Recent Guest Speakers and Panelists

Dr. Sarah Carson

Professor of Kinesiology, James Madison University

Dr. Sarah Carson is a Professor of Kinesiology and the Coordinator of the Coaching Education Minor Program at James Madison University. Sarah received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Hartwick College in 2001, her Master’s degree in Exercise and Sport Science from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, in 2003 and her Ph.D. in Kinesiology from Michigan State University, in 2010. While completing her studies, Dr. Carson served as a sport psychology consultant for community athletes and collegiate teams and has provided coaching and athlete leadership clinics with the Michigan High School Athletic Association. Sarah was an instructor in the sport psychology and coaching education programs at Georgia Southern University before coming to teach in the undergraduate kinesiology and coaching education programs at JMU in 2010. Dr. Carson’s research interests include positive youth development through sport, coaching strategies for developing life skills in youth athletes, and current issues in youth sport and coaching.

Seth Eilberg

Director of Athletics, The Hill School (PA)

Seth Eilberg has worked in independent school and higher education for the past 16 years, experiencing first-hand all the different angles of the college recruiting process. First, he worked for two years as a math teacher, basketball, and tennis coach at the Millbrook School in New York. From there he served as the Asst. Men's Basketball Coach and chief recruiter at Tufts University, and in 2001 graduated with an M. Ed. from Tufts. This past year Seth finished his first year as Director of Athletics at The Hill School. Over the past 11 years, he served in several capacities at Hill including college adviser for five years, postgraduate coordinator, Varsity Boys' Lacrosse Assistant Coach, and throughout as the Head Boys' Basketball Coach. Over 25 of his basketball players have gone on to play collegiately, in alll three Divisions of the NCAA, and several professionally overseas. He also serves as a dorm parent in Foster dormitory, where he lives with his wife, Donna; son, Graham; and daughters, Sadie, Gracie, and Lucia. A 1996 graduate of Haverford College where he played Mens' Basketball, Seth also worked as the Basketball Director for SportsChallenge in its inaugural session in 1997.

Dr. Courtney Gaine

Nutrition Science and Communications Consultant, FoodMinds, LLC.

Courtney Gaine graduated from Walt Whitman High in Bethesda, Md., in 1995 where she played basketball, field hockey and soccer. She was a four-year varsity standout in basketball, named all-county three times, first-team all-Met twice and once a first-team all-stater and USA Today's honorable mention All-American. As a senior, Whitman won the 4A state championship. Courtney continued her basketball career at the University of Connecticut where she was a four-time All- Big East Academic All-Star and co-captain of the 1998-1999 team. All four teams she played for were ranked No. 1 in the nation at some point during each season and were four-time time Big East Champions. As a freshman, Gaine was also a member of a Final Four team that lost to Tennessee in the national semifinals. She graduated from UConn with a B.S. is dietetics and continued on to receive her Ph.D in Nutrition from her alma mater. She was an Assistant Professor of Bioenergetics at East Caroline State University, but is currently a Nutrition Science and Communications Consultant at the nutrition company FoodMinds, LLC. Courtney came and spoke to student-athletes at the 2011 SportsChallenge Summer Academy.

Jeaney Garcia

Athletic Director, Punahou School (HI)

Eric Mitchell

Co-Owner Parisi Speed School

Ruben Nieves

Director of Training, Positive Coaching Alliance

Ruben is responsible for overseeing the recruitment, training, and evaluation of PCA’s trainers. He also oversees the evaluation of PCA’s impact on YSOs, coaches, parents and athletes.

Ruben earned his Masters Degree in Education from Stanford University in 1982. He coached collegiate volleyball for 18 years including stints as the Head Men’s Coach at Stanford and the Head Women’s Coach at Fresno State. Ruben was twice named NCAA Men's Volleyball Coach of the Year, in 1992 and 1997. He guided Stanford to the Cardinal’s only men’s volleyball NCAA championship in 1997.

Ruben also has extensive experience and success in international volleyball. He spent the summer of 2001 as Head Coach of the USA Men's Volleyball World University Games Team which captured the Gold Medal in Beijing, China, thus becoming the first and only American squad in history to accomplish this feat. Ruben was also an advisory staff member for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Volleyball Team. In 1995, he was Head Coach of the USA Boys Youth National Team that competed in the World Championships in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In addition, Ruben has taught physical education for seven years at all levels K-12.

Ruben has worked with Positive Coaching Alliance since 2001 and has presented over 150 PCA workshops.