The United States Sports Academy’s 2017 Alumnus of the Year Dr. Dave Shrock continues to earn accolades for his involvement in the world of track and field.
Shrock was recently named the recipient of the USA Track and Field (USATF) President’s Award in recognition of his more than 40 years of service in track and field as an athlete, coach, and administrator.
Shrock currently serves as the chair of the USATF National Association’s Committee, which is the organization’s largest, in addition to numerous USATF leadership roles including past president of the Pacific Association, USATF Pacific Coaching Committee chair, Coaching Education Executive Committee, and Men’s Development Committee.
Shrock earned his Doctor of Education degree in sports management from the Academy in 2009 and serves as a member of the Academy’s National Faculty, teaching the institution’s international sport education programs in Thailand, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
As a coaching educator, Shrock has educated more than 1,500 coaches throughout the country and has directed track and field schools and clinics for over four decades. In 2017, Shrock was awarded the McGill Legacy Coaching Award, given annually by the USATF Coaching Education Committee, in recognition of his “passion and leadership nationally for the promotion of USATF coaching education.”
Shrock has also coached internationally for USATF, having been selected to coach the men’s endurance runners at the World Indoor Track and Field Championships in 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey, and more recently as head men’s coach of the 2016 PanAm Cross Country team in Caracas, Venezuela.
Shrock has more than 40 years of track and field coaching experience, including 20 years as a college coach. He began his college coaching career in 1976 at the College of San Mateo, before coaching cross country and assisting with track and field at Stanford and San José State universities. He coached Modesto Junior College to two Northern California Community College Championships and three runner-up finishes in track and field and cross country. He has been named coach of the year 10 times and coached 64 junior college All-Americans.
