American painter Kadir Nelson is recognized around the world as an artist with a passion for history and a special genius for telling history’s edifying tales through his works. The United States Sports Academy’s 2009 Sport Artist of the Year, Nelson has been hard at work during the COVID-19 pandemic, trying to capture on canvas the strength of the human spirit. His new painting “After the Storm” is a triumphant celebration of humanity, determination, faith, and solidarity depicting a diverse group of people standing together in the face of the pandemic. The figures in the painting are seen gazing past heavy storm clouds as they collectively heal, gather strength, and move toward the promise of a brighter and stronger future. "I think one of the things that we're probably missing, [...]

As those of you who follow the United States Sports Academy’s monthly online Athlete of the Month ballot are aware, mass sports cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic caused the institution to suspend its ballot for the first time in the program’s history. The Athlete of the Month ballot is one of the many fun things we do here at the Academy. Our Athlete of the Month Committee goes to great lengths to produce a monthly ballot that features six males and six females who represent sport at its highest levels from around the world. That ballot is then released to our email distribution lists numbering more than 15,000 names and attracting votes from every corner of the globe. Even though the sports world has been at a standstill because [...]

Vlad Marinescu Because of his career of dedication to global sport and his leadership in the growth of eSports in the United States and around the world, Vlad Marinescu has been named the recipient of the United States Sports Academy’s 2020 Honorary Doctorate. Each year as part of its Awards of Sport program, the Academy presents the award to a person who has made outstanding contributions to sport and to society. Marinescu is the President of both the International Esports Federation (IESF) and the United States eSports Federation. He also serves as the chief media and marketing officer for the International Judo Federation. Marinescu will receive the Academy’s Honorary Doctorate at the institution's combined graduation and Awards of Sport program on its campus in Daphne, Ala., on Thursday, [...]

The United States Sports Academy will team up with the Spain-based GBSB Global Business School to provide online sports management courses to graduate students enrolled with the Spanish educator. The agreement between the Academy and GBSB Global Business School calls for the teaching of the world renowned International Certification in Sports Management (ICSM) program utilizing computer mediated technology. The Academy is an acknowledged leader in the field having first placed its courses completely online more than 25 years ago. The GBSB Global students who participate in the program are enrolled in the GBSB Global Business School master’s degree in sports management program. The Academy’s internationally recognized ICSM program includes core management topics such as sports event planning, marketing and public relations, and facilities management. Courses focus on the development of [...]

Three recent sports coaching bachelor’s degree students are the first to graduate from the United States Sports Academy under the program’s new comprehensive accreditation from the National Committee for the Accreditation of Coaching Education (NCACE). The NCACE accreditation, working under the auspices of the United States Center for Coaching Excellence (USCCE), signifies that the Academy’s Bachelor of Sports Science degree in Sports Coaching is aligned with the National Standards for Sports Coaches (NASPE, 2006) and the NCACE Guidelines for program supervision, personnel, and operations. The Academy’s first sports coaching bachelor’s graduates under the new accreditation are Seng Thao of Green Bay, Wisc.; Wilson A. Ramos of Hamilton, N.J.; and Jared Shawn Hafen of Killeen, Texas. All Academy sports coaching bachelor’s graduates will receive an NCACE certificate to go along with [...]

The United States Sports Academy continues to be recognized as a leader in online education now that its Bachelor of Sports Science degree in Sports Strength and Conditioning has been named one of the top online exercise science degrees in the country. The organization Learn.org ranks online programs using data from the schools themselves as well as the U.S. Department of Education and other sources. The data is weighed based on quality, cost, value, and other factors to determine rankings. The Academy’s Bachelor of Sports Science degree in Sports Strength and Conditioning was ranked in the top 8 of similar programs around the country. The Academy’s online bachelor’s degree in strength and conditioning aims to arm students with a foundational knowledge informed by up-to-date research. Students are taught to think [...]

Among the fun things that occurs at the United States Sports Academy is the monthly convening of the Academy Awards of Sport Selection Committee to select candidates for the monthly Athlete of the Month ballot. This committee, comprised primarily of Academy faculty, meets to review, debate (sometimes heatedly) and otherwise consider athlete sport performances from virtually every sport imaginable and every corner of the globe. In many ways the process is a reaffirmation for the faculty of the Academy as an educational institution dedicated to the profession of sports! Once the monthly ballot of six males and six females has been selected, it is distributed through an email distribution list numbering more than 15,000 individuals so they can weigh-in for the final selection. The winners on the monthly ballot go [...]

The United States Sports Academy and ProFTraining Finland are set to launch cutting edge, professionally developed and delivered coaching education programs in Finland to help students there prepare for careers in the global sports industry. The multi-tiered post-secondary, non-degree International Sports Coach Development Curriculum is designed by sports industry experts to provide the appropriate technical, tactical, and interpersonal knowledge and experiences at three distinct milestones on the coach development pathway. The curriculum features three tiers: the Lead Coach Development Program (LCDP), the Head Coach Development Program (HCDP), and the National Coach Development Program (NCDP). The curriculum meets the standards of the International Sports Coaching Framework (ISCF) developed by the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) and the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF). The LCDP is designed for students [...]

Brian Fox is the Academy’s 2020 Sport Artist of the Year, Painter Because of his meticulous attention to detail and uncanny ability to capture the iconic expressions of his larger-than-life subjects, nationally renowned painter Brian Fox has been named the United States Sports Academy’s 2020 Sport Artist of the Year, Painter. A resident of Somerset, Mass., Fox specializes in painting the world’s greatest legends in sports and music. Fox has painted some of the biggest icons of our time, including the late Jackie Robinson, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, actor Johnny Depp, boxer Muhammad Ali, baseball Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter and soccer superstar Pele. The Sport Artist of the Year award presentation is part of the institution’s annual Academy’s Awards of Sport [...]