Annual Symposium Features the Olympics and Lessons Learned

by Elliott Coffman '18
Mar. 1, 2018

Colby-Sawyer College will host its 26th Annual Exercise and Sport Sciences & Athletics Symposium, “The Olympics: Lessons Learned from Working with Elite Athletes and Teams,” on Monday, March 5, in Wheeler Hall at the Ware Student Center from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The symposium will feature presentations by industry experts on sport psychology, athletic training, and sport management, followed by a question and answer session and lunch. The free event is open to the public but reservations are required; lunch with presenters and faculty following the symposium is available for $7.09 in the dining hall. For more information and reservations, contact Academic Administrative Assistant Terri Hermann at (603) 526-3616 or thermann@colby-sawyer.edu.

“The Exercise and Sport Sciences & Athletics Symposium brings members of the Colby-Sawyer and regional community together to shares ideas, experience and research from the world of sport and performance,” said event organizer Theodore Smith, assistant professor of Exercise and Sport Sciences and director of the Athletic Training Education Program. “We are very fortunate to have Melissa Weymouth, Bill Ito and Dr. Adam Naylor to share their expertise and to facilitate this year’s discussion.”

2018 Speakers

Adam Naylor

The first session, “The Mental Game of Preparing and Performing on the Olympic Stage,” begins at 8:40 a.m. with Adam Naylor, Ed.D., CMPC, whose current clients include U.S. Open competitors, Stanley Cup champions, Olympic/International medalists, NCAA champions and UFC martial artists. Dr. Naylor also works as the mental game coach for the Bay and Nashawtuc Country Clubs in Massachusetts; is coach educator for USA Hockey and Associate Director of Mental Training for the Junior Sports Corporation. He also maintains a role in the Institute for Rowing Leadership. Alongside his dedicated work as a coach and counsellor, Dr. Naylor teaches at Boston University, where he earned his doctorate and master’s degrees in behavioral psychology and developmental studies.

Bill Ito

At 9:50 a.m, Bill Ito will present “Rio 2016: My Journey to the Olympic Games.” Ito worked as head and assistant athletic trainer for the International Association of Athletics Federations from 2006 to 2016. He has also served USA Track and Field as medical director of the National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nev., which draws about 3,000 attendees. Ito is known in the industry as one of the best at teaching the skills and techniques involved in pole vaulting. In 2016, Ito went to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, as assistant athletic trainer for the U.S. Olympic team, which brought home bronze in pole vaulting. Ito is a graduate of Azusa Pacific University. He is Head Athletic Trainer at Mt. San Antonio College for the men’s and women’s soccer, cross country, golf, and track and field teams.

Melissa Weymouth ’00

At 11 a.m., alumna Melissa Weymouth, M.S., will present “Path to the Podium.” Weymouth is the director of Beach and National Team Events and Sponsorship with USA Volleyball in Colorado Springs, Colo. She plans and executes new ways to market USA Volleyball, facilitates the transportation and care for the team and its competitors, and is responsible for all sponsor contract execution and deliverables. A sport management major at Colby-Sawyer, Weymouth was a three-time letter winner on the Chargers’ volleyball team. She earned a master’s degree from the University of Connecticut and joined USA Volleyball in 2002.