Armand Whitt is a 2022 graduate of Baldwin Wallace University and currently serves as a graduate assistant in the Center for Coaching Excellence, an assistant coach with the BW men’s soccer team, an assistant coach with the St. Edward High School boys soccer team in Cleveland, and as a trainer for Team Challenger FC South.

In this episode, Armand shares his journey from a small town in Alabama to Northeast Ohio, some lessons learned along the way, his strategies for coaching players, and some ideas he has for the future.

What’s the Score? is brought to you by the Center for Coaching Excellence at Baldwin Wallace University.

Janet Kassoff is a senior program manager with The 2nd & 7 Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Columbus.

Started in 1999 by former Ohio State football players Luke Fickell, Ryan Miller and Mike Vrabel, the foundation continues to make a difference by promoting literacy and providing positive role models for children across the nation through its Tackling Illiteracy reading program, which encourages second graders to read in classrooms all over the country and provides each of those children with a visit from a positive role model and a new book to take home. The foundation targets schools with economically disadvantaged students and communities where it can make the biggest impact.

In this episode, Janet talks about the impact and growth of 2nd & 7, the foundation’s Hog Mollies book series, and the partnership with Baldwin Wallace’s student-athletes to take the reading program into area schools. Learn more about 2nd & 7 at their website (www.secondandseven.com), or by following them on social media at Twitter (@secondandseven), Facebook (The2ndand7Foundation) or Instagram (@secondandseven)

In addition, co-host Kerry Bebie from the Center for Coaching Excellence shares information about a student-led book drive taking place on the Baldwin Wallace campus through November 12 as part of National Family Literacy Month.

What’s the Score? is brought to you by the Center for Coaching Excellence at Baldwin Wallace University.

Dr. Don Parker is an energetic, humorous, and passionate speaker. He is one of the nation’s most sought-after speakers as he appears all over the country inspiring teachers to build positive relationships with their students and charging principals and school administrators to build and maintain a strong culture of learning at their school. 

In this episode, Dr. Parker shares his career path, tools and tips that educators can use to meet the academic and social emotional needs of each student, and success stories from his time as an educator. Learn more about Dr. Parker’s work on his website at drdonparker.com, and follow him on Twitter at @DrDonParker1 or Facebook at DrDonParker.

What’s the Score? is brought to you by the Center for Coaching Excellence at Baldwin Wallace University.

Steve Ellison is president of the Ohio-based Minority Athletic Directors Association. In this episode, Steve shares stories about his career path, the formation and growth of MADA, and some of the challenges and opportunities facing athletic directors. 

The Minority Athletic Directors Association, which was founded in 2013, is a group of men and women that serve as mentors who share information and strategies to facilitate success in high school athletic administration. When the association was created, there were approximately 400-500 athletic directors regionally, and few were either minorities or women. MADA decided to be a catalyst, bringing this community of professionals into the next generation of inclusion and innovation.

The association currently has 21 athletic directors as active members, representing 13 different local schools. The group also recruits veteran athletic directors as well as aspiring athletic directors to create a comprehensive mentorship network. Learn more at their website (madaohio.com).

In addition to his role with MADA, Steve serves as athletic director at Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy. 

What’s the Score? is brought to you by the Center for Coaching Excellence at Baldwin Wallace University.

Steve Thompson is entering his second season as Director of Athletics at Baldwin Wallace University. In this episode, Steve shares stories about his career path as a college athletic administrator, how sports develop great leaders, the lessons he has picked up from coaches along the way, and more.

Steve joined BW after serving three years as Director of Athletics at Bethany (W.Va.) College, where he led and oversaw the daily operations of the Bisons’ 21 intercollegiate athletic sports teams as well as created a new alumni engagement strategy.

Prior to Bethany, Steve was the Director of Athletics at Eureka (Ill.) College for four years and was the head women’s basketball coach for three years. In his career he has also served as Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities and Operations at Kent State University, and in the same role for Case Western Reserve University.

Follow Baldwin Wallace’s athletic teams on Twitter at @bwathletics, on Facebook at Baldwin Wallace Athletics, or on Instagram at bw_athletics.

What’s the Score? is brought to you by the Center for Coaching Excellence at Baldwin Wallace University.

Welcome to What’s the Score – a monthly podcast from the Center for Coaching Excellence at Baldwin Wallace University. Episodes will feature interviews with coaches, administrators and other professionals who share their experiences and expertise on how to achieve your personal and professional best.

In this debut episode, co-hosts Tom and Kerry discuss the creation of the Center for Coaching Excellence, the local and international programming offered, and how coaching transcends sports.

Dr. Kerry Bebie serves as the area program coordinator for the physical activity and recreation administration major at Baldwin Wallace and is the director of the Center for Coaching Excellence. (Learn more about Kerry here.)

With the goal of championing the success of athletic coaches and student-athletes of all ages, the Center for Coaching Excellence provides education, training and support to help individuals achieve their personal and professional best.

Housed in Baldwin Wallace’s Department of Allied Health, Sport and Wellness, the Center offers opportunities for collaborative research, workshops, partnerships, training and activities that focus on coaching and player development, along with issues and trends that impact sports and society today.

Learn more about the Center for Coaching Excellence online or by following the center on Twitter at @center_bw.

Brought to you by the Baldwin Wallace Center for Coaching Excellence.