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Recent News
Social Justice through Sport and Exercise Psychology
Springfield College hosted the Social Justice through Sport and Exercise Psychology (SJSEP) symposium from March 23rd-25th. SJSEP brought together over 50 researchers and practitioners in sport and exercise psychology (and other related disciplines) from across the country whose work focuses on social justice and praxis, marginalized communities, participants lacking scholarly attention, or that fall outside the positivist mainstream of sport psychology. Dr. Stephany Coakley senior associate athletic director for mental health, wellness, and performance at Temple University provided the keynote address and Dr. Laurel Davis-Delano, Professor Sociology at Springfield College provided an invited lecture. Multiple faculty, current doctoral students, and alums of the Springfield College Sport and Exercise Psychology program presented their scholarship during the three-day event.
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Springfield College Host the National Strength and Conditioning Association State Clinic
Springfield College hosted the 2023 state clinic on March 25th on campus for over 200 students, coaches, trainers, and therapists. With the support of our undergraduate applied exercise science and graduate strength and conditioning programs, the high-performance strength and conditioning clinic featured 12 speakers including 3 Springfield College alums (Michael Boyle, Dr. Michelle Boland, and Aysia Shellmire) along with seven graduate strength and conditioning students who presented on the state level for the first time.
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Nefertiti A. Walker, PhD gives the 2022 Karpovich Lecture Titled: Building Inclusive Sport Culture through the Study of Sport Exclusion
Dr. Walker shared how her research on organizational exclusion in sport has provided the foundation for re-designing organizations to be inclusive. Her methods, which are fundamentally intersectional and adhere to critical theoretical approaches, have guided her towards an equity-minded, intersectional approach to inclusive organizational design in sport and beyond.
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The Wellness Institute Oura Ring Research Study
The Wellness Institute (TWI) at Springfield College is a new initiative formed by the college with the goal of promoting lifelong wellness throughout the college community, local surrounding community, and beyond. The goal of TWI is to provide a holistic approach to wellness through maximizing one’s inner motivation toward a more fulfilling and rewarding life while focusing on the four pillars of movement, mindset, nutrition, and restoration. This academic year, TWI has directed its focus towards promoting wellness on the Springfield College campus, specifically within the realm of employee wellness. In the Fall of 2022, a new campus-wide research study was launched to promote and analyze employee health using wearable technology. Over 100 full-time employees on the Springfield College campus are currently wearing personalized Oura rings, which provide them with insight into their daily activity, sleep, and readiness. The Oura ring tracks 32 metrics ranging from heart rate variability and body temperature to amount of deep sleep accrued each night. By participating in the research study, each participant has received a customized sized ring and 24/7 access to the app with their real-time metrics. Through an additional platform, the research team is also able to track all of the participants metrics anonymously. The goal of the research study is to analyze the overall health and wellness of the college campus. TWI will be analyzing metrics relative to age, gender, and position in reference to different times in the academic calendar. Understanding these constructs of the employee population will help inform future wellness initiatives and college-wide support for Springfield College employees. Following the conclusion of data collection at the end of 2023, data will be analyzed, informed wellness initiatives will be generated, and the findings will be distributed to the college community.
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Athletic Training Host the Charles J. Redmond Distinguished Athletic Training Alumni Lecture
The Charles J. Redmond Distinguished Athletic Training Alumni Lecture series highlights distinguished alumni who have promoted, enhanced, and advanced the profession of athletic training through their diligent work as athletic trainers, educators, and administrators. This year’s lecture coincides with the 50th anniversary of Title IX and recognizes Springfield College Athletic Training alumnae who have broken through the “glass ceiling” in athletic training.
The panelists responded to a series of questions crowdsourced from Springfield College students, staff, and faculty. The event will be moderated by Sue Guyer, DPE, dean of the School of Physical Education, Performance, and Sport Leadership.
Katie Delude ’11, Head Athletic Trainer, Northeastern University, Boston, Mass.; Kristin Farrell ’06, Director of Manual Therapy/Assistant Athletic Trainer, Utah Jazz National Basketball Association Franchise, Salt Lake City, Utah; LaToya Franklin ’07, Injury Prevention Specialist, Amazon-CLT4, Charlotte, North Carolina; Amanda Kelley ’10, Associate Head Athletic Trainer, The College of The Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass., Staff Athletic Trainer, Team USA Women’s’ Hockey, Lake Placid, N.Y.
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Sports Management Professor Oliver Rick Published New Textbook
Oliver Rick, Assistant Professor of Sport Management and Recreation publication of his latest book Global Sports and Contemporary China: Sport Policy, International Relations and New Class Identities in the People’s Republic, in collaboration with Dr. Longxi ‘Jack’ Li (G’22). The book is a cultural examination of the intersections of sport, politics and global perspectives in China; commiserate with the typical courses he teaches in the sport management major. Oliver has become the department sport social science expert, both as a traditional scholarly publication and through his podcast series Somatics, where he and colleagues explore the various intersections of sport, social issues and culture.
