Academy Sport Artist of the Year Unveils Sculpture for Michael Phelps
25 August 2008
A sculpted likeness of Olympic sensation Michael Phelps was presented to the athlete by its creator, Xikun Yuan, who is the Academy's Sport Artist of the Year 2008. The American swimmer attended the unveiling of the sculpture at the Jin Tai Museum in Beijing following his historic performance.
Phelps won eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, the most ever for one athlete at a single Olympics. He has more gold medals than any athlete in Olympic history.
Posters of Phelps' recent Sports Illustrated cover are on sale at the Academy and available on its shopping cart at www.ussa.edu. Showcasing a cover-featured athlete in such a poster is a first for the Sports Illustrated franchise.
Xikun is known as a "portrait diplomat," having depicted more than 200 international leaders whom he worked with face-to-face. He has completed portraits of such political and social figures as former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, former United States President Bill Clinton, Cuban President Fidel Castro, former South African President Nelson Mandela, and honorary life president of the International Olympic Committee Juan Antonio Samaranch.
Samaranch has praised Xikun's uniting of art and the Olympics, saying "It is significant for sports to promote the development of culture." As an example of Xikun's efforts, following the announcement of Beijing as the 2008 host city, the sculptor launched a project called the 2008 Olympic Landscape Sculpture Design Contest, intended, he said, "to make the Olympics more vivid and popularized in China."
Academy Hosts Distance Learning Faculty Training
25 August 2008
Pictured in the Academy courtyard are (back row) Dr. Pete Mathieson, Dr. Douglas Goar, David Gargone, Jeff Chamberlin, Tim Foley; (third row) Dr. Donn Renwick, Dr. Fred Cromartie, Dr. Enrico Esposito, Dr. Brian Wallace, Dr. Glenn Snyder, Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich; (second row) Craig Bogar, Mike Spino, Dr. T. J. Rosandich, Dr. Roch King, Dr. Stan Drawdy, Dr. Lawrence Miller; (first row) Dr. Kelly Flanagan, Dr. Dale Reeves, Dr. Donna Nathlar, Dr. Rick LaRue, Dr. Marty Avant, Dr. Lawrence Bestman, Dr. Mike Culpepper, Dr. Arthur Ogden, and Betsy Smith.
The United States Sports Academy's National Faculty (along with resident faculty and administrators) began the new academic year with recent weekend training at the Daphne campus. Like the resident faculty, the National Faculty are leaders in their sports disciplines. They come from around the country and teach Academy students around the globe via Web-based distance learning and seminars abroad.
President Bush invites artist Wyland to Opening Ceremony
25 August 2008
Renowned marine-life artist Wyland (right) was a special guest of U.S. President George Bush (left) to view the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games. Wyland had just completed his unprecedented two-mile-long mural at Beijing's Chaoyang Park, promoting the "Green Olympics" movement. Wyland is the recipient of the United States Sports Academy's 2008 environmental award.
In the spirit of the 2008 Olympics, student artists from around the world joined Wyland at the park 7-21 July, working with him to complete the mural celebrating the world's waters and the future of international cooperation. Wyland and the youth created some 205 canvases, each measuring 45 feet across and representing United Nations and Olympic member countries. The canvases portray endangered and threatened marine wildlife in those countries.
In 1981, more than a quarter century ago, Wyland undertook a mission to create 100 giant murals of marine life around the world; he dubbed the landmark project the "Whaling Wall." The 100th mural of the series was completed in the lead-up to the Beijing Games.
Academy looks to deliver venue security program worldwide
25 August 2008
Academy President Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich (left) met with Dr. Lou Marciani (right), the director of the Center for Spectator Sports Security Management at the University of Southern Mississippi, to discuss using the Academy distance-learning (online) platform to deliver the venue-security program worldwide. Marciani is a longtime member of the Academy's National Faculty.
Marciani has authored the program "Development of an Effective Infrastructure for Sports Venue Security" and is considered an expert on security for such venues.
Sports Illustrated and Academy Offer Phelps Cover as Poster
25 August 2008
Sports Illustrated today announced that the magazine’s iconic August 25, 2008, cover featuring swimmer Michael Phelps wearing his eight 2008 Olympic gold medals will be commissioned as a poster for sale to fans worldwide. The commission is a first for the Sports Illustrated franchise.
Sports Illustrated’s retail partner the United States Sports Academy has posters available online at www.ussa.edu or by phone at (800) 223-2668. The Academy bookstore will also have posters available beginning Monday 26 August in Daphne, Alabama.
Both 13x18 ($15) and 18x24 ($19.95) versions will be offered. Sports Illustrated has previously issued posters featuring iconic images from the pages of the magazine, but never a cover.
“This cover represents photo journalism at its finest,” said Mark Ford, president of Sports Illustrated Group. “Our mission is to create innovative ways to deliver sports fans our award-winning content, and this is the latest example. We are thrilled that this amazing image will be our first commissioned poster.”
Longtime National Faculty Members Gather for 40th Paavo Nurmi Marathon
15 August 2008
Academy President and CEO Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich (center) is pictured with longtime members of the National Faculty Bob Lawson, Lucian Rosa, Vic Godfrey and Jim Noonan (left to right). The five reunited to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Paavo Nurmi Marathon held in Hurley, Wisconsin. Rosandich founded the marathon and was invited by the race organizers to light the torch in the opening ceremony and server as the starter.
Lawson, Rosa, Godfrey and Noonan also have ties to the marathon. Rosa won the race in 1973 (2:22:02) and the other three were present at the first race either serving as officials or participants.
All also have long standing ties to the Academy serving as members of its National Faculty members virtually since the Academy’s inception.
Lawson has represented the Academy as a teacher in the Philippines and coached athletics in the Academy’s Brunei project. Godfrey’s service on the National Faculty included serving as the national athletics coach on the Academy’s Bahrain’s project; he went on to serve as the Bahraini national track coach for a decade. Noonan also spent many years in Bahrain as a teacher. Rosa, who was a gold medalist for Sri Lanka in the 5k and 10k events at the Asian Games, was brought the United States by Rosandich and Lawson where he competed for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and eventually served a full career there in the athletics department.
The marathon in Hurley is named after Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, one of the so-called Flying Finns dating from the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. During the 1920s, Nurmi was the best middle- and long-distance runner of any nation, setting world records at distances between 1500m and 20km. He won a total of nine gold and three silver medals in the 12 Olympic events in which he competed between 1920 and 1928.
For more information on the Paavo Nurmi Marathon, please visit http://www.hurleywi.com/paavonurmi.aspx.
United States Sports Academy receives “Best Buy” award
13 August 2008
Higher education consumer advocate GetEducated.com announced that the United States Sports Academy has been rated as the “Best Buy” in sports management by its national editorial review team.
The team reviewed 127 distance-learning master of management or master of administration degree programs offered by accredited universities in the United States for the title of “Best Buy Online Master’s Degrees.”
GetEducated.com found that the Academy’s Master of Sports Science degree (M.S.S.) in sports management was the top rated sports management program in the country.
The Best Buy designation indicates that a program has been reviewed and judged to offer a high quality distance degree to a national audience at tuition rates well below the national average.
“We launched our national Best Buy award program to spotlight and promote the true affordable gems of higher education,” said Kathy Morrison from GetEducated.com. “We are pleased to recommend [the Academy] program as a Best Buy.”
More than half a million learners visit GetEducated.com each year seeking advice about distance programs to meet their needs. GetEducated.com was rated first in consumer trust by Newsweek and CNN.Money.
GetEducated.com is a consumer watchdog and advocacy group that rates, ranks and verifies the cost, quality and credibility of online colleges and online universities. The group’s mission is to educate, advocate, and protect. Founded in 1989 by Vicky Phillips, a psychologist and educator, GetEducated.com developed America’s first online counseling center for adult distance learners.
Today, GetEducated.com remains the only consumer advocacy group in the nation dedicated exclusively to assisting online students in analyzing, comparing, rating and ranking online colleges and universities.
GetEducated.com also serves to protect distance learners from the dark world of online education fraud, through such innovative free services as the Diploma Mill Police (SM), a database that chronicles consumer alerts concerning more than 300 online education scams.
Nadal, Coughlin earn July Athlete-of-Month honors
13 August 2008
United States swimming star Natalie Coughlin won the United States Sports Academy’s Female Athlete of the Month award based on her world-record performance at the USA Swimming Trials in July, while Spanish tennis sensation Rafael Nadal was honored as Male Athlete of the Month.
Coughlin became the first woman to break 59 seconds in the 100m backstroke as she won the event at the U.S. Olympic Trials. She posted a time of 58.97. Pending her performance in the Olympics, Coughlin is expected to be a contender for August Athlete of the Month.
Nadal fought off a ferocious comeback from Roger Federer to secure his first Wimbledon title, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10), 9-7. The victory did not just signal the end of Federer’s five-year reign at the All England Club, it hinted at the end of an era. Nadal become the first person since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season.
Venus Williams finished second in the female voting after defeating her sister Serena in the Wimbledon women’s singles finals, 7-5, 6-4. It was Venus Williams’ fifth title in the event. The sisters teamed up later in the day to win the doubles title.
Taking second in the Male Athlete of the Month voting was American swimmer Michael Phelps. At the U.S. Olympic Trials in the month of July, Phelps broke his own world record in the men’s 200m IM, with a time of 1:54.80.
Finishing third in the women’s voting was Russian Yelena Isinbayeva, who broke her own world record in the pole vault with a vault of 5.03 meters (16 feet, 6 inches) at the Golden Gala meet in Rome, then broke it again weeks later at Monaco’s Super Grand Prix, vaulting 5.04 meters.
Taking third in the men’s voting was Ireland’s Padraig Harrington. At golf’s oldest tournament, the British Open, Harrington seized his opportunity by smashing a pair of fairway metals into the par 5s that carried him to a 32 on the back nine and a win. On a blustery day at Royal Birkdale, he became Europe’s first player in more than a century to take the event two years in a row.
Each Academy Athlete of the Month is selected by a national voting committee comprising former athletes and members of media organizations and sports organizations and governing bodies. At the end of each year, the Athlete of the Month contest culminates in the Athlete of the Year worldwide fan vote, hosted by USATODAY.com and MSNBC.com. Each month’s winners are automatically added to the Athlete of the Year ballot.
The United States Sports Academy is an independent, nonprofit, accredited, special mission sports university created to serve the nation and the world with programs in instruction, research and service. The role of the Academy is to prepare men and women for careers in the profession of sports.
Auburn athletes continue control of state award
13 August 2008
Former Auburn University swimmer Margaret Hoelzer was named the Alabama Athlete of the Month for July, based on her performance at the USA Swimming Trials. July is the sixth consecutive month in which an Auburn athlete has claimed the honor.
Auburn is expected to remain a presence in the Academy’s Alabama Athlete of the Month vote, since a number of athletes who competed for the university are currently participating in the Beijing Olympic Games.
Former AU swimmer Kirsty Coventry was the Athlete of the Month for February and April, and former Auburn freestyler Cesar Cielo was recognized for March. Both won on the strength of world-record performances. Auburn’s Cory Martin won the honor for May and June, while West Virginia University quarterback Patrick White won the January honor.
In July, Hoelzer broke the world record in the 200m backstroke with a time of 2:06.09 at the USA Swimming Trials. She eclipsed by three-tenths of a second the old mark belonging to former Auburn swimmer Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe. Hoelzer also qualified for the Olympics with a second-place, 59.21 finish in the 100m backstroke. She finished behind Natalie Coughlin, who became the first woman to break 59 seconds in the event.
Finishing a distant second to Hoelzer was David Price, the Tampa Bay Rays’ top draft pick of 2007, who is 6–0 with the Montgomery Biscuits. Price is a perfect 10–0 as a professional and has a 2.08 ERA in eight starts in the Southern League, with 48 strikeouts and 12 walks in 52 innings.
The only other athlete to receive a vote was Graeme McDowell, who played golf at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In July McDowell registered the biggest victory of his professional career as he won the Scottish Open with three straight birdies on the back nine for a 3–under 68. In the opening round at the 2008 British Open at Royal Birkdale, McDowell had a share of the lead, firing a 1–under 69 thanks to back-to-back birdies on holes 17 and 18.
The Academy’s Alabama Athlete of the Month is selected by a voting committee comprising former Alabama athletes, members of the statewide media and representatives of Alabama sports organizations. Each winner is automatically added to the Alabama Athlete of the Year ballot at the end of the calendar year.
The Alabama Athlete of the Year Award is given to an athlete beyond the high school level who was either born in Alabama, is currently playing in the state, or has previously participated in sports at any level within Alabama.
Academy curator Robert Zimlich appeared on the CBS WKRG Channel 5
13 August 2008
Academy curator Robert Zimlich (left) appeared on the CBS WKRG Channel 5 Morning Show in Mobile, Alabama to promote the Academy’s art exhibit “The Road to the 2008 Beijing Olympiad Through Art.” This exhibit is open free to the public Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Olympic art exhibit will be on display through the end of the year.
Cuyahoga CC Renews Agreement in Associate's-to-Bachelor's Program
10 July 2008
Cuyahoga Community College (CCC) in Cleveland, Ohio, renewed its articulation agreement in the Academy's associate's-to-bachelor's program. The agreement allows CCC District graduates to enroll at the Academy and transfer their associate's-level credits toward an Academy bachelor's degree in sports coaching, sports management or sports studies.
Under the articulation agreement, the Academy will waive the application fee and transcript evaluation fee for students transferring from CCC. Academy degree programs are available entirely online, so students can earn the baccalaureate from home, from the Cuyahoga campus or from any other place. A course can be started at any time.
Cuyahoga Community College is Ohio's first community college and serves more than 55,000 students per year. In addition to its other academic offerings, CCC offers an associate of applied science degree in sport and exercise science and a new associate of science degree in sports management.
There are more than 35 other community and junior colleges nationwide that have associate's-to-bachelor's relationships with the Academy.
Academy award artist Wyland headed for olympic finish
10 July 2008
Wyland completed the first canvases during the U.N. Environment Program's International Children's Conference in Stavanger, Norway, working with 700 children from 110 countries.
Wyland (pictured right) paints a mural of three dolphins on the side of the Academy in Daphne, Alabama
In the spirit of the 2008 Olympics, student artists from around the world will join renowned marine life artist Wyland, who received the United States Sports Academy's 2008 environmental award, at Chaoyang Park in Beijing 7-21 July for an unprecedented global art project celebrating the world's waters and the future of international cooperation.
Wyland and the youth will create an epic mural spanning nearly two miles, using 205 canvases each measuring 45 feet across and representing United Nations and Olympic member countries. The canvases will portray endangered and threatened marine wildlife in those countries.
Wyland completed the first two of these canvases during the U.N. Environment Program's International Children's Conference in Stavanger, Norway, working with 700 children from 110 countries as well as other helpers. The two final canvases in the mural will be completed by Wyland during the Olympic Games, with the participation of hundreds of additional children.
In 1981, more than a quarter century ago, Wyland began a mission to create 100 giant murals of marine life around the world; he dubbed the landmark project the "Whaling Wall." The 100th mural of the series will be completed in the lead up to the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Joining Wyland for the work in Beijing will be famed Chinese environmental artist Xikun Yuan, the United States Sports Academy's Artist of the Year 2008 (sculpture category). Xikun founded Beijing's Jin Tai Art Museum and is best known for bringing western culture and Chinese culture together. The public is invited to take part in the making of the mural from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day during 7-21 July.
Wyland's Whaling Wall project is the largest and longest-running art-in-public-places program dedicated to environmental awareness. Its murals have set world records for the largest paintings by one person and are seen by an estimated one billion people each year.
Children around the world have participated with Wyland in painting more than 100 giant canvases to be included in the Beijing installation, with sections representing the planet's coasts, lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands. The epic mural will celebrate children working together to protect the environment and will promote the spirit of the Green Olympics, an international movement to encourage environmental awareness and action through the Olympic Games.
Wyland was honored as the U.S. Sports Academy's Environmental Sport Artist in 2008 and with an Academy Distinguished Service Award in 2007; he is a U.S. Olympic Committee official artist for the 2008 Olympic Games.
In creating the Whaling Wall, Wyland has traveled the world touting the need for healthy marine environments to support the diverse marine life showcased in his hundred-mural series. Wyland's message is a global one, and children from more than 100 nations will contribute to the culminating mural, "Whaling Wall 100," featuring life-size paintings of endangered and threatened marine animals native to 191 nations.
Quick Facts About "Whaling Wall 100" in Beijing
- The canvases will include the artistic contributions of children in over 100 countries.
- Costa Rica, Brazil, Hungary, Nepal, Russia, and other nations contributed canvases created there.
- Marine animals from every continent will be represented in the mural.
- The images will present endangered and threatened species from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature & Natural Resources "Red List," the most comprehensive inventory of the global status of plant and animal species.
- All materials will be recycled when the project ends.
- The completed canvases will be exhibited in locations around the world, recognizing the impact of the Green Olympics.
In 1993 Wyland founded the nonprofit, 501(c)3 Wyland Foundation. Its mission is to inspire people to a greater awareness of our ocean planet, while its vision is to promote, respect and protect precious water resources by encouraging involvement in conservation through community events and art in public places.
Now celebrating its 15th anniversary, the Wyland Foundation (www.wylandfoundation.org) has been responsible for 95 conservation-themed marine life murals created in 68 cities in 12 countries. It has staged marine-resources education and science tours in all 50 United States.
Wyland has been the host of television documentary series including the Discovery Channel's "Wyland's Ocean World." In March 2008, at the White House's invitation, he led children attending the traditional Easter Egg Roll in painting their visions of sea life. He is the world's premier marine life artist, his works held by museums, corporations and individuals in more than 100 countries.
During a special visit to the United States Sports Academy in 2007, Wyland worked with some 250 schoolchildren to paint "Mobile Bay," a wildlife-themed oversized canvas the Academy donated to Alabama's 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center. The donation (valued at over $50,000) supports efforts of the Spanish Fort, Ala., center to conserve wetlands in the Mobile-Tensaw river delta, the nation's second largest. The artist also created a 30-foot-tall mural of three dolphins, on the campus's main building. The title of the monumental work--"Faster, Higher, Stronger"--echoes the Olympic motto.
Wyland is the first recognized artist-conservationist to be endorsed by the U.S. Olympic Committee with appointment as an official Olympic team artist. The current exhibition at the U.S. Sports Academy art museum, "The Road to the Beijing Olympiad 2008 Through Art," includes 39 original pictograms by Wyland featuring sports of the Olympic Games. The works combine the simplicity of Chinese brush art techniques with Wyland's personal style and vision. The artist has donated the pictograms to the Academy museum.
The support of the following organizations made Wyland's Beijing project possible: the China Center of International Cultural Exchange, United Nations Environment Program, United States Sports Academy, Sea World Adventure Parks, Fredrix Artist Canvas, Martin / F. Weber, and the Jin Tai Museum and its director, Professor Xikun Yuan.
The United States Sports Academy, known around the world as America's Sports University, is an independent, non-profit, accredited, special-mission sports university created to serve the nation and the world with programs in instruction, research and service.
Woods, Hoff earn athlete-of-month honors
10 June 2008
Katie Hoff
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods, who won the U.S. Open on one leg, was named the United States Sports Academy's Male Athlete of the Month for June, while American swimmer Katie Hoff was named the Female Athlete of the Month.
With a throbbing knee, Woods won the U.S. Open over Rocco Mediate, his 14th career major and likely the most amazing of them all. One shot behind, Woods birdied the 18th hole to force sudden death at Torrey Pines, going on to win the playoff in dramatic fashion on the 19th hole.
In the month of June, Hoff reclaimed the world record in the women's 400 m individual medley, clocking 4 minutes, 31.12 seconds at the U.S. Swimming Trials. In the monthly vote, she finished one point ahead of South Korean golfer Inbee Park, at 19 the youngest ever winner of the U.S. Open after firing a two-under-par 71 for a four-stroke lead.
Woods finished well ahead of runner-up Rafael Nadal in the men's voting. Spain's Nadal in June won his fourth consecutive Roland Garros title, spoiling Roger Federer's latest bid to complete a career Grand Slam with a 61, 63, 60 thrashing during the finals of the French Open.
Michael Phelps finished third in the men's voting after setting the world record in the 400 m individual medley with a time of 4:05.25 at the U.S. Olympic trials.
Finishing in third place in the women's voting was Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, who overmatched Dinara Safina of Russia 64, 63 to win the French Open.
Each Academy Athlete of the Month is selected by a national voting committee comprising former athletes and members of media organizations and sport organizations and governing bodies. At the end of each year, the Athlete of the Month contest culminates in the Athlete of the Year worldwide fan vote, hosted by USATODAY.com and MSNBC.com. Each month's winners are automatically added to the Athlete of the Year ballot.
Auburn still dominating state athlete-of-month
10 July 2008
June marked a second straight month in which Auburn University track and field's Cory Martin was named the United States Sports Academy's Alabama Athlete of the Month. June is the fifth consecutive month in which an Auburn athlete claimed the honor.
Former AU swimmer Kirsty Coventry was the Academy's Athlete of the Month for February and April, and Auburn's former freestyler Cesar Cielo was recognized for March; the two won on the strength of world-record performances. West Virginia University quarterback Patrick White won the January honor.
Martin repeats after NCAA Championship wins in the shot put (66-9 ¼) and hammer (243-02), each victory coming on his final throw. He is the first athlete since 1922 to win both events at the meet.
Finishing second behind Martin in the June voting was Florence, Alabama, native Stewart Cink. Cink won the PGA Tour's Travelers Championship by one shot, his fifth PGA Tour win in all and his first since 2004.
Former Auburn track star Kerron Stewart was third in the voting after qualifying for the Olympics in impressive fashion at the Jamaican National Championships. Stewart won the 100m with a time of 10.80 and finished a close second in the 200m, in 21.99.
The Academy's Alabama Athlete of the Month is selected by a voting committee comprising former Alabama athletes, members of the statewide media and representatives of Alabama sports organizations. Each winner is automatically added to the Alabama Athlete of the Year ballot at the end of the calendar year.
The Alabama Athlete of the Year Award is given to an athlete beyond the high school level who was either born in Alabama, is currently playing in the state, or has previously participated in sports at any level within Alabama.
Academy Trustees approve modest tuition increase
3 July 2008
Academy Board of Trustee Chairman Robert C. Campbell
The United States Sports Academy announced that its Board of Trustees voted to raise tuition just two percent for students enrolling for the 2008-2009 academic year, at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels.
The Academy remains very competitive with other private institutions of higher education in terms of tuition. For complete tuition information please visit the Academy's website, www.ussa.edu.
"The Board of Trustees reviews national economic trends and the Academy's financial condition each year, before setting tuition rates for the coming year," said Academy Board of Trustee Chairman Robert C. Campbell of Mobile. "While many institutions in the state implemented large tuition increases for next year, the Academy was able to keep costs down."
In the coming year, double-digit tuition hike percentages are on the way for students at many public and private institutions nationwide. According to the College Board, the average tuition increase at four-year public universities last year was 6.6 percent. In Alabama, the price of a public four-year college education has risen more than 500 percent in the last 25 years. All other consumer prices rose by "only" 140 percent in the same period.
"The Academy looked at the uncertain economic forecast and the high gas prices students will be burdened with in the coming year," said Campbell. "As an online institution, the Academy is a great option for students wanting to stay at home and work while pursuing a university degree."
Academy Develops Bachelor's Program with Manipal University in India
24 June 2008
Academy Vice President Dr. T. J. Rosandich meets with Dr. Raj Warrier, vice chancellor of Manipal University located in Manipal, India to review an agreement between the Academy and Manipal University. Manipal University is developing a bachelor of sports administration degree through which the Academy will provide the sport-specific content by distance learning that will complement Manipal's current bachelor's degree in business administration. The objective of the program is to prepare men and women in India for careers in the growing sports industry which is just beginning to develop.
Draft Bachelor's Curriculum
Academy Artist Opens Exhibit in China
24 June 2008
Mr. Michael Cambanis, the Hellenic Republic's ambassador to China, and Professor Xikun Yuan, director of Beijing's Jin Tai Art Museum and the Academy's Sport Artist of the Year 2008 in the sculpture category, invite you to view works by Ms. Mina Papatheodorou-Valyraki, Academy Sport Artist of the Year 2002, in her show "The Mind and the Body."
The exhibition was opened on 24 June by His Excellency the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Karolos Papoulias. Pictured at the opening with Ms. Papatheodorou-Valyraki (center) is Mr. Jiang Xiaoyu (left), executive vice president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games, and Professor Xikun. The exhibition is open 24 June through 14 July from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Jin Tai Museum is located in the Chaoyang District of Beijing.
Rosandich Reelected FISpT President for North America
23 June 2008
Issa M. Abdul Rahim (left) of the Kingdom of Bahrain was named the new President of the Board of Directors for FISpT. Academy President and CEO Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich (right) was reelected the federation's continental president for North America.
United States Sports Academy President and CEO Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich attended the annual assembly of the International Sport for All Federation (FISpT) on 23 May in Blackenberg, Belgium, and was reelected the federation's continental president for North America. Rosandich was also reelected to the FISpT Board of Directors, on which he has served for over 20 years.
In addition to Rosandich and Rahim, the complete FISpT board of directors (2008-2011) includes Khaled Al Qawati of Iraq, board member; Khalid Al Subaie of Kuwait, board member; Ibrahim Ali Al-Ali of Saudi Arabia, vice president; Osama Alkoohiji of Bahrain, general secretary; Ali Al-Nasser of Saudi Arabia, continental president Middle East; Franco Ascani of Italy, vice president; Daniel Bach of France, board member; Rosario Filoramo of Italy, board member; Chedly Karoui of Tunisia, vice president; Dhiraj Sing Khamajeet from the Republic of Mauritius, board member; Moussalik Lahcen of Morocco, board member; Esperat Jean Mama Mboa of Cameroon, board member; Efi Mouzourou of Cyprus, deputy general secretary; Laurent Nzeyimana of Burundi, continental president Africa; Noura Ouerfelli of Tunisia, advisor to Staff Training Committee; Maria Teresa Ramilo of Portugal, advisor to Congress and Research Committee; Malla Ibrahim Talba of Cameroon, continental president Africa; Andre Van Lierde of Flanders, board member; Jean-Michel Villaume of France, continental president Europe.
Founded in Strasbourg, France, in 1982, FISpT strives to be an action-oriented and consultative organization encouraging international "sport for all" exchanges that bring people and nations together to model self-fulfillment through healthful sport. FISpT also seeks to contribute to the happiness and betterment of humankind by focusing on such activities as training, leisure sports, recreation and free competition beyond established high-level contests. For more information on FISpT, visit www.fispt.org.
Many of the 40-odd awards Rosandich has received internationally throughout his career celebrate his success as a "sports ambassador" using sports to bring people and nations together.
Rosandich established the Academy in 1972. It is now the largest sports university in the world. When he founded the Academy there were no other colleges that had degree programs in sport; now there are over 200. Last year, the Academy's graduating class represented students from 47 states and 12 foreign countries, one example of how the Academy is promoting sports around the globe.
Rosandich has received prestigious honors from the International Olympic Committee, the United States Olympic Committee, the Kingdom of Bahrain, USA Track and Field, and the United Nations. Each award was for contributions to the development of sports around the world.
Following a distinguished military career, Rosandich was appointed to the State Department's "Ambassadors of Sport" program, through which he coached athletes in some 50 nations. In the early 1960s he was directly responsible for bringing the Peace Corps (which he turned into the Sport Corps) to Indonesia. Around the same time he founded what is now called the South East Asia (SEA) Games.
During and after his tour with the State Department, Rosandich would serve as coach or consultant in 10 different Olympic Games, from the 1956 Melbourne Olympics through the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, missing only the 1980 competition in Moscow, because of the U.S. boycott of those Games. (During the Atlanta Games, he was the president of U.S. Team Handball.)
For service to the Olympic Movement, the International Olympic Committee in 1997 bestowed on Rosandich its highest distinction, the Olympic Order. The Olympic Order honors commitment to the Olympic ideal through action, such as achievement in sporting competition or exceptional work for the Olympic cause. Rosandich also holds the U.S. Olympic Committee President's Medal, that body's highest honor. Additionally, in 2005 the United Nations Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations presented to Rosandich the first annual Harmony Award, saluting a long record of fostering cross-cultural good will through sport.
Dr. Rosandich also recently received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, in company with a U.S. senator, the president of the Coca-Cola Company, and Randy Owen of the music group Alabama.
Dr. Reeves to Teach Sports Marketing in Bahrain
17 June 2008
United States Sports Academy National Faculty member Dr. Dale Reeves will travel to the Kingdom of Bahrain 3-7 August 2008 to deliver a course in sports marketing.
The course is the fourth in a six-part series to be hosted by GOYS for the Academy's International Certification in Sports Management (or ICSM) program.
Over the past 35 years, the United States Sports Academy has taught sport programs in over 60 countries and to more than a quarter million people. The Academy has delivered over 100 sport education programs with ministries of youth and sport, Olympic committees, international sport federations, national governing bodies and universities, both in the U.S. and around the world.
Dr. Reeves lives in Camden, S.C., and received the doctorate in sports management from the United States Sports Academy. He has undergraduate and graduate degrees in education from the University of South Carolina. He has been involved in South Carolina education and athletics for 29 years as a basketball, football and softball coach. He is married and has four children.
Academy's Dr. Mathiesen Headed for Thailand
17 June 2008
United States Sports Academy National Faculty member Dr. Peter Mathiesen will travel to Thailand 7-11 July 2008 to teach a course in sports psychology. The course is the fifth in a six-part series to be hosted by the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) for the Academy's International Certification in Sports Coaching (ICSC) program.
In its 35-year history, the Academy has delivered sports programs in more than 60 countries around the world. The Academy has a long-standing relationship with the SAT, which is Thailand's primary sports organization and plays a vital role in developing sport. The Academy sends instructors to Thailand to teach certification courses in the Sports Management and Sports Coaching programs.
Mathiesen is from Chico, Calif., and is professor of physical education at California State University in Chico, where he teaches in sports psychology, sports sociology, and athletic administration. He holds a bachelor's degree from Humboldt State University, a master's degree from San Jose State University and an Ed.D. from the University of Sarasota.
He is a long-time member of the United States Sports Academy National Faculty and has taught sports management in a number of countries on assignment for the Academy. Mathiesen is ranked in the top 30 Division II head coaches nationally for number of coaching victories.
He was the head coach of the basketball programs at Chico State, the College of the Redwoods, South Fork High School and Camden High School and also headed the Geelong Cats of Australia's National Basketball League. He has published more than 20 articles on basketball and has organized and directed three summer basketball camps for over 17 years.
Academy's Dr. Drawdy to Teach Sport Ethics in Thailand
17 June 2008
United States Sports Academy National Faculty member Dr. Stanley E. Drawdy will travel to Thailand 4-8 August 2008 to teach a course on ethics in sport. It is the sixth and final course to be hosted by the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) for the Academy's International Certification in Sports Management (ICSM) program in 2008.
In its 35-year history, the Academy has delivered sports programs in more than 60 countries around the world. The Academy has a long-standing relationship with the SAT, which is Thailand's primary sports organization and plays a vital role in developing sport. The Academy sends instructors to Thailand to teach certification courses in the Sports Management and Sports Coaching programs.
Drawdy has been a distance learning instructor for the Academy since 2001. He recently retired from the faculty at Hannah-Pamplico (South Carolina) High School, where he was athletic director, head football coach and golf coach. He coached and taught in South Carolina for over 30 years, also finding time to serve on the directorial boards of the South Carolina Athletic Administrators Association, South Carolina Coaches Association and Football Coaches Association.
In addition, he worked for South Carolina's education department as a certified Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) facilitator and chairperson. Drawdy received the B.S. and the M.Ed. degree from Francis Marion University, studying psychology and elementary education. He earned the Ed.D. from Nova Southeastern University.
Academy's Dr. Bell Headed for Thailand
17 June 2008
United States Sports Academy National Faculty member Richard Bell, Ed.D., J.D., will travel to Thailand 21-25 July 2008 to teach sports public relations. The course is the fifth in a six-part series to be hosted by the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) for the Academy's International Certification in Sports Management (ICSM) program.
In its 35-year history, the Academy has delivered sports programs in more than 60 countries around the world. The Academy has a long-standing relationship with the SAT, which is Thailand's primary sports organization and plays a vital role in developing sport. The Academy sends instructors to Thailand to teach certification courses in the Sports Management and Sports Coaching programs.
Bell received a degree in premedicine from Clemson University. He flew helicopter search-and-rescue missions for the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and, following his service, earned the doctor of jurisprudence degree from the University of South Carolina. He practiced law for 25 years, serving as an assistant district attorney. Bell also studied at the Citadel in Charleston, S.C., earning a master's degree in history. His doctorate in sports management was awarded by the United States Sports Academy, where he chaired the sports management program in 2000. While chair, Bell spent six months abroad teaching graduate courses in sports management at the University of Bahrain. Other teaching positions have included appointments at the University of the Incarnate Word and Wichita State University.
Today, Bell coordinates the sports management program at Mesa (Colorado) State College and serves on the Academy National Faculty, to date teaching in Bahrain, Hong Kong and Thailand. His areas of interest are sports administration, sports public relations, sports marketing and sports law. Bell has published articles and delivered seminars in all these areas.
Olympic Softball Coach Receives Academy Distinguished Service Award
16 June 2008
United States Sports Academy Trustee Jack Scharr presented University of Arizona and USA Olympic Softball Coach Mike Candrea with the Academy's Distinguished Service Award during a ceremony in St. Louis on 12 June during the USA Softball teams pre-Olympic tour stop in Missouri.
Candrea led the Wildcats to back-to-back NCAA softball championships in 2006 and 2007. With eight national championships in the last 17 years, Candrea's credentials invariably trump those of his coaching colleagues across the country. He reached 1,100 career Division I victories faster than any coach in history, rounding out that achievement with 19 trips to the Women's College World Series over the last 20 years.
As if conquering the world of collegiate softball were not enough, Candrea spent the summer of 2006 leading Team USA to a World Cup of Softball title and a gold medal at the ISF World Championships in Beijing. Following Arizona's fall workouts, he coached the U.S. squad to victory in the Japan Cup, its third tournament title of the year. Two years earlier, his leadership helped propel the U.S. to a perfect 9-0 record and the gold medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Candrea will coach Team USA during the 2008 Beijing Games as well.
The only year Arizona was absent from the WCWS, Candrea was at the helm of USA Softball's barnstorming tour that preceded its gold medal showing in Athens. He was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1996, and since that time his teams have a record of 635-84.
The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is given annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to national or international sports through instruction, research or service. The award has been presented by the Academy since 1984. Past honorees include Don Shula, Martina Navratilova, Pat Summitt, Eddie Robinson, George Steinbrenner and Bud Selig. For more information, visit http://www.asama.org/awards.
Candrea received the Academy's Order of the Eagle Exemplar medal and Academy Rosette. The Order of the Eagle Exemplar medallion was designed by the Academy's Sport Artist of the Year 1990, Blair Buswell. The Academy Rosette is modeled after the Legion of Honor instituted by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. A rosette is a symbol of recognition and affiliation.
Academy and NFHS Agree to Educational Partnership
13 June 2008
In Indianapolis to mark the establishment of a partnership between the Academy and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) were Tim Flannery (left), NFHS assistant director and director of coach education; Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich (right), Academy president and CEO; and Robert Kanaby (center), NFHS executive director. The partnership allows high school coaches to earn CEUs for NFHS coursework.
The Academy and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) entered into an educational partnership through which the Academy will offer Carnegie education units (CEUs) to thousands of high school coaches around the country who have completed NFHS's coaching education course.
Under the agreement, anyone who successfully completes the NFHS course Fundamentals of Coaching will be eligible to receive two CEUs from the Academy for $75. Students who completed the course during or after May 2007 are eligible for the CEUs.
Indianapolis-based NFHS recognizes a demand for CEUs among its membership, as many states require CEUs in order to maintain teaching certification.
Certificates of CEUs awarded will be available online to NFHS members via the United States Sports Academy website (http://students.ussa.edu/nfhs) or via phone at (251) 626-3303. On the website, members will be able to enter a course completion certification number from NFHS and then immediately print out an official CEU certificate.
CEUs are based upon the Carnegie Educational System. One CEU represents 10 clock hours of participation in a recognized continuing education program. CEUs are widely used by coaches, teachers, administrators and other professionals to earn salary increments and promotions and to maintain certifications.
Following completion of the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching course and printing of the certificate, transcripts may be obtained from the Academy registrar at (251) 626-3303.
NFHS is the official coach education provider for its 51 state-level member associations, offering blended and online courses at www.nfhslearn.com. NFHS also publishes playing rules in 16 sports for boys' and girls' competition and administers fine-arts programs in speech, theater, debate and music. It provides a variety of program initiatives that reach the 18,500 high schools and over 11 million students involved in athletic and activity programs.
Since 1920, NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and other activities that help students succeed in life. NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities.
The establishment of the United States Sports Academy over 35 years ago was inspired, in part, by research findings that became known as the Blyth-Mueller Report. This study established a solid link between poor preparation of coaches and the number and severity of injuries to the athletes under their charge. The new agreement with NFHS meets one of the original objectives in the Academy's founding charter.
Now the largest sports university in the world, serving thousands of students, the Academy offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees as well as continuing education courses in sports coaching, sports management, sports medicine and other sport-related areas that prepare qualified leaders for the sport profession.
Dr. John Lombardo Receives Academy's Sports Medicine Award
13 June 2008
Dr. John Lombardo of Columbus, Ohio has been honored with the United States Sports Academy's Dr. Ernst Jokl Sports Medicine Award. Academy Board Trustee Tom Cafaro presented the award to Dr. Lombardo.
Dr. Lombardo (left) has 28 years' experience covering various teams at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. He was the first president and one of the founding members of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine.
Dr. Lombardo was medical director of the Ohio State University Sports Medicine Center from 1990 to 2004, OSU team Physician from 1990 to 2004 and OSU Athletic Department head team physician and medical director from 1993 to 2004.
He was a physician at the U.S. National Sports Festival in 1985, head physician for the 1986 Olympic Sports Festival, and a member of the U.S. delegations to the 1987 Summer World University Games and 1998 Winter Olympics.
From 1981 to 1990 Dr. Lombardo served as medical director of sports medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, as team physician for the Cleveland Cavaliers and as a medical consultant for the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland Ballet, Cleveland State University and Chagrin Falls High School. Dr. Lombardo serves as the advisor to the NFL for anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.
The Dr. Ernst Jokl Sports Medicine Award, named in honor of the former Olympic athlete, international sports medicine scholar and Director of the University of Kentucky Rehabilitation Center, is given annually to an individual for his/her contributions to the growth and development of sport medicine through practice and/or scholarly activity. The individual should exhibit a mastery of some aspect of sports medicine through practice or research, should be well known in the sports medicine field and should have an abiding belief in and practice of ethical behavior in pursuit of knowledge.
Dr. Lombardo received the Academy's Order of the Eagle Exemplar medal and Academy Rosette. The Academy's Order of the Eagle Exemplar medallion was designed by the Academy's Sport Artist of the Year 1990, Blair Buswell. Lombardo also received the Academy Rosette, modeled after the Legion of Honour, which was instituted by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. A rosette is a symbol of recognition and affiliation.
The Ernst Jokl Sports Medicine Award has been presented since 1994 as part of the Academy's Awards of Sport Medallion Series, which pays "Tribute to the Artist and the Athlete." Past recipients include famous four-minute-mile runner Roger Bannister, Dr. Jacques Rogge and five-time Olympic speed skating gold medalist Eric Heiden. For complete results visit http://www.asama.org/awards.
Academy, NACDA and USA Today Honor Top Collegiate Programs
13 June 2008
The U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup is presented annually to North America's best overall collegiate athletic programs (by division). The awards program is sponsored by the Academy and administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today.
Pictured at the 43rd Annual NACDA Convention in Dallas on 10 June are (from left to right) Tom O'Toole of USA Today; Bill Odell of Azusa Pacific University; Harry Sheehy of Williams College; Tim Selgo from Grand Valley State University; Bob Bowlsby of Stanford University; Dr. T. J. Rosandich of the Academy; and Rob Roller of Samford University, NACDA Executive Committee member.
In the 2008 contest, Division I Stanford won its 14th straight U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup, Division II Grand Valley State claimed its fifth straight win, Division III Williams College won for the 12th time in 13 years, and Azusa Pacific won its third straight in the NAIA classification.
Bolt, Ochoa Top Athlete of the Month Voting
10 June 2008
Usain Bolt
Lorena Ochoa
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who broke the 100 meter world record, was named the United States Sports Academy's Male Athlete of the Month for May, while Mexican golfer Lorena Ochoa was a repeat winner as Female Athlete of the Month.
Bolt set the world record at the Reebok Grand Prix with a time of 9.72 seconds, which was .02 seconds faster than the old record held by his countryman, Asafa Powell. Bolt edged out Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who led his team to the NBA Finals in the month of May. The league MVP averaged 29 points per game in the Lakers' five-game dismantling of the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, reaching the finals and a showdown with the Boston Celtics.
Ochoa has claimed the top spot in five of her last six LPGA events, the latest a one-stroke victory in the Sybase Classic in New Jersey. Ochoa narrowly beat out Los Angeles Sparks' rookie forward Candace Parker. Parker won the March Athlete of the Month, while Ochoa has come back to win the April and May honors. With the Olympics coming up this summer, it is too early to tell if Ochoa and Parker will dominate the national stage in 2008.
Barely a month after leading Tennessee to its second straight NCAA National Championship, Parker scored 34 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and had eight assists in her WNBA debut, a 99-94 road victory over the Phoenix Mercury. After the first four games of the season, Parker leads the WNBA in rebounds with 11.5 per game and is third in assists, with 6.3.
Finishing in third place was Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester, who threw a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals. The 24-year-old lefty, who survived cancer to pitch the World Series clincher for the Boston Red Sox last fall, shut down Kansas City 7-0 for the first no-hitter in the majors this season.
Texas A & M's senior pitcher Megan Gibson finished in third in the female category after pitching every inning in the Aggies' 5-0 postseason run. A & M swept Stanford in the best-two-out-of-three Super Regionals, with Gibson pitching three shutouts, including a no-hitter in the finals at the College Station Regional. Gibson's two wins over Louisiana Tech (in the winner's bracket final and tournament final) included 36 strikeouts.
Each Academy Athlete of the Month is selected by a national voting committee comprising former athletes and members of media organizations and sport organizations and governing bodies. At the end of each year, the Athlete of the Month contest culminates in the Athlete of the Year worldwide fan vote, hosted by USATODAY.com and MSNBC.com. Each month's winners are automatically added to the Athlete of the Year ballot.
Auburn Wins Fourth Straight Alabama Athlete-of-Month Vote
10 June 2008
Auburn track and field athlete Cory Martin was named the United States Sports Academy's Alabama Athlete of the Month for May, marking the fourth straight month that an Auburn University athlete has claimed the honor.
Former AU swimmer Kirsty Coventry claimed the honor in February and April, while Auburn's former freestyler Cesar Cielo won in April. The two won on the strength of world-record performances.
Martin, the nation's No. 1 hammer thrower and No. 3 shot putter, scored 28 points in the Southeastern Conference meet for the second straight year, earning him the meet's Commissioner's Trophy as the men's top point scorer. Martin won the shot put with a throw of 20.31m (66-7.75), which ranks second in the NCAA this year and third in school history. The SEC Men's Field Athlete of the Year won the hammer throw (an event in which he went undefeated this year) and placed second in the discus, finishing his career with seven SEC titles.
Former Alabama basketball player Antonio McDyess finished second in the voting. The Detroit Pistons center averaged 8.9 points and 7.4 rebounds in 17 playoffs games. He had 21 points and 16 rebounds to spark the Pistons' 94-75 win in game four against the Boston Celtics, evening up the Eastern Conference finals at 2-2. McDyess also scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Pistons' 91-86 series-clinching game-five victory over Orlando in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Alabama softball player Charlotte Morgan finished in third place. The sophomore pitcher/utility infielder finished 3 for 3 with a home run and three RBI, setting the Southeastern Conference single-season record with 79 RBI as the Tide eliminated Arizona from the Women's College World Series in a 5-1 victory on May 31. Morgan surpassed Tennessee's Kristi Durant, who drove in 77 runs in 2005. In the first elimination game against Louisiana-Lafayette, a 3-1 Crimson Tide win, Morgan pitched a complete game and gave up one run on five hits.
The Academy's Alabama Athlete of the Month is selected by a voting committee comprising former Alabama athletes, members of the statewide media and representatives of Alabama sports organizations. Each winner is automatically added to the Alabama Athlete of the Year ballot at the end of the calendar year.
The Alabama Athlete of the Year Award is given to an athlete beyond the high school level who was either born in Alabama, is currently playing in the state, or has previously participated in sports at any level within Alabama.
1A Athletic Directors' Association Names Academy Honoree Its President
10 June 2008
Dr. Deborah Yow, director of athletics at the University of Maryland, has been selected the next president of the Division 1A Athletic Directors' Association. Yow received an honorary doctorate from the Academy in 2000. She will assume her one-year presidential role during the association's meetings in September.
Yow, who is about to begin her 15th year in charge of Maryland's intercollegiate athletics program, is the first woman ever selected for this national leadership role. She joins a distinguished list of former association presidents that includes Gene Smith of Ohio State; Kevin White, formerly of Notre Dame; Cedric Dempsey, formerly of Arizona; and Texas's DeLoss Dodds. The membership of the Athletic Directors' Association comprises the athletics directors of all institutions the NCAA designates Division I-A, including the ACC, Big Ten, SEC, Pac-10, Big East and Big 12 conferences.
The Division 1A Athletic Directors' Association has offices in Grapevine, Texas. The organization is the voice of Division I-A athletics directors across the country. It works closely with the NCAA on topics of mutual interest, and it also works with faculty athletics representatives.
Saddleback College Joins Academy's Associate's-to-Bachelor's Program
10 June 2008
The United States Sports Academy and Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, Calif., have signed an associate's-to-bachelor's articulation agreement. The agreement allows graduating students at the college to enroll at the Academy and transfer their earned credits toward the bachelor of sports science degree. Saddleback College joins more than 35 other community and junior colleges nationwide having associate's-to-bachelor's relationships with the Academy.
Under the articulation agreement, the Academy will waive the application fee and transcript evaluation fee for students transferring from Saddleback College. Academy degree programs are available entirely online, so students can earn the baccalaureate from home, from the Saddleback campus or from any other place. A course can be started at any time.
The Academy, known worldwide as America's Sports University, features the largest sport education program in the world. Its upper-division bachelor's degree completion program offers majors in sports coaching, sports management and sports studies.
The bachelor's degree completion program consists of the final 60 of 120 required semester hours. The Academy accepts between 49 and 90 semester hours of transfer credits.
Academy President meets with FISU leaders in Belgium
20 May 2008
United States Sports Academy President and CEO Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich (center) recently met with George Killian (left) the president of the International University Sport Federation (FISU) and Kolë Gjeloshaj, FISU's educational services director in Belgium to discuss the development of educational proposals in line with their organizational missions.
IOC Hands Out First Awards in Advance of the Olympic Games
21 May 2008
In the sculpture category of the art contest, Joe Datuin of the Philippines won first place and $30,000 with a work titled "Dancing Rings."
In the graphics category, Ivan Patúc from Slovakia claimed first place and $30,000 for his piece titled "Wrestling."
The International Olympic Committee's Commission for Culture and Olympic Education announced the results of the IOC's Olympic Sport and Art Contest 2008 as well as the first ever IOC Olympic Sport and Singing Contest.
Academy President and CEO Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich, a member of the commission, represented North America on the jury for the international art contest. The jury assembled in Switzerland under the guidance of Dr. Zhenliang He, commission chairman. Chairman He led international juries that decided winners in the art contest and the singing contest.
The third quadrennial Olympic Sport and Art Contest received over 61 submissions from artists and young talents worldwide, through similar contests held by National Olympic Committees, or NOCs, around the globe.
In the graphics portion of the art contest, Ivan Patúc from Slovakia claimed first place and $30,000 for his painting titled "Wrestling." In the sculpture category of the art contest, Joe Datuin of the Philippines won first place and $30,000 with a work titled "Dancing Rings."
The public will be able to admire the winning art pieces in the Olympic Museum in Lausanne as well as at this summer's Olympic Expo in Beijing. The artists will be invited to collect their prizes in Busan, Korea, during the VI World Forum on Sport, Education and Culture to be held 25-27 September 2008.
Structured like the Sport and Art Contest, the inaugural IOC Sport and Singing Contest drew 26 entries from NOC-organized competitions. Musical personalities and members of the IOC Commission for Culture and Education formed the international jury, which had the task of selecting three winning performances and five runners-up on the basis of DVD submissions. The first-place prize and $15,000 was awarded to the a cappella group Voiture, from the Republic of Korea. Voiture will be invited to perform at the Beijing Olympic Expo during this summer's Games.
In ancient times, sport and culture were closely linked. Cultural events featuring art and music were held in conjunction with sporting events. The modern Olympic Games revived this principle to create an opportunity for exchange between cultures.
As a part of the celebrations surrounding the 2008 Olympic Games, the IOC and its Commission for Culture and Olympic Education encouraged all National Olympic Committees to heighten awareness of the link between sport and culture by participating in contests such as the Sport and Singing Contest and Sport and Art Contest. The IOC acknowledges its particular responsibility to promote culture and Olympic education and regards culture as the second dimension of Olympism.
A strong proponent of culture and education, the Academy partnered with the United States Olympic Committee in 2008 to conduct for the IOC the national qualifying round of the Sport and Art Contest and Sport and Singing Contest.
The Commission for Culture and Olympic Education was created in 2000 through the merger of the existing IOC Cultural Commission and IOC Commission for the International Olympic Academy and Olympic Education. The body advises IOC's executive board on measures the IOC and the Olympic Movement should employ to promote cultural exchange and Olympic education. Members of the Commission for Culture and Olympic Education support the IOC's work in these areas.
2008 Sport and Art Contest Winners (with "Title" or Topic of Entry):
Graphic Category
1st place-Ivan Patúc, Slovakia (wrestling)
2nd place-Ching-Yuan Kao, Chinese Taipei (sprint)
3rd place-Kadir Nelson, United States of America ("Anatomy of Team Handball")
Highly recommended (diploma)
Liu Da Wei, China ("Play Polo")
Albert Münch, Germany ("Liu Xiang, World Champion, 110m Hurdles")
Shahariah Mohamed Roshdi, Malaysia ("Movement")
Edmard C. Colmo, Philippines ("Dreams for Goals")
Nibonth Phokachang, Thailand ("Culture and Olympism")
Sculpture Category
1st place-Joe Datuin, Philippines ("Dancing Rings")
2nd place-Mior Mohd Nafis Mohd Zain, Malaysia ("Determination")
3rd place-Levan Vardosanidze, Georgia ("Champion")
Highly recommended (diploma)
Hsiang-Chih Shao, Chinese Taipei ("Achieving Success")
Milton Estrella Gavidia, Ecuador ("Movimiento")
To Shui Ming, Hong Kong, China ("Towards the Rainbow")
Mohammad Reza Yazdi, Islamic Republic of Iran ("Gymnast")
Edward Eyth, United States of America ("Balance")
2008 Sport and Singing Contest Winners (with "Composition Title"):
1st place-Voiture, Republic of Korea ("We Are Together") (.mp3 5 Mb)
2nd place-Claraluna, Columbia ("Es el Momento")
3rd place-TANC, Benin ("Olympism and Sport")
Highly recommended (diploma)
Croatia ("The Way of the Olympics")
Mongolia ("Nomadic Mongolia")
Compagnie Chawa, Niger ("Le Sport C'est la Vie")
Uruguay ("No Te Separes de Ti")
Legacy 12, United States of America ("I Stand Amazed")
Academy's Mr Mike Spino to Deliver Courses in Thailand
20 May 2008
United States Sports Academy National Faculty member Mr. Mike Spino will travel to Bangkok, Thailand, 23-27 June 2008 to teach a course in Sports Business and Personnel Management, in conjunction with the Sports Authority of Thailand. The course is the fourth in a six-part series being hosted by the Sports Authority of Thailand for the Academy's International Certification in Sports Management (or ICSM) program.
In its 35-year history, the Academy has delivered sports programs in more than 60 countries around the world. The Academy has a long-standing relationship with the SAT. The Academy sends instructors to Thailand to teach certification courses in the Sports Management and Sports Coaching programs. The SAT is Thailand's primary sports organization and plays a vital role in developing sport.
Mike Spino is a member of the United States Sports Academy's National Faculty and has been a leader in sport development and administration for many decades. During the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, he hosted dozens of international teams for pre-Olympic training and set up two research projects on issues of heat and humidity and jet lag during the Games. Mr. Spino is the author of six books on the mental and physical aspects of sport.
He is furthermore a specialist in event and personnel management and has coordinated several events and projects, including an international women's conference presented in 2005 as part of the United Nations' International Year of Physical Education and Sport.
Academy's Dr. Mike Hahesy Set to Teach in Thailand
20 May 2008
United States Sports Academy National Faculty member Dr. Michael Hahesy will travel to Bangkok, Thailand, 9-13 June 2008 to teach a course in Sports Strength and Conditioning, in conjunction with the Sports Authority of Thailand. The course is the fourth in a six-part series being hosted by the Sports Authority of Thailand for the Academy's International Certification in Sports Coaching (or ICSC) program.
In its 35-year history, the Academy has delivered sports programs in more than 60 countries around the world. The Academy has a long-standing relationship with the SAT. The Academy sends instructors to Thailand to teach certification courses in the Sports Management and Sports Coaching programs. The SAT is Thailand's primary sports organization and plays a vital role in developing sport.
Dr. Hahesy received the bachelor of science degree (health and physical education) from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and the master of science degree from St. Bonaventure University. His doctorate is from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Hahesy started his career in education as a physical education instructor. He later served as an elementary school physical education instructor, high school assistant principal, and high school principal and is now an assistant professor at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. He coaches sports at all levels and teaches weight and strength training at the university.
Academy's Dr. Avant Set to Lead Course in Abu Dhabi
20 May 2008
United States Sports Academy National Faculty member Dr. Marty Avant will travel to Abu Dhabi 8-12 June 2008 to teach a course in Sports Public Relations, in conjunction with the Unlimited Sport Academy and the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare for the United Arab Emirates.
The course is the fifth in a six-part series in Abu Dhabi being hosted by the Unlimited Sport Academy for the United States Sports Academy's International Certification in Sports Management (or ICSM) program.
Over the past 35 years, the United States Sports Academy has taught sport programs in over 60 countries and to more than a quarter million people. The Academy has delivered over 100 sports education programs with ministries of youth and sport, Olympic committees, international sport federations, national governing bodies, and universities both in the U.S. and around the world.
Dr. Avant earned both the bachelor of arts degree in psychology and master of education degree in counseling from the University of South Carolina. He received the doctorate in sports management from the United States Sports Academy. Certified in sports counseling by the National Institute of Sports, Dr. Avant is a coach at the recreational, middle school, and high school levels.
Paralympic Swimmer Long Receives Academy's Disabled Athlete Award
19 May 2008
Academy Alumni Board Member Costas Karageorghis (r) presents Jessica Long with the Juan Antonio Samaranch Disabled Athlete Award
The Academy presented Paralympic swimmer Jessica Long with its Juan Antonio Samaranch IOC President's Disabled Athlete Award. Long received the award during a ceremony at the 2008 Paralympic World Cup in Manchester, England, on 10 May.
Long is from Baltimore, Md., and was the first Paralympic athlete to win the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, presented to the best amateur athlete in the United States. Long won the award after a spectacular performance at the International Paralympic Committee Swimming World Championships South Africa, where she claimed nine gold medals and set five world records.
Long was one of 15 finalists for the Sullivan Award, along with Joey Cheek (speedskating), Sasha Cohen (figure skating), Chris Leak (football), Candace Parker (basketball), Michael Phelps (swimming) and Troy Smith (football).
Long has also been honored as the U.S. Olympic Committee's 2006 Paralympian of the Year and Swimming World Magazine's 2006 Disabled Swimmer of the Year.
Long owns 34 American records, 17 Pan-American records, 2 Paralympics records, and 4 world records; she has won three Paralympics gold medals and nine world championship gold medals.
Adopted from Russia at 13 months of age, Long was born without fibulas, ankles, heels or most of the other bones of the foot. Her legs were amputated when she was 18 months old.
The Samaranch IOC President's Disabled Athlete Award is presented annually to a physically challenged athlete, past or present, who in the face of adversity displays courage, desire and athletic ability to achieve goals in the competitive arena. The award has been presented annually since 1990 as part of the Academy's Awards of Sport medallion series, which pays "Tribute to the Artist and the Athlete." Past recipients include Jim McLaren, Andy Leonard, Linda Mastandrea, Marlon Shirley, Rudy Garcia-Tolson and Sir Philip Craven. For a complete list, please visit www.asama.org.
Long received the Academy's Order of the Eagle Exemplar medal and Academy Rosette. The Order of the Eagle Exemplar medallion was designed by the Academy Sport Artist of the Year 1990, Blair Buswell. The Academy Rosette is modeled after the Legion of Honour, which was instituted by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. A rosette is a symbol of recognition and affiliation.
Kristy Coventry Wins Another Alabama Athlete of the Month
15 May 2008
Former Auburn swimmer Kirsty Coventry has again been named the United States Sports Academy's Alabama Athlete of the Month. She has now won the February and April Athlete of the Month honor.
In a much anticipated Olympic year, Coventry has dominated the international swimming scene. In February, the 24-year-old from Zimbabwe broke the second oldest record in swimming (16 years) when she swam the 200-meter backstroke in a world-record time of 2:06.39 at the Missouri Grand Prix.
In April, she broke the world's oldest short-course record at the World Short-Course Championships. Setting her third world mark and winning her fourth gold medal, Coventry swam the 200-meter individual medley in 2:06.13, shattering American Allison Wagner's 14-year-old mark of 2:07.79.
The voting for Coventry was nearly unanimous, with Justin Upton and Charlotte Morgan each receiving a single vote.
Justin Upton, the former Mobile BayBears outfielder, batted .340 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in the month of April. He is currently seventh in the National League with a .347 average for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Alabama sophomore pitcher Charlotte Morgan was a consensus national player of the week after she gave up one earned run in shutouts against Samford and then-No. 10 LSU. She worked all six innings for her third complete-game shutout of the season, as the Crimson Tide clinched the Southeastern Conference Western Division title with a 4-0 victory over Arkansas.
The Academy's Alabama Athlete of the Month is selected by a voting committee comprising former Alabama athletes, members of the statewide media and representatives of Alabama sports organizations. Each winner is automatically added to the Alabama Athlete of the Year ballot at the end of the calendar year.
The Alabama Athlete of the Year Award is given to an athlete beyond the high school level who was either born in, is currently playing in, or has previously participated in sports at any level within the state of Alabama.
Kobe Bryant, Lorena Ochoa Named Athletes of the Month
15 May 2008
Kobe Bryant
Lorena Ochoa
Los Angeles Lakers start Kobe Bryant and Mexican golfer Lorena Ochoa were named the United States Sports Academy's Male and Female Athletes of the Month for April.
Ochoa won April's 2008 Ginn Open to become the first LPGA player in 45 years to win in four tournaments in consecutive weeks. The week prior to winning the Ginn Open, Ochoa dominated the Corona Championship to qualify for the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame, the second-youngest player ever to qualify.
During the month of April, Bryant averaged 33.5 points per game in the Lakers' four-game sweep of the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. This included 49 points and 10 assists in Los Angeles' 122-107 win over the Nuggets in game two.
Ochoa edged out University of Tennessee All-America forward Candace Parker, winner of the 2008 Naismith College Player of the Year. Parker led the Volunteers to consecutive NCAA championship wins, helping Tennessee became the only team to win back-to-back NCAA championships twice. Parker became only the fourth player to win consecutive NCAA Tournament MVP awards.
Finishing behind Bryant was New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul, who averaged 24.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and a playoff-leading 12 assists, including 77 points and 27 assists in the first two games of the Hornets' 4-1 first-round playoff series victory over Dallas.
Finishing third in the female voting was Virginia Tech senior Angela Tincher. Tincher pitched a no-hitter in the Hokies' dramatic 1-0 victory over the United States Olympic softball team during its pre-Olympics tour. It was the first loss for Team USA in a pre-Olympics game since 1996, a span of 185 games in which Team USA outscored opponents 1,475-24. Tincher is 20-5 this season, including 3-1 in April after pitching all three wins in a sweep of Virginia.
In third place in the male voting was Trevor Immelman, who joined Gary Player as the only South Africans to win the Masters. Immelman is the first player since Steve Ballesteros in 1980 to go wire-to-wire in the Masters. Immelman finished with an 8-under-par 280 to win the 72nd Masters.
Each Academy Athlete of the Month is selected by a national voting committee comprising former athletes and members of media organizations and sport organizations and governing bodies. At the end of each year, the Athlete of the Month contest culminates in the Athlete of the Year worldwide fan vote, hosted by USATODAY.com and MSNBC.com. Winners from each month are automatically added to the Athlete of the Year ballot.
Associate's-to-Bachelor's Pact Allows Texas Students to Hone Careers at Academy
15 May 2008
The United States Sports Academy and Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) headquartered in Dallas, Texas, have signed an associate's-to-bachelor's articulation agreement allowing graduating DCCCD students to enroll at the Academy and transfer their earned credits toward the bachelor of sports science degree. DCCCD joins more than 30 other community and junior colleges nationwide having associate's-to-bachelor's relationships with the Academy.
Under the articulation agreement, the Academy will waive the application fee and transcript evaluation fee for students transferring from DCCCD. Academy degree programs are available entirely online, so students can earn the baccalaureate from home, from any DCCCD campus or from any other place. A course can be started at any time.
The Academy, known worldwide as America's Sports University, features the largest sport education program in the world. Its upper-division bachelor's degree completion program offers majors in sports coaching, sports management and sports studies.
The bachelor's completion program consists of the final 60 of 120 required semester hours. The Academy accepts between 49 and 90 semester hours of transfer credits.
For more information, please visit www.ussa.edu. To register, contact admissions@ussa.edu or call (800) 223-2668.
Celebrating its 35th anniversary, the Academy features one of the largest alumni networks in the sports profession. Thousands of students have graduated from the Academy and many have moved into the higher echelons of sport. In the ultimate compliment to the Academy, research shows that its alumni are its top source of new-student referrals.
Academy alumni include
- Iowa State University Head Basketball Coach Greg McDermott
- Texas Tech Head Football Coach Mike Leach
- Assistant General Manager of the San Antonio Spurs Dennis Lindsey
- Western Michigan University Head Basketball Coach Steve Hawkins
- ESPN Senior Director of Business Administration Linda Moore
- University of Kentucky Assistant Basketball Coach Jeremy Cox
- Texas Christian University Head Women's Basketball Coach Jeff Mittie
- Oakland Athletics' Bullpen Catcher Brandon Buckley
- University of Texas Associate Athletic Director Lynn Wheeler
- Nashville Predators Director of Hockey Operations Michael Santos
Academy President Receives Medal of Honor
12 May 2008
The United States Sports Academy announced that President and CEO Thomas P. Rosandich, Ph.D., received the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor in a ceremony Saturday 10 May 2008 on the famous island in New York Harbor.
Joining Rosandich as a medal of honor winner was fellow Alabamian Randy Owen, of the country group Alabama.
The Ellis Island Medal of Honor is presented by NECO (formerly the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations), a nonprofit founded in 1984 to showcase Americans' diversity as the source of their nation's greatness and to cultivate leadership. Since 1986 the annual medals have honored U.S. citizens of various ethnic backgrounds, in homage to the immigrant experience. Each medalist owns a remarkable résumé of personal and professional achievement benefiting others and has furthermore acted to preserve the richness of his or her family heritage. Rosandich was the child of Croatian immigrants, Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin's, only such household.
In college at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, he majored in history and physical education and starred in track and football. He was inducted into the university's Athletic Wall of Fame in 1983 and received the Maurice O. Graff Distinguished Alumnus Award from UW-La Crosse in May 1989. Each of the five colleges of UW-La Crosse awards an annual scholarship to its outstanding senior; in the College of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance and Teacher Education, the award is named for Rosandich.
After college, Rosandich became an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. During his tour, he also fulfilled such assignments as All-Marine Track and Field coach and All-Service coach for the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia. At the time, most athletes on the U.S. Olympic track and field team came from the armed forces. Rosandich founded the Marine Corps Relays and later was appointed to the State Department's "Ambassadors of Sport" program, through which he coached athletes in some 50 nations. In the early 1960s Rosandich was directly responsible for bringing the Peace Corps (which he turned into the Sport Corps) to Indonesia. Around the same time he founded what is now called the South East Asia (SEA) Games. For his contributions to track and field, Rosandich was inducted in the Helms Hall of Fame in 1972.
During his tour with the State Department, Rosandich