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The West Virginia University community is invited to attend the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences’ official dedication of the Office of Student Success. The ceremony will take place April 14 at 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the main lobby of the CPASS building. A reception will follow the event. James Hannon,CPASS assistant dean of Academic Affairs and Research, will host the program and introduction of the new services.

The CPASS Office of Student Success will combine recruitment, advising and retention services, while focusing on the academic and social needs of current students. The office will strive to help CPASS students stay enrolled and graduate in a timely manner.

Skateboarding has led Jeremy Rogers to connect with troubled children. Rogers, sport and exercise psychology graduate, created Colorado Motion to help adolescents overcome daily challenges and teach them life skills, resilience and perseverance. 

“Colorado Motion provides a fresh approach to improving the lives and mental well-being of children and adolescents in the Colorado area. Colorado Motion utilizes the benefits of physical activity and counseling to provide child and adolescent mental health services. While engaging in physical activities ranging from skateboarding to hiking to playing catch, we build a mentorship-based relationship,” Rogers explained.

Andrew Biederman, who combined personal training, sports communication and entrepreneurship minors to launch his career, has helped develop a training program using aquatics to improve strength training results. 

Biederman, who is a certified personal trainer at Robert Wood Johnson Fitness and Wellness Center in Hamilton, NJ, has worked in the fitness industry for two years. 

Troy Clemons, a native of Greenbrier County, was named the West Virginia University Mountaineer Mascot during the men’s basketball game against Texas Tech on March 2. 

“Growing up it was a dream for me to be the Mountaineer because I was a huge fan of the University and I knew the type of weight the Mountaineer carried as part of the fabric of the University. I had a strong understanding of the pride of all West Virginians and I knew that becoming the Mountaineer would be my chance to portray that pride,” Clemons explained. 

A West Virginia University faculty member has gathered an extensive group of experts to examine how sport is organized in Latin America. This is the first book of its kind to be published in English to offer a sweeping analysis of sport in the vast region.

Gonzalo Bravo, associate professor in sport management, College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, is the lead editor of Sport in Latin America. Policy, Organization, Management, a book recently published in London and New York by Routledge.

Sam Zizzi, associate professor of sport and exercise psychology, offers wellness guidance in the Washington Post’s online article “How to turn a fitness goal into a lifetime of good health.” 

Zizzi provides tips for those who wish to maintain a plan for good health. “In general, the idea of changing your health at the start of a new year is a common idea. But these goals and attempts often fade by springtime because many people take the wrong approach. This article addresses how to make new attempts to change your health stick,” said Zizzi. 

Pat Sandora has worked 23 years in strength and conditioning dating back to his classes and internship at West Virginia University, starting in 1993. He spent 18 years in professional baseball including positions with the Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Red Sox minor league teams before becoming the Head Major League strength coach of the Boston Red Sox in 2012. 

Baseball was always Sandora’s love; he played throughout high school. When he was ready to launch his career, he searched for positions and saw that teams were looking for minor league strength coaches. 

Taylor Schram, an athletic coaching education major who plans to graduate in May, has accepted a Division 1 collegiate soccer coaching position. Schram will serve as first assistant coach for the Binghamton University-The State University of New York Women’s Soccer team. 

Schram, who is originally from Washington, Pa., will oversee training sessions, create schedules, recruit and organize travel. 

Lindsey Blom, EdD 2005, sport and exercise psychology, has been named a Fellow for the 2016 Journey Executive Leadership program recognizing Indiana leaders in youth development. Blom, SEP associate professor at Ball State University, manages the “Soccer for Social Change” program alongside the Indiana Soccer Association. 

Blom has introduced the program in multiple countries worldwide. She plans to study the effects of sport, specifically soccer for youth development in Liberia. Prior to receiving the Fellowship, Blom has helped youth in countries such as Jordan and Tajikistan learn life lessons through the game of soccer. 

Reggie Scott, a CPASS athletic training graduate, has received the 2015 NFL Athletic Training Staff of the Year award. Scott is director of sports medicine and performance for the Los Angeles Rams. Prior to this position Scott served as head athletic trainer for the Rams for five years. 

The Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society presents the NFL Athletic   Training Staff of the Year award for excellence within the athletic training profession. This is the first season that the Rams have earned the honor. 

Caity Mallet CPASS sport management graduate, has been accepted as a Queen Elizabeth Scholar for the spring 2016 semester. The internship position includes a cost of living stipend and will allow Mallet to continue her studies within sport management.

“It’s truly an honor to be selected as a Brock University QE Scholar. I’m looking forward to working in a developing nation to bring the sports management knowledge I learned from both Brock University and WVU to them,” Mallet explained. 

A Sport and Exercise Psychology doctorate student is poised to have her research article published in a well-known athletic journal, thanks to the mentoring of West Virginia University professors. 

Sae-Mi Lee’s research entitled “Cultural Competence Development in Sport and Exercise Psychology Graduate Programs” will be published in the Athletic Insight this February in Volume 7, Issue 3.

Students in the Physical Education Teacher Education program continue to excel in a nationally required teaching exam in their first attempt. PETE students have posted a 97 percent first-time passing rate during the past five years on the Praxis II exam. During that time, students averaged a score of 159, with more than 160 students taking the test. Students have an overall 100 percent passing rate, along with the 97 percent first-time passing rate.

The Praxis II subject-specific teaching exam is an important part of the licensing and certification process for students who aspire to teach, according to Valerie Wayda, associate professor and department chair, Coaching and Teaching Studies at CPASS. This process is required by more than 40 states as well as many professional licensing agencies. 

Faculty connections have opened doors for a WVU Athletic Coaching Education student. Tariq Walcott has landed a position with the prestigious U.K. Elite soccer club. Walcott will coach all age levels during his initial assignment, ranging from six-year-old age groups through high school students. 

CPASS ACE faculty members Dr. Kristen Dieffenbach, associate professor, and Dr. Roch King, teaching assistant professor, referred Walcott to the soccer club. Walcott’s original contract will run from July to November. Walcott hopes to extend his assignment and continue his work with them. 

While there have been many advances in the detection and treatment of athletic-related concussions, WVU graduate student Megan Byrd says less has been done to try to understand the emotional impact.

Byrd, in her fourth year in the Sport Exercise Psychology doctoral program at WVU’s College of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, has received a one-time research grant from the NCAA to help fill that gap.