January 2023
Message from the Coordinator
The spring semester is underway and we are excited about exciting times in our program.
We are offering a free online strength and conditioning clinic in partnership with the Minority Coaches Association of Georgia on Jan. 19 at 7pm. More info is on the flyer and later in the newsletter.
One undergraduate class we offer in the spring semester is Principles of Officiating to encourage a train students in officiating sports of their choice. Please encourage your players to consider officaiting after their playing career!
Congrats to faculty member Dr. Jody Langdon who earned two prestigious honors at the recent National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education (NAKHE) Annual Conference: NAKHE Distinguished Scholar and NAKHE Fellow. Come learn from some of the best faculty in the nation! Apply today.
Press on,
Coach Hal Wilson, PhD
Cam Jones ('19M) Duluth (GA) High School, Head Football Coach was named to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA 35 Under 35 Leadership Institute. The program is designed to identify and develop high-level future leaders in the football coaching professions. Those selected participate in a clinic that emphasizes leadership, ethics, influential responsibilities, career progression and family balance.
Joshua Moore ('19M) B.E.S.T (GA) Academy, Athletic Director & Head Football Coach was named the GHSA 2022-23 Region 6 AA Athletic Director of the Year.
Did we miss someone? Please submit your alumni/current student coaching news here!
Our Coaching Education programs prepare coaches for opportunities at every level of play. In fact, our graduates have coached at the youth, scholastic, collegiate, and professional levels. We are always evaluating our curriculum to make sure we are preparing career ready graduates. Below is one recent example of a real-world coaching opportunity our graduates might pursue:
WYNT Head Coach (U-19) - U.S. Soccer Federation (Chicago · IL)
"Reporting directly to the WNT General Manager, the WYNT Head Coach will be responsible for educating, equipping, and developing our top talents through age-appropriate, skill-building approaches with the goal of grooming players to play for our Senior National Teams. This role requires the implementation of coaching expertise, excellent in-person and remote communication skills, and collaboration with peers in identifying, selecting, developing, and transitioning talents through the pathway."
We have launched a new Coaching Job Board- especially for local coaching jobs in Georgia.
Want to FIND a coaching job? Click here or https://tinyurl.com/GSCoachEdJobBoard
Want to POST a coaching job? Submit your coaching job opening here or https://tinyurl.com/GSCoachEdJobs
Recent postings:
Portal Middle High School
Strong Rock Christian School
Southeast Bulloch High School
Johnson High School
Jefferson High School
Dr. Drew Zwald founded our current Coachign Education program.
Dr. Drew Zwald is a professor and the former Director of the Physical Activity Program in the Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology at Georgia Southern University. He also is the past president of the National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education. His previous academic appointment was at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was the Director of the Physical Education Activity Program in the Department of Physical Education, Exercise and Sport Science. He received his Ph.D. from Ohio University in Higher Education Administration. He also holds a M.S. from Ohio University in Physical Education and a B.S. from the College of William and Mary in Health, Physical Education and Recreation. His teaching and research focuses on administration, pedagogy and coaching education. He has published articles, book chapters and manuals, awarded grants and presented over 100 research papers at international, national, regional or state conferences. He has trained, evaluated, supervised and supported over 800 graduate assistants and faculty teaching physical activity classes. In 1988, under his direction, the Physical Education Activity Program at the University of North Carolina was recognized by AAHPERD and NASPE as one of the Most Successful Physical Education Basic Instructional Programs in the United States. Under his direction Georgia Southern University was recognized by the National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education as one of two universities in the United States to offer a graduate and undergraduate accredited coaching education program. He taught health and physical education in the public schools for eight years and coached various sports for thirteen years at the interscholastic and collegiate levels. He was recognized by the United States Tennis Association as a member of the USA Tennis All-American Team and selected for the 2003 USA Team Tennis Adult Volunteer Award. His professional affiliations include the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education, National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education, United States Center for Coaching Excellence and the Georgia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Drew and his wife, Robin, enjoy visiting their three children and six grandchildren, exercising, traveling, golfing, hiking and relaxing at the coast. He currently teaches KINS 7430 Adminsitrative Issues in Coaching, KINS 7434 Current Issues in Coaching, & KINS 7730 Coaching Practicum in our fully online master's program. KINS 7430 is profiled below.
KINS 7430 Administrative Issues in Coaching
This three-credit course in our master's program. The catalog description states: "Provides the student with the opportunity to study philosophy, principles and procedures in administering an athletic team or program."
Dr. Drew Zwald currently teaches the course and described it this way:
"KINS 7430 helps prepare coaches for many off-the-field responsibilities such as idenitfying characteriscitcs and abilities their athletes need in their specific sport(s); creating, conducting, and debriefing athlete evaluations; establishing job descriptions for assistants, support staff, and team captains; fundraising, and much more."
"Some of the things that I think are very beneficial about this program are it's online so it's very flexible with your schedule. But also, too, I think it gives you a better understanding of a lot of different things that maybe you don't really think about while you're coaching. It gives you a better understanding about injury prevention. It gives you a better understanding on team dynamics. It gives you a better understanding on just coaching issues. So, I think for me, I think when looking at a lot of the different things within this program, me being a young coach, it gave me a better insight and I feel like I was a lot more prepared for once I do end up getting a head coaching job."
-Aaron Bunton ('20M)
East Jackson Comprehensive High School & East Jackson Middle School
Commerce, GA
Free event in partnership with the Minority Coaches Association of Georgia (MCAofGA).
WHO: Any coach, any level
WHAT: Online Strength & Conditioning Coaching Clinic
WHEN: Thurs. Jan. 19, 2023, 7:00-8:30pm eastern
WHERE: Zoom
COST: FREE
SPEAKERS & TOPICS: Clinic speakers are subject to change
SaJason Finley, M.S., SCCC, USAW-II, RPR-I, FMS, PN-I
Role: Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Central Phenix-City HS and former DI Head Strength Coach
Topic: 4 Pillars Mindset, Movement, Nutrition, Recovery
Bridget Melton, Ed.D., CSCS*D, TSAC-F*D, CEP, cPT, FMS 2
Role: Professor at Georgia Southern
Topic: Concepts of Improving Upper Body Mobility
Joseph Myricks, M.Ed, USAW Level 1
Role: Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Alexander High School
Topic: Do The Most: Maximizing Time and Space with YOUR Resources
Jeff Ward, MS, CSCS, USAW, FRCms
Role: Visiting Instructor and former DI Director of Strength & Conditioning
Topic: Building a Nutrition Operation on a Budget
REGISTER: https://forms.gle/WAzijkF4qMmxcdCC6
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Co-Editors: Mikayla Ellison & Charles "Hal" Wilson, Jr.