The United States Sports Academy is launching its first intercollegiate sports programs in its 50-year history, beginning with men’s and women’s soccer and beach volleyball in the fall of 2023.
The university has hired two-time NAIA national championship coach Peter Fuller to recruit and coach its first men’s and women’s soccer teams. With more than 300 career wins under his belt, Fuller is one of the winningest coaches in NAIA soccer history and won national championships at both Belhaven University and the University of Mobile. He also counts time as an assistant coach at the professional level with the New England Revolution and Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer among his numerous other coaching stints.
“It only makes sense that America’s Sports University would have sports teams representing it on the field, in the classroom, and in the community,” USSA President Dr. Steve Condon said. “Our faculty and staff are hungry to get this started, and I believe the community around us is ready for it, too. The soccer and volleyball communities from Pensacola to Baldwin County to Mobile are vibrant and full of so many talented student athletes. We want those student athletes to consider studying and competing collegiately for us, right here in their own community.
“We have a proven, top-quality academic program and now we are adding a top-quality student athlete experience.”
USSA men’s and women’s beach volleyball coach Dave Omtvedt
The Academy’s teams that will initially compete independently, with a focus on recruiting local and regional high school graduates interested in continuing their soccer careers at the collegiate level. The team will be called the Eagles, represented by the school’s famous mascot Sammy the Eagle.
Soccer tryouts will be held at the Fairhope Soccer Complex on May 20, June 3, June 10 from 9 a.m. until noon. The tryout will start at USSA, where prospective student athletes will fill out paperwork and tour the facility, then the on-field tryout will take place at the Fairhope Soccer Complex.
For its beach volleyball program, the university has hired veteran volleyball coach Dave Omtvedt, who currently coaches at Bayshore Christian School and manages the US Juniors indoor and beach volleyball programs in Baldwin County. The university is also considering constructing beach volleyball courts on its Daphne, Ala., campus.
Beach volleyball tryouts are May 21 at No Off Season in Daphne, Ala. The men’s tryout runs from 3-5 p.m. and the women’s tryout is from 5-7 p.m.
Student athletes will begin classes in the fall semester, with a mix of online and on-campus courses. They will also have a new slate of bachelor’s level minors to choose from, including: analytics in sports, marketing, sports media and communication, business administration, nutritional sciences, project management and women’s studies.
Interested student athletes and parents can email soccer@ussa.edu or beach@ussa.edu for information.
