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Like Patrick Mahomes, West Virginia University sport management students are making going to the Super Bowl a bit of a habit.

Last year, Arielle Friedman made her way to Los Angeles to help execute fan events and hospitality for Super Bowl LVI, and this year, Rocco Agostino is headed to Phoenix to work the big game in a similar capacity.

John Gay, EdD, loved students with drive. He could recognize those who had potential and ambition, and then poured encouragement into them to help them believe that they could achieve and do more. He was the kind of professor, dean, scholar and man whom a student would stop in an airport years later to thank him for the nudge he gave them to be better.

He would have loved Chloe Simpson.

Cassie Smith, a West Virginia University physical education graduate (1993), is passionate about getting people outdoors to become more active. As director of the West Virginia Interscholastic Cycling League, Smith counts on dedicated coaches and other volunteers as the key to the success of the WV National Interscholastic Cycling Association.

Celebrating five years in the Mountain State, Smith says establishing WV NICA is a huge accomplishment. “Not only are we seeing more kids on bikes, but we are recruiting parents as coaches. In five years, we grew from 130 athletes and 50 coaches to 405 athletes and more than 200 coaches,” Smith said.

Maria Vito, physical education and kinesiology major, chose the West Virginia University PEK program because it combined two of her passions: working with children and seeing them succeed and promoting a physically active lifestyle.

As a PEK student, Vito says that the professors in the department and college have provided “massive” amounts of support. “They are always there to make sure that everything is going well, whether it be with my academics or mental health,” said Vito, from Bentleyville, Pa.

Numerous School of Sport Sciences faculty and students were honored at the Society of Health and Physical Educators conference, held in-person this past October in Charleston, W.Va. The 2022 SHAPEWV award recipients are highlighted below:

Physical Education and Kinesiology major, junior, Bentleyville, Pa.

Two sport management students received first-hand sports business knowledge through the 2022 Presidents Cup, a nationally televised PGA event. Andrew Walker, graduate student, and Justin Violette, undergraduate, traveled to Quail Hollow Golf Club in Charlotte, N.C. for the September 22-25 competition. The pair worked for Show Pros Entertainment, Inc., a crowd management and event-oriented staffing company.

Patrick Hairston, sport management teaching assistant professor, says he attempts to associate students with business practitioners and events so they can gain field learning skills and network within the sports industry. “Andrew and Justin both love the game of golf. As I connect with students throughout the semester, I discover their passions. I learned that Andrew and Justin played golf by getting to know them and their interests,” Hairston said.

The College of Applied Human Sciences, in partnership with the West Virginia University Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, will celebrate the spirit of sport, friendship and inclusiveness by hosting the 6th Annual Diversity Cup Four vs. Four Coed Soccer Tournament. For more information, to register and view tournament rules visit the College of Applied Human Sciences Diversity Cup webpage.

The tournament, commemorating Diversity Week 2022, is scheduled on Saturday, October 15 and Sunday, October 16 on the turf fields located between the College of Applied Human Sciences building and the Student Recreation Center on the Evansdale Campus.

The Center for Applied Coaching and Sport Sciences at WVU is collaborating with Mountaineer Athletics to host the third annual Youth Sports Day, Saturday, Sept. 10, prior to the Kansas Jayhawks vs. WVU football game. This year’s Youth Sports Day is sponsored by U.S Cellular.

Youth Sports Day serves as an opportunity to provide the community with information about quality youth sport programs, the importance of sport sampling for developing the athletic skills and fitness youth need to participate in sports programs, says Kristen Dieffenbach, professor, coaching and performance science, College of Applied Human Sciences.

Through a partnership with West Virginia University Libraries, all WVU students, faculty and staff will have free digital access to the Sports Business Journal for the 2022-23 academic year. The complimentary access to the nation’s leading publication in sports business is valued at more than $800 for industry professionals.

Those interested can access the journal here. A WVU login and password are required to view the publication.

The School of Sport Sciences in the College of Applied Human Sciences at West Virginia University was identified by Newsweek.com as one of the leading sport sciences programs in the U.S.

"It is extremely exciting for our school to be recognized as one of the foremost programs in the country. It is a testament to the hard work and commitment of the faculty," Valerie Wayda, associate professor, associate dean for academic affairs, undergraduate education and school of sport sciences director, said.