United States Sports Academy President and CEO Dr. T.J. Rosandich, who is also an alumnus of the institution, recently earned a pair of high profile appointments that will boost the Academy’s role on the international stage in the coming years.
Prior to being named president and CEO in 2015, Rosandich served the Academy as vice president, chief operating officer, and as a faculty member and employee for decades. He is also an Academy alumnus, having received both his Master of Sports Science (M.S.S.) degree in Sports Management (1989) and his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Sports Management (1999). Rosandich was named the Academy’s 1994 Alumnus of the Year for his contributions to the institution, primarily through his work on behalf of the Academy in its international projects.
Bahrain General Sports Authority Board of Directors
Furthering his lifelong interest in sport, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain issued a royal decree on 13 May 2021 establishing the Kingdom’s General Sports Authority (GSA), which will be affiliated with the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports (SCYS).
The GSA Board of Directors will work under the supervision of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, who is the First Deputy President of SCYS, President of Bahrain General Sports Authority and President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee.
In a move that will bolster the Academy’s longtime relationship with the island nation in the Middle East, Rosandich has been appointed by royal decree to the Board of Directors of the newly formed GSA. Rosandich will serve as one of nine members of the GSA Board, a group charged with furthering the development of the Kingdom’s national sport effort.
“Having lived and worked in the Arabian Gulf region for ten years working on sport development, Bahrain was always one of my favorite places to be,” Rosandich said. “I was privileged to serve for a year in Bahrain as an advisor to the General Organization for Youth and Sports (GOYS), a predecessor to the GSA. At that time, His Majesty (then the Crown Prince) was the President of the SCYS and I was afforded the opportunity to meet with him from time-to-time concerning programs and projects through which I came to appreciate his passion for sports. This appointment reflects my expressed desire to continue working with the Kingdom and to contribute to the development of the national sport effort there.”
The Academy’s involvement in Bahrain goes back more than 40 years to the beginnings of the Academy’s international instruction, research and outreach programs. In 1977, the Academy worked with Bahrain GOYS to develop the national sports effort. The Academy introduced the Bahrain Sports Institute (BSI) whose education programs mirrored those of the Academy. The BSI also housed the first sports medicine and human performance research laboratories in the Gulf region as well as a modern strength and conditioning center.
The Academy also brought national caliber coaches to the country for several sports while simultaneously developing a physical fitness test used to gauge the fitness of every school-aged child in that country, providing the first profile of youth fitness in Bahrain. A descendant of that test is still used today. Since then, the Academy has participated in numerous programs in Bahrain focusing on physical education in schools, fitness, recreation, youth sports, the Bahrain National Olympic Committee, and fitness programs for police officers and a collaborative effort with the University of Bahrain.
Vice President for North America of International Sport for All Federation
Rosandich was unanimously voted to serve as the Vice President of North America for the International Sport for All Federation (FISpT) during its virtual general assembly meeting in May.
In addition to the Vice President role, Rosandich will also serve as a member of the FISpT Board of Directors. The Academy President will participate in the organization’s next meeting in November 2021 in Milan, Italy, which will coincide with the annual meeting of the Federation Internationale Cinema Television Sportifs (FICTS), of which he is also a member of the Commission for Youth, Culture and Education. The President of FISpT is Prof. Franco Ascani who also serves as the President of FICTS, an international organization which promotes the universal idea of culture through sport.
The FISpT is an International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized sports federation that aims to further develop and promote the ideals of “sport for all” – that sport is a basic human right that enables people to live more fulfilling lives – and the values of universality, tolerance, and ethics. Rosandich has been involved as a member of FISpT for nearly two decades.
“I was both honored and humbled with the nomination and subsequent vote”, said Rosandich. “Having been involved with international sport generally and the concept of sports for all specifically, I’m looking forward to my continued service with FISpT. There is much to do coming out of the hiatus in activities over the past year owing to the pandemic.”
