SPIRE Academy Introduces House Parents for the 2020-21 School Year
SPIRE Academy is proud to introduce its House Parents for the 2020-21 school year. These individuals will be responsible for building a supportive community among the student athletes in each residence, creating a safe and healthy environment, and offering both academic and emotional guidance when needed.
GENEVA, Ohio, Sept. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Among the teachers, coaches, and administrators welcoming the student athletes who returned to SPIRE Academy last weekend was a high profile team of House parents whose job it will be to encourage, support and mentor them throughout the upcoming school year.
All former high-performing student athletes themselves, SPIRE's House parents were carefully selected for their experience and expertise in supporting and mentoring student athletes through a variety of potential challenges and opportunities. House parents are responsible for building a supportive community among the student athletes in each residence, creating a safe and healthy environment, and offering both academic and emotional guidance when needed.
"Our House parents are an important and integral part of the overall experience for our student athletes," said SPIRE's Co-managing Director Rich O'Dell, "and as such, we concentrate a significant effort in our hiring for each of these very important and key positions. The goal is to hire mature, responsible, kind and caring individuals to make the living experience for each of our athletes a positive and memorable one. I believe the team of House parents we have assembled for this school year checks all those boxes—and then some."
Among SPIRE's House parents for the 2020-21 school year are:
Reed Scale practiced, travelled and competed in NCAA Division 1 pole vaulting up to 20 hours per week while carrying a full course load at UCLA. He has coached and trained young people from 8-18 years of age in all areas of track and field and provided guidance to students and their parents on the transition from high school to collegiate athletics. In his spare time, Reed enjoys cooking, computers, camping and off-roading.
Tristan Slater interned as a strength and conditioning intern while earning his Bachelor of Science in Education with a Major in Recreation and Sports Management from the University of Tennessee. His coaching experience includes internships as an assistant pole vault coach with the Capital City Striders and as a Cross Country intern with Knoxville Youth Athletics. Tristan is a soccer referee, a volunteer with Special Olympics, and is certified in first aid and CPR.
Jeffrey Gonzalez was head/assistant coach of the Women's club basketball team, intramural referee, and manager of the Men's basketball team at Kent State University. An intern at the prestigious Disney/FOX program in Los Angeles, CA, Jeffrey served as the president of Kent State's Sport Event Recreational Management Association, a member of the university's provost leadership academy, and a facility and operations volunteer.
Emily Presley earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion & Wellness from Missouri Southern State University (MSSU). She competed at the highest levels during all four years at MSSU, earning the university's Female Athlete of the Year and the Track & Field Team's MVP in 2017 and 2018. Emily was also a member of MSSU's kinesiology club, worked as a Wellness Director intern, and assisted rec center patrons with their exercise regimens.
Frances Bull was a Varsity track and field athlete at Penn State University where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. She managed 35+ hours per week in athletics against a full-time course load each semester, developing excellent time management skills. She has worked with other SPIRE faculty to offer mental skills training to student athletes before accepting a position as a qualified mental health specialist for Signature Health in Mentor, OH.
Cory Morrow earned his Bachelor's degree in Physical Education in the fall of 2016 from the University of Akron. A four-year letter winner at Geneva High School, Cory played running back and wide receiver, cross training in track & field and basketball. He was assistant football coach at Perry High School and currently works as SPIRE's Performance Coach and Facility Manager. Cory is a highly motivated and organized professional who succeeds in motivating and leading others. He is passionate about sports, and thrives on helping others achieve their full potential.
"House parents at a boarding school like SPIRE are the institutional glue," said SPIRE's Managing Director Rich O'Dell. "They are trained to listen, understand and help find solutions to the opportunities and obstacles of growing up."
SOURCE SPIRE Institute and Academy (IA)
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