Sport is in Adrian Clewlow’s blood. He’s a longtime soccer player at the youth, high school, collegiate, and professional levels and the son of a professional soccer player in England. As a soccer player at the University of Richmond in the mid-1990s, Clewlow was a four-year starter and two-year captain for the Spiders.

Clewlow also holds a Master of Sports Science (M.S.S.) degree in sports management from the United States Sports Academy. A two-time All-South Regional All-American player for Richmond, Clewlow recently returned to the school as an assistant women’s soccer coach.

A native of Dover, England, Clewlow earned his M.S.S. degree while working as associate dean of students, assistant athletic director and head boys’ soccer coach at the Winchendon School, a preparatory boarding school in Massachusetts.

“While I was working at the Winchendon School I started and completed my master’s degree from the Academy,” Clewlow said. “I was already working as a coach and inside the athletic department there, so I knew that the ‘behind the scenes’ aspects of sport would be a big part of my career. The Academy program allowed me to explore the socio-emotional, psychological, financial, legal, managerial, and marketing aspects of the sport profession in great detail. I was immediately able to apply what I learned in my daily work.

“The Academy faculty were exceptional and available to assist with any questions or concerns I ever had,” Clewlow said. “The learning portal was easy to navigate and the curriculum was challenging and encouraged a deep exploration of the sports industry as a whole.

“As more institutions of higher education are turning to an online learning environment for delivery, the United States Sports Academy has been doing it for a long time,” Clewlow said. “The Academy provided me with a thorough and profound education that was truly ‘without walls.’”

Armed with his Academy master’s degree, Clewlow also started his own business – ACGK, which is a private goal keeper’s training organization for aspiring young players. Before joining the Richmond coaching staff, Clewlow spent five seasons as goal keeping coach for the Richmond Kickers organization and earned a FA Youth Coaching Certification, NSCAA Director of Coaching Diploma, NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, and NSCAA Advanced National Goalkeeping Diploma. He previously served Richmond as an assistant coach in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Growing up, Clewlow played just about every sport available – from field hockey to rugby to cricket to wind surfing and more.

“Sports have been the most important part of my development as a person, not just as an athlete,” Clewlow said. “I chose a career in sport because I understand the tremendous impact sports can have on an individual. I love being able to make a living and provide for my family in a career that, quite frankly, feels like a hobby. I love spending time with people from other backgrounds and cultures in an environment that encourages fair play, good sportsmanship, morals, and hard work.

“Sports are a huge part of most societies around the world and most people who played sports at any level know about commitment, integrity, sportsmanship, success, failure, sacrifice, time management, teamwork, adaptability and so much more,” Clewlow said. “Most business look for those kinds of characteristics in their hiring practices, so often participation in sports can make someone a more appealing candidate for jobs. And sports offer a great release from the mundane, an escape from the routine that we get caught up in as we plod through our daily grind. Sports are a form of therapy, a cause for celebration. They promote unity and create connections and commonality in an otherwise disconnected and uncommon world.”