A pair of freestyle skiers have swept the United States Sports Academy’s contest for February Male and Female Athlete of the Month. American skier Aaron Blunck won the men’s award while Estonian Kelly Sildaru won the women’s award for the second consecutive month. Blunck defended his world halfpipe title at the International Ski Federation (FIS) Snowboard, Freestyle Ski and Freeski World Championships in Utah on 9 February 2019. Blunck scored 94.20 on his final run and successfully held off French veteran Kevin Rolland for the title. Sildaru, 16, became the youngest freestyle skiing halfpipe world champion of all time when she won gold in the event at the International Ski Federation (FIS) Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships in Utah on 10 February 2019. Sildaru completed the first-ever switch 1080 [...]

Editor’s note:  Since students of the United States Sports Academy are able to complete their coursework and degree requirements on their own schedule, the Academy throughout each month immediately awards degrees to students who complete requirements. Students are not required to wait to the end of a semester or term to receive their degrees. The Academy congratulates the following graduates who completed their degrees this month. Bachelor’s Graduates Vanessa Buschur (Abilene, Texas) – B.S.S. Sports Coaching, Cum Laude Daniel Aregai (Mountain View, Calif.) – B.S.S. Sports Coaching Jesse Tapia (Crystal City, Texas) – B.S.S. Sports Studies Master’s Graduates Suzanne Messier (Essex Junction, Vt.) – M.S.S. Sports Studies, With Honors Alex Miranda (Tulsa, Okla.) – M.S.S. Sports Coaching, With Honors Zachary Smith (Grand Rapids, Mich.) – M.S.S. Sports Studies, With Honors [...]

The United States Sports Academy is working with its partners in Finland to develop a post-secondary, non-degree sport professional programs to train students interested in becoming qualified sport professionals. As a result of this collaboration the first program to be launched is an International Team Manager Certification Program. In 2018 the Academy signed a cooperative agreement with the Finnish company ProFTraining Finland to provide educational opportunities to students in Finland seeking to work in the health and fitness field, as well as integrate the company’s health care techniques into Academy coursework. That partnership berthed United States Sports Academy Finland, which represents the institution’s programs in that nation. When implemented, the International Team Manager Certification program will aim to provide students with the opportunity to further their knowledge base in business, [...]

Norwegian biathlete Johannes Thingnes Boe and Estonian skier Kelly Sildaru have been named the United States Sports Academy’s Male and Female Athletes of the Month for January. Boe captured his 11th win of the season in the men’s pursuit event at the International Biathlon Union (IBU) World Cup in Italy on 26 January 2019. Boe moved closer to the single-season Biathlon World Cup win record of 14 in a season, currently held by France’s Martin Fourcade. Sildaru won gold, silver, and bronze in ski events at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo., in January 2019. Sildaru, 16, took gold in the ski slopestyle event with a score of 99.00 points. She took silver in the ski superpipe event and bronze in the ski big air final. The second place finisher on [...]

Editor’s note:  Since students of the United States Sports Academy are able to complete their coursework and degree requirements on their own schedule, the Academy throughout each month immediately awards degrees to students who complete requirements. Students are not required to wait to the end of a semester or term to receive their degrees. The Academy congratulates the following graduates who completed their degrees this month. Bachelor’s Graduates Graciela Steidley (Porterville, Calif.) – B.S.S. Sports Studies Andre Gregory Weingarten (Smithtown, N.Y.) – B.S.S. Sports Management