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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.

During the winter break sport management students and faculty member Patrick Hairston, teaching assistant professor, participated in a field experience learning opportunity at the Duke's Mayo Bowl Game in Charlotte, N.C. The group attend the game between the University of South Carolina and the University of North Carolina on Dec. 30.

Hairston created this practical learning opportunity by connecting with the Charlotte Sports Foundation and other professional contacts. “I wanted the students to learn the lesson of the all hands on deck mentality as it relates to event management.No role is too small or too big in managing a sporting event, especially a college bowl game in an NFL stadium,” he said.

College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences student Daniel Thompson gained first-hand experience as an intern with WVU’s Office of Health Promotion and Wellness, helping to design the release of the recently announced WVU employee wellness toolkit.

The CPASS health and well-being student attended meetings with faculty and staff to gather information for the project. “I worked directly with Dr. Amy Sidwell on this effort. I met with each of the OHPW priority action teams and the advisory council to understand their well-being priorities,” Thompson said. “Using the knowledge gained from these discussions and a literature review, I established the wellness toolkit and presented it via Zoom to the University community.”

A passion for rowing has evolved into a lifelong purpose for coaching for a CPASS master’s student. Marija Medelinskaite, from Kaunas, Lithuania, says that making the next move from a student athlete to exploring coaching career options fell into place for her.

Medelinskaite started rowing at the age of 12 in Lithuania and says that she loved the sport from the beginning. She competed at the collegiate level at the University of Central Florida. “After graduation I did not want to separate from it, and I gave coaching a try with Casitas Rowing in Ventura, California. After only a few opportunities, I found it very rewarding and enjoyable,” she said. “That is when I knew I needed to get my master's degree in coaching.”

Meet Katie Schoepfer, coaching and sport education master’s student who plans to graduate in May 2022. Schoepfer, from Waterford, Conn., has used her connections and academic experiences to become successful both inside and outside of the classroom. Recently, she was selected to serve as head coach of the U.S. Soccer Under-15 Girls’ National Team.

“My role is to identify and develop young soccer talent all over the country. I make every effort to introduce athletes to standards, culture and style of play of U.S. Soccer to set them up for a long career within the U.S. Soccer Federation,” Schoepfer said.

College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences sport management students headed north in November 2021 to expand their networking opportunities while enjoying a Pittsburgh Penguins NHL hockey game. Read more below from sport management student Jenna Livers who shared the group’s road trip experience in a first-hand report.

On November 11, 2021, a group of CPASS sports management students got the opportunity to take an educational and professional trip to network with Pittsburgh Penguins staff and attend a game at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. We want to thank Lindsay Augustine, assistant dean for student and enrollment services, Office of Student Success, and Drs. Patrick Hairston and Justin Wartella, sport management teaching assistant professors, for their coordination and efforts to make this happen.

An introductory soccer program has provided real life training for 10 College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences coaching and performance sciences students. Raymond Kryzak, director, Mountaineer United Soccer Club, organized and led sessions for the Fundamentals soccer program, an eight-week introductory soccer clinic designed for three- and four-year-old children.

“Last year, we officially partnered with the Fundamentals program and plan to make the same connection in the spring of 2022. CPASS did their part by arranging the use of the facility to host the first coaching and training class in the Morgantown area,” Kryzak said.

As the Mountaineer community eagerly prepares to recognize the achievements of West Virginia University December and August 2021 graduates, the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences will honor the first cohort of Health and Well-being students to earn their degrees. 

“Working with Health and Well-being students is such a great experience. The students have a wide range of career interests within Health and Well-being professions. We have had the privilege to work with each student to help them reach their individual goals,” Colton Metzger, student success coordinator, said.

A virtual, collaborative learning experience for College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences students with students from Halmstad University in Halmstad, Sweden, has thrived during the pandemic.

In fall 2020, WVU sport and exercise psychology students worked with their peers at Halmstad University as part of the SEP 272 course, Psychological Aspects of Sport. Students collaborated on cross-cultural aspects of a sport psychology discussion that promoted deeper cultural understanding.

Eight sport management students and three faculty members attended the Pittsburgh Pirates Third annual Curt Roberts Step Up to the Plate recruitment event at PNC Park on Oct. 13.

Students Madison Reeser, Ariana Burke, Joseph Yanchak, Morgan Montgomery, Arielle Friedman, Zorin Istvan, Jalen Thornton and Hanna Rosenberger attended the event with Patrick Hairston, Justin Wartella, and Gary Lhotsky, all teaching associate professors.

As we move through the fall 2021 semester, our Office of Student Success continues to work diligently to create a transformational advising system that shepherds students in their educational journey and empowers them to learn, grow and develop as individuals and future professionals. Our team frequently connects with students to help them engage with the support systems that are designed to maximize the student experience. The team also partners with instructors to encourage reporting student challenges, prompting effective outcomes and enhancing academic success rates.

Our newest major, health and well-being, admitted its second class of students in August. It has been more popular than anticipated and enrolled more than 340 students in just two years. Students who desire to enter professional programs in healthcare, such as nursing, physical therapy, athletic training, occupational therapy and chiropractic, enter the Bachelor of Science track and take additional math and science courses. Students who wish to work in non-school based health-related organizations, such as hospitals and community centers, enter the Bachelor of Arts track.