#150daysofimpact

Every year IUPUI’s student athletes nominate and recognize their favorite professors at basketball games in February.  22 PETM faculty members were recognized this month for their impact on student athletes.

Charles Woods’ love of kids made becoming a teacher a no-brainer.

“Being paid to educate kids and have fun really appealed to me,” says Charles, a 2004 graduate of PETM’s physical education teacher education program. “I wanted to be a PE teacher because it gave me the chance to touch the life of every kid who walked into my school.”

While teaching came naturally, Charles, a physical education teacher in Warren Township Schools for eight years before landing his first job as dean, admits he never dreamed of a career in school administration. But things change, including his perception of what it means to be a school leader.

“Along the way there were mentors who helped me understand that I could have a greater impact and touch more lives if I moved into administration,” Charles says. “What I valued from teaching was the relationship with students and families, and I soon learned I could have that – and more – being an administrator.”

Today, as principal of Brookview Elementary in Warren Township, Charles makes a point to know every one of the 609 children in his school and their parents as well. With nearly 70 percent of its families living in poverty and many students at risk, Brookview was a school “in need of a turnaround” when Charles became principal in 2014. Living and working by the motto, “people by day, paperwork by night,” Charles has successfully worked with teachers to improve the school's letter grade and staff to raise the school’s third-grade reading tests scores from last place to number two in the district. School suspensions have dropped from 115 when he arrived to just 21 this year. Referrals to the principal’s office have also dramatically decreased.

“I want to show my students that making something positive out of their lives is possible, regardless of what the mainstream tells you,” Charles says. “It’s important for them to know that no matter what it looks like now, it can always get better as long as you’re willing to put in the hard work. I want them to know that I wholeheartedly believe in our motto of each child each day a success with all my being!”

Arthur Scott wants to help veterans get healthy. The U.S. Air Force veteran found his way to PETM after struggles with his own health and learning that many vets are working to lose weight and get physically active in civilian life.  After making life changes and losing 60 pounds, Arthur knew he wanted to share the benefits of exercise, eating well, and healthy choice with other veterans so he transferred to IUPUI to major in fitness management and personal training.

Now a senior, Arthur is working an externship at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center teaching veterans about physical activity in a pilot program called BAM (Be Active and Move), which is part of the MOVE! Weigh Management Program.  

“There are a lot of overweight veterans that struggle with medical issue like chronic pain, chronic disease, and other things.  My goal is to help veterans to get physically active at least to the standard recommendations and help overcome their health concerns,” Arthur says.

This will not only impact the veterans, but the VA and the community, resulting in fewer doctor’s visits, a reduction in medication use, and fewer surgeries. If BAM is successful, the program could become a vital part of the MOVE program.

Arthur credits the experiential learning of the PETM program with giving him the confidence to work with his clients and lead group classes.  He also thanks that staff and faculty for challenging him as well as providing the tools he needs to succeed.

On a more personal level, the PETM community has served as a support system for Arthur and his family over the past two years.  His daughter was born 11 weeks premature with a rare condition, requiring her to stay at Riley Hospital for Children for the first 8 months of her life. With the understanding of his professors, Arthur was able to continue going to school full-time, working around appointments and unexpected emergencies.  

Seven years ago, Daniel Tennessen and a few other athletic directors from local charter schools met in a McDonald's to discuss getting some students together to play basketball. As the conversation turned from basketball to cross country and then track, their excitement grew along with their plans.

“We’re now up to 13 schools in our athletic conference and every year 1,500 to 2,000 kids have an opportunity to play sports and compete against one another in a safe, fun, productive environment,” says Daniel, who teaches physical education and directs athletics at Avondale Meadows Academy on Indianapolis’ east side. “For so many of our kids, it’s an opportunity they otherwise wouldn’t have.”

Daniel, a 2007 graduate of IU PETM’s physical education/teacher education program, is in his eighth year at Avondale, a school where 80 percent of the students receive free or reduced lunch and many live in at-risk environments. He says the charter schools’ extracurricular athletic program, which now sponsors six sports for boys and girls, is a way to reinforce important life lessons and give students a positive outlet to build confidence and self-esteem.

“I want my students to be active their whole lives and the best way to do that is to get them involved in something they enjoy – and maybe find a hidden talent they didn’t know they had,” says Daniel. “There are some kids who just really come alive when it’s their sports season.”

Helping to run a multi-school athletic conference – in addition to teaching six hours of physical education classes every day – is no small task, requiring Daniel to spend lunch hours and prep periods sending emails and recruiting coaches. And while the work often continues at home in the evening and during the summer, Daniel says it’s definitely worth it.

“No matter what happens I can look back on this and say that I was able to help introduce kids to opportunities they might not otherwise have, and I’m incredibly proud of that.”

The William M. Plater Civic Engagement Medallion recognizes graduating seniors who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the community. With the extensive focus on community engagement throughout the curriculum, PETM students are an excellent match. Honored at the annual IUPUI Robert G. Bringle Civic Engagement Showcase, recipients also receive a medallion to wear at commencement activities.

Akash Khanna, Director of Marketing for Jagathon this year, Chancellor Paydar, and Darrell Pirtle 

Darrell Pirtle, 2016 PETM graduate, enjoyed recognition last year as a Plater Medallion recipient. He shares his community involvement story.

What impact have you made on IUPUI and your community?

I was part of Jagathon: IUPUI’s Dance Marathon, helping students realize the power of a campus united behind a single cause. The dance marathon raises money for pediatric research at Riley Hospital for Children. I served as the president in my final year. 2016 was the most successful year in fundraising and participation for Jagathon; but I couldn’t be more proud to see that this year (2017) they’ve worked hard to blow away both numbers! I was also a First Year Seminar mentor in my time at IUPUI. My goal was always to help students find their place on campus, and it has been fun to watch all the students I met grow, with some preparing to graduate this year.

Darrell with Nina Pirtle, grandmother Fredlo Turientine, and dad Darrell Pirtle Sr.

How did PETM support your Plater Medallion application?

I loved that the PETM community was supportive of the things that I was involved in. Being a PETM student built a network that helped us secure sponsorships and a venue for our event that may not have come to fruition or would have taken longer to work out.

What does it mean to you to be a Plater Medallion recipient?

Being a Plater Medallion recipient was definitely one of the coolest things that happened to me at IUPUI. There is such a broad spectrum of activities you can partake in to make a difference. Recipients are highlighted at the ceremony, and I found myself repeatedly thinking “I didn’t know that existed but it sounds like an amazing thing to be a part of.” IUPUI is such a diverse community of doers and I think the Plater Medallion is a great way to highlight that.

Darrell provides advice to current applicants, “Let your passion guide you through the application and know that what you contributed to the IUPUI community mattered. Good luck to all who apply - with the breadth of volunteer opportunities afforded to PETM students and the excellent faculty and community we have, the Plater Medallion should be something one of our students brings back every year!

PETM has a history of Plater Medallion Recipients and is proud of their dedication to the community.

2016 recipients:

Darrell Pirtle, Exercise Science major

Scott Kirisits, Sports Management major

2014 recipients:

Joy DeBaun, Physical Education Teacher Education major

Mitch Sermersheim, Exercise Science major

Ask any senior or graduate looking for work in the field of sports management, there are no shortage of job listings in sales departments. In fact, 53% of all jobs in the sports industry require sales skills.  Despite this, there has never been a textbook that supports teaching the sports sales process…until now.

Dr. David Pierce has just received the first copies of his textbook, “Selling in the Sports Industry.” Written alongside co-authors Nels K. Popp and Chad D. McEvoy, two other researchers and professors in the field, this textbook is poised to legitimize and expand the academic reach of sports sales.

As a new faculty member at Ball State University in 2007, David was tasked with developing a new sales course for the sport administration program.  He created the course utilizing general sales and promotions textbooks but identified a real need for sport-specific content. 

He spent the intervening years tweaking and reworking his course, as well as doing research on sport selling.  The industry continued to ask for these skills in their new hires, and since no textbook had been released or announced, David decided to write one himself.

In an act of serendipity, he received a call from Kendall Hunt Publishing Company shortly after. With the publisher in place, and his co-authors on board, David began writing. 

Two years later, the book is sitting on his desk, ready to roll out to sport management programs throughout the country.  

Ultimately, David hopes this book will spur the creation of more sports sales courses.  “There are only about 100 programs teaching sport selling today – and that’s a high estimate.  Now that there’s a book, an academic resource to guide them, I hope that more faculty will be comfortable proposing courses in this area.” 

When Kenyari Keith made the decision to pursue a master’s degree in event tourism, she was no stranger to PETM. Her mother, Dr. NiCole Keith, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology, would bring her to campus when she was a child. Kenyari credits PETM with helping her to cultivate her interests and turn them into a career.

In addition to her courses, Kenyari works as a graduate assistant (GA) for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, assisting with the planning and execution of conferences and special events. Kenyari learned of the opportunity from Dr. Amanda Cecil, and it was one of the best experiences and decisions she has ever made. Currently, she is the lead planner for the Annual Best Places to Work in Indiana dinner, which will be hosted on May 2, 2017. The dinner is one of the premier business events of the year, celebrating the 100 best companies to work for in Indiana.

In the 24 years since graduating, Jerry Shadbolt has continually drawn on his PETM education, incorporating what he learned in the classroom with the life skills developed through networking, service learning, and field experience.

Jerry’s first experience with athletic training came as a teen at tennis camp, and by the time he started at IUPUI, he was hooked. His experience in PETM and on the IUPUI tennis team provided him with the structure he needed to turn around a rocky start and excel as a student and athlete.

 Post-IUPUI, Jerry continued his education at in the Athletic Training program at Clemson University, then took a position in a private physical therapy clinic.  After a few years, he was approached by Erskine College to develop their Athletic Training Education Program.  Despite having no experience in higher education, he took the leap and created the nationally accredited program.

In 2003, another new leadership opportunity presented itself, and Jerry entered hospital administration.  Over the last 14 years and through two healthcare systems, he has continued to focus his energy on building leadership skills for himself and the teams he oversees. 

Currently, Jerry is the Executive Director of the Orthopedics Service Line and Outpatient Rehab at Northeast Georgia Medical Center. He is responsible for seven outpatient rehabilitation facilities, Lean implementation in the outpatient rehabilitation locations, directing the Orthopedics Service Line between the hospital system and three orthopedic physician practices, as well as various other projects and committees.

This position is very different from his original goal to be an athletic trainer for a NCAA Division I basketball program, but Jerry has no regrets, saying, “Emotional stability and consistent decision-making have been keys to my success.  Both of these require discipline and work, skills I first learned at IUPUI.  I refer to these elements as life skills and often share this statement with others: Job skills rise no higher than life skills.  Life skills, in combination with job skills, take people to the next levels.  Not job skills alone.”

He credits PETM with helping him develop as a person and a leader. “The School of PETM not only provided a quality education, it provided me the opportunity to meet life-long friends; exposure to faculty that demonstrated the importance of not only academics, but also the importance of life skills and multiple learning and networking opportunities within my field of study.”