASS Sport and Exercise Psychology graduates share stories about how they landed positions in Southeastern Conference universities. They talk about their typical day at the office, why they chose WVU and how their CPASS degree has helped them succeed in the industry. Each one offers advice for students wanting to enter the field. Although their paths might be different, they share one thing in common. They are passionate about the people they met and family connection they created during their experience as Mountaineers.