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An American superstar and a Russian teenage sensation were named the United States Sports Academy’s male and female Athletes of the Month for November. Figure skaters Nathan Chen and Alena Kostornaia took home the Academy’s top honors after stellar performances on the ice in the month. Chen won gold at the Internationaux de France with a score of 297.16 and qualified for his fourth consecutive Grand Prix Final. It was Chen’s eighth consecutive win dating back to the 2018 World Championships. Kostornaia, 16, posted a new world record score in the ladies’ short program with an 85.04 at the International Skating Union Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Sapporo, Japan, on 22 November 2019. The second place finisher on the men’s side was Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and third [...]

The Academy congratulates the following graduates who completed their degrees this month. Doctoral Graduate Dr. Jason R. Hamil (Isle of Palms, S.C.) – Ed.D. Sports Management, Sports Leadership emphasis Master’s Graduate Ross H. Halpern (Clifton Park, N.Y.) – M.S.S. Sports Coaching Bachelor’s Graduates Matthew Blaylock (Laramie, Wyo.) – B.S.S. Sports Coaching Monica R. Esenwein (Sharon, Pa.) – B.S.S. Sports Strength & Conditioning

The United States Sports Academy is committed to student success in all aspects of their graduate work, and because of that commitment the institution recently hosted its inaugural seminar to help doctoral degree students work through the dissertation writing process. The Academy welcomed seven doctoral students from all over the United States for the three-day Dissertation Writing Intensive Workshop hosted by the Robert Block Library on 13-15 November, 2019, on the institution’s campus in Daphne, Ala. Several members of the Academy staff who are in the doctoral program also attended the seminar. The workshop was delivered collaboratively by full time faculty and staff, with classroom based activities about writing, researching, formatting, the IRB process, and more, combined with hands-on sessions, round tables, and one-on-one sessions with faculty members. Academy library [...]

From teaching the United States Sports Academy’s post-secondary, non-degree education programs in Thailand to attending international coaching seminars in Tokyo to traveling with students on a Sports Study Tour of the United States, Dr. Roch King has been a busy man the last few months. King, the Academy’s chair of sports coaching, recently returned from the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) Global Coach Conference in Tokyo, Japan, where he presented on his experience working in coaching mentorship programs in the United States. He also co-presented a poster focused on university-based sports coaching education programs. The Academy is an organizational member of the ICCE as well as the United States Center for Coaching Excellence (USCCE). “It is interesting to me that no matter where I go to talk about coaching, [...]

United States Sports Academy President and CEO Dr. T.J. Rosandich has been reappointed to serve on the Youth, Education and Culture Commission of the Federation Internationale Cinema Television Sportifs (FICTS), an international organization which promotes the universal idea of culture through sport. Officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FICTS promotes and spreads the development of Olympic values and the culture of sport through film and television. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Milan, Italy, FICTS has 116 member countries. The mission of the FICTS Youth, Education and Culture Commission is to follow the IOC’s guidelines in spreading Olympic values such as ethics, respect, peace and fair play to young people around the world. FICTS is chaired by Professor Franco Ascani, a member of the IOC Culture and Olympic [...]

After four decades of leadership in the commercial creative field, Atlanta’s Steven Lester fully embraced his passion for painting and quickly gained notoriety for what he calls “representational expressionism.” Because Lester’s action sports themes resonate with vibrant life and elicit a visceral, emotional response, he was named the United States Sports Academy’s 2019 Sport Artist of the Year. Lester received the 2019 Sport Artist of the Year – Dr. Znenliang He Culture Award from Academy President Dr. T.J. Rosandich and unveiled an original painting of American gymnast Simone Biles at the Academy’s 35th annual Awards of Sport program in Daphne, Ala. The painting, called “Courage to Soar,” depicts Biles performing on the balance beam at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The piece is now on permanent [...]