Eagle's Fly News

Bahrain Alumni Association Meets in Manama

Academy Vice President Dr. T.J. Rosandich meets with members of the Academy’s Kingdom of Bahrain Alumni Association during a recent visit to Bahrain. complete story

Academy Student Is Philadelphia Flyers Strength & Conditioning Coach

Jim McCrossin has reached the professional ranks; he is a Certified Athletic Trainer, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association, a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and a member of the American Academy of Sports Medicine. complete story

Geist Named Is Associate Athletic Director at Cedarville University

Dr. Alan Geist became the Associate Athletic Director at Cedarville University in December of 2006. As the Associate Athletic Director, he serves as the Eligibility Chairman, deals with minor budget and financial aid management and participates in other administrative tasks assigned by the Athletic Director. complete story

Johnston Appointed Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine at ETSU

Brian Johnston is entering his first year as Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine after serving three years as Director of Athletic Medicine and three years as the Assistant Athletic Trainer for ETSU. As a former graduate of the NATA approved Athletic Training Curriculum, he has been associated with East Tennessee State University for over 10 years. complete story

World Champion Archery Coach Continues Education at the Academy

Individual accomplishments in archery as a 1999 World team champion, National Champion (1997), World record holder, National record holder, and International Champion (1993) have led Mark Penaz to a successful teaching and coaching career. complete story

Jude Appointed Athletic Director for Cheyney University

Following a national search, United States Sports Academy Alum China Leigh Jude has been named Athletic Director at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. complete story

Norman Wins Erma Bombeck Contest

Kathleen Leland Norman of Wilmington has been awarded first place out of 1,300 entries in the global human interest category in the 2007 Erma Bombeck writing competition. complete story

Phaiah Named Vice Chancellor at Minnesota-Crookston

Peter G. Phaiah, Ph.D. is the newly appointed associate vice chancellor of student affairs and enrollment management at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. complete story

Former Olympian and Academy Alum Wrestles with Success

United States Sports Academy alum and two-time Olympic wrestler James Hazewinkel has been an inspiration to many as an athlete, coach and teacher. He recently agreed to lead Marion Military Institute’s Wrestling Program alongside his brother David, also a two-time Olympic wrestler. Instituted in 1842, Marion Military Institute is the nation’s oldest two-year military college. complete story

Alum Buys Cleveland Fusion Football Team

Over a year ago, United States Sports Academy graduate Jason Lehrer purchased the Cleveland Fusion, a five-year-old franchise of the National Women’s Football Association (NWFA). complete story

McMurry Hires Academy Alum to Lead Women's Basketball

McMurry University Athletic Director Bill Libby has named former assistant coach and assistant athletic director Veronica Snow as the sixth head women's basketball coach in the history of the school. complete story

Academy Alum named Physician Liaison at Southeastern Regional Medical

Kathy Hansen has been named physician liaison for Southeastern Regional Medical. In this newly created role, she will report directly to Kevin Rowley, senior director of Business Development. complete story

Academy Sports Medicine Alum Named VP at Quadramed

QuadraMed Corporation recently announced that Academy alum Sandra Trakowski, MS, RN, BC, has been appointed Vice President of Clinical Product Management. Her responsibilities include strategic planning for and management of QuadraMed's Care Management product suite, which significantly improve patient safety and quality care. complete story

Academy Alum Behymer Leads Growth of Learfield Sports

The man who gave the Kansas City Royals a mascot and the NAIA a corporate sponsorship program is now Senior Vice President of the rapidly growing Learfield Sports. complete story

Academy Alum Named Commissioner of Peach Belt Conference

The Peach Belt Conference has announced that United States Sports Academy alum David Brunk will be its next conference commissioner. Brunk will come to the PBC after serving as commissioner of the Northeast-10 Conference for the past nine years. He will become the second commissioner since the founding of the Peach Belt in 1991. The first was Marvin Vanover, who helped found the conference. complete story

Academy Alum Accepts Position with the USA Pentathlon

United States Sports Academy Alum Scott Novack has joined Sport Partnerships as the High Performance Manager for USA Pentathlon in Colorado Springs, Colo. complete story

Academy Alum Cox Helps Texas A&M Reach the Sweet 16

Merely a year after winning the National Junior College Athletic Association basketball title as a head coach, United States Sports Academy alum Jeremy Cox is in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Basketball Tournament Sweet 16 as an assistant coach at Texas A&M University. complete story

Academy Alum Underwood Receives Bob Costas Grant

Dr. Joseph W. Underwood, a 1987 graduate of the United States Sports Academy, is one of six teachers in the nation to be awarded the annual College Board Bob Costas Grants for the Teaching of Writing. complete story

Academy Alumnus Etchison Becomes SID at Maryville College

After 14 years as the head baseball coach for his alma matter, Maryville College (Tenn.), United States Sports Academy graduate Eric Etchison has been named the schools’ first full-time Sports Information Director (SID). complete story

Academy Graduate Remembered After Mountain Climbing Death

After United States Sports Academy graduate Manel de la Matta died on the downside of a mountain climbing expedition, he was remembered not only for his courage but for his vision and compassion. complete story

Academy Graduate Sather Serves Military as Physiologist

Lt. Thomas E. Sather, who earned his Master of Sports Science with a dual major in sports fitness and sports medicine in 1996 from the Academy, recently returned from Iraq. He was honored for his service in the air crew in Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC). complete story

Academy Sports Medicine Graduate Builds Career at Florida A&M

In her 13th year as Head Athletic Trainer at Florida A&M University (FAMU), United States Sports Academy graduate Akima Abrakata-Dina is proud of her longevity and the growth of her athletic training program at the Division I school in Tallahassee, Florida. complete story

Academy Graduate Moore Helps ESPN Evolve

The United States Sports Academy emerged on the scene as the leader in sports education seven years before ESPN did the same in sports media. For the past 10 years, Academy graduate Linda Moore has been involved in ESPN’s evolution from a sports media outlet to a sports management and production entity. complete story

Academy's Influence Spreads Through Texas Sports Scene

On athletic fields and in arenas throughout Texas, from the NBA to NCAA Division III baseball, the Academy is quickly becoming one of the more influential universities on the Texas sports scene. As Academy alumni continue to grow in representation among coaching and administrative positions in the Lone Star State, they are winning championships and building successful programs along the way. complete story

Academy Grad Pro-Active in Coaching College Baseball

United States Sports Academy graduate James Vilade has a unique selling point when recruiting for the NCAA Division III baseball program he coaches at the University of Texas at Tyler. It’s a gateway to the pros. Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships, but that sacrifice has paid off as six Patriots at UT-Tyler in the past nine months have joined the ranks of professional baseball. Seven players did the same in the late 1990s at the University of Dallas, also under the direction of Vilade, who obtained his Master of Sports Science at the Academy in 2003. complete story

Oakland Athletics Bullpen Catcher Earns Academy Bachelor's Degree on the Road

Brandon Buckley completed his Bachelor of Sports Science degree in sports coaching in September just in time for the Oakland A’s playoff drive. He completed most of his coursework in hotel rooms between midnight and 3 a.m. during road trips for a team that has flown more than 100,000 miles in the past two years, playing 162 games in 180 days (plus spring training). The online bachelor’s degree program at the Academy was perfectly suited for him. complete story

Junior College Championship Earns Academy Alum a Coaching Position at Texas A&M

Jeremy Cox, a junior college coach who is one of two Academy graduates to win a national championship in college basketball in 2006, is breaking into NCAA Division I play as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Texas A&M. Cox, who earned his Master of Sport Science in sports management in 1999, led the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national title in men’s basketball in 2006. complete story

Nationally-Acclaimed Junior College Coach is a Proud Academy Alum

Even when he was in high school, Scott Schumacher knew he wanted to attend the Academy, where he would graduate in 1990 with a master’s degree in sport coaching. Now the head men’s basketball coach at Kilgore (Texas) Junior College, Schumacher continuously encourages other coaches to take the same route. “The courses I took there were very realistic for what I have to deal with in my profession as a college basketball coach,” Schumacher said. “This put me in a position where I could stay in college coaching for 19 years.” complete story

Coach Hawkins Goes Global with Young Basketball Team

Since the Academy offers sport education programs worldwide, it is only fitting that one of its graduates used globalization to educate his players. Steve Hawkins, head men’s basketball coach at Western Michigan University and a 1989 Academy graduate, took his team on a tour of Europe in May, where the Broncos played six games in eight days, finishing with a 4-2 record. The Broncos won games in Rome and Viterbo, Italy, lost their first two games in Greece and then finished with two victories over the Greek Under-18 National Team. complete story

Academy Student Enters the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame

Recent Academy enrollee Nick Rowe was inducted into the United States Soccer Hall of Fame’s high school record holder’s permanent display for his achievements as a goalkeeper at Moravia (Vermont) High School. At Moravia, he set the national high school record for careers saves (1,130) while playing from 1997 to 2000. He also led his team to its first-ever appearance in the Section IV, Class C sectional game. He went on to play the same position at Lyndon State College in Vermont, where he graduated this past year. Rowe began this fall as a student in the Academy’s Master of Sports Science program in sports management.

Disney, Academy Have Magical Relationship in Mentor Program

“It’s truly a magical experience,” Academy master’s degree candidate Lucas Ingersol of Oneonta, N.Y., said a month after beginning his mentorship there. He will soon be joined by classmate Chista Leggette of Fayetteville, N.C. Disney’s Wide World of Sports is a 220-acre facility plays host to over 170 amateur and professional events each year. This is a place where athletes can compete and experience the same world-class facilities that are used by the best athletes in the world. complete story

Academy Alum McDermott Coaching Iowa State Basketball

After taking the University of Northern Iowa to a new level in men’s basketball, Greg McDermott is moving up to a new level of college coaching. McDermott, who graduated from the Academy in 1994 with a Master of Sport Science degree in sports management, has begun his first season as head men’s basketball coach at Iowa State University. He is venturing into Big 12-conference sports after taking a mid-major team, Northern Iowa, to three consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament. complete story

McBroom Named Director of Athletics While Finishing Academy Master's

Two months before completing his master’s degree at the Academy, Michael McBroom began to enjoy the fruits of his academic labor. He was promoted to Director of Athletics at West Texas A&M University. complete story

Smith Named Head Trainer for Orlando Magic

Academy graduate Tom Smith has been an NBA trainer for six years, but he says his new position with the Orlando Magic is “a dream come true.” Smith joined the Magic as head athletic trainer earlier this month after six years working as an assistant athletic trainer for the Atlanta Hawks, where he assisted with the training needs of players and handled the team’s travel arrangements. Prior to Atlanta, he spent six years as head athletic trainer at St. Paul Academy in St. Paul, Minn. complete story

Triumph Comes After Trial and Tragedy for Academy Graduate

No one is immune to pain, sorrow and worry, but there are some who will stand up and remind everyone that life still goes on. This year, life went on for Matthew Grimaldi, a recent graduate of the United States Sports Academy doctoral program. complete story

Mentorship Pursuit Nets Big Results for Grove

Before the Atlantic Division Champion New Jersey Nets clinched an NBA playoff spot, Kyle Grove already had a championship educational experience in the bag. “This is a wonderful ride,” Grove said. “The playoffs are definitely a new experience for me. I’ve never been in a playoff atmosphere in basketball. I have in football, yes, but not basketball.” complete story

Superbowl Countdown Begins for Academy Doctoral Student

United States Sports Academy doctoral student and former sports writer Maria Scott is combining her management education and communication skills to help the City of Miami prepare for Super Bowl XLI. Scott is working for the South Florida Super Bowl XLI Host Committee to fulfill her mentorship requirements for a Doctor of Sports Management degree at the Academy. Host committees are civic groups that organize parties, special events and logistical aspects of hosting a major sporting event. Her tasks focus on internal and external communications. complete story

Academy Master's Student Living a Dream as Detroit Tigers Intern

Young baseball players can sometimes live their Major League dreams even if they don’t choose to become professional athletes. Ask Joey Badall, a student in the United States Sports Academy’s Master of Sports Science program in sports management. The native of Jackson, Michigan who played baseball at Grand Valley State for four years is fulfilling his mentorship requirement in the corporate sales department of his favorite team, the Detroit Tigers. complete story

Academy's First Bachelor's Degree a Tribute to its Recipient's Father

The last of Tom Canale Jr.’s three children to receive a bachelor’s degree was first to be conferred with such a degree from the United States Sports Academy. That was the wish of Tom Canale III, whose father is suffering from terminal cancer. The final stage of his degree ended April 17 with the last day of his mentorship at Illinois Valley Community College (IVCC). The Academy conferred Canale on April 20, so that he could present the B.S.S. degree to his father, days after completing his mentorship and degree requirements. The Academy and IVCC are working on arrangements for Canale to receive his B.S.S. degree in May at the IVCC graduation ceremonies rather than waiting for the Academy graduation on July 22 in Mobile, Alabama. complete story

Academy Alum Rachelle Cannon Building a Career in Fitness

Ever since graduating from the United States Sports Academy in 2003, Rachelle Cannon (aka – “The Queen of Quads”) has been building her resume as well as her body.Cannon, who holds a Master of Sport Science in fitness management and a Bachelor of Science degree in political science from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, was named Amateur Body Builder of the Week by BodyBuilders.com in January a year after her graduation from the Academy in 2003. That same year, she also earned professional status in the International Natural Bodybuilding Federation. complete story

Academy Alum Dolan has a Developing Reputation in Coaching

In NCAA Division I track and field and cross country, the University of California at Santa Barbara is like a Fotomat. It’s a small place with a reputation for developing.But it is runners, not photographs, that brighten and flourish under the direction of United States Sports Academy graduate Pete Dolan, the head coach of men’s and women’s track and cross country at UCSB. Many school records and regional qualifications have been earned by walk-ons in this Southern California athletic program under Dolan, who received a Master of Sports Science degree in sports coaching 1987. complete story

Academy Graduate Essel Teaches the Game of Life

David Essel is a graduate of the United States Sports Academy. Many depend on him to inspire, motivate and direct them. He even has his own radio show. But he is not a coach. Many corporations call on the services of this 1986 Sports Academy graduate. But he is not in the sponsorship business. complete story

Academy Alum Mike Leach Leads Texas Tech to Top 10

The Texas Tech Red Raiders football team, under the leadership of seventh-year head coach and United States Sports Academy graduate Mike Leach, reached the Associated Press Top 10 this week for the first time in 28 years. complete story

 

Academy Alum Helps Lady Frogs Take a Leap to National Recognition

The 21st century has been a major turning point in the women’s basketball program at Texas Christian University (TCU), starting with the arrival of head basketball coach Jeff Mittie, a 1992 graduate of the United States Sports Academy, who promoted the Lady Frogs as Fort Worth’s women’s basketball team. complete story

Academy Alum Wheeler On a Roll at University of Texas

When Lynn Wheeler completed a five-year run with a 70-38 record as head women’s basketball coach for St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minn., who knew she would be a facilitator in the growth of softball? But that is one of many accomplishments for the Associate Athletic Director for Sports Programs at the University of Texas, who obtained a master’s in sports management from the United States Sports Academy in 1986. complete story

Academy Alum Underwood Named to USA Today All-USA Teacher Team

United States Sports Academy graduate Joseph Underwood has become the ultimate Renaissance Man in education.
He graduated from the Academy in 1987 with a master’s degree in sports medicine while working as head athletic trainer at Miami High School in Miami, Fla. He parlayed that education and experience into state and national recognition as a trainer and his now pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership at Nova Southeastern University. complete story

Academy Alum Managing Michigan State Football Program

Networking, an emphasis on practical experience at the United States Sports Academy and years of administrative work as a recruiting coordinator helped develop Mike Vollmar’s 10-year career as assistant athletic director/director of football operations at Michigan State University. complete story

Innovative Florida State Administrator Has Academy Roots

Florida State University Associate Director of Athletics for Business, Tickets and Information Technology Greg Phillips has been recognized for his technological innovation in managing the large FSU sports budget since he graduated from the United States Sports Academy. complete story

Academy Alum Jack Renkens Bringing Reality to Recruiting

Jack Renkens is a basketball coach with a no-nonsense, in-your-face type of style. However, this is not a reflection of the 1982 United States Sports Academy graduates tactical approach to hoops. This style is how he delivers his message to high school athletes and their parents about the realities of college sports. He tells them they are not going to get a fully-funded Division I athletic scholarship. He could tell every one of them that and be right 99 percent of the time. complete story

 

Alumni News Archive

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