Through the Peak Performance program, Elon Athletics partners with the Department of Exercise Science, School of Health Sciences, Student Health and Wellness, data analytics program and Elon Dining to look at all facets impacting individual performance.

“In the past few years, Elon Athletics has started to view student-athlete well-being and success in more holistic terms,” Deputy Director of Athletics Mike Ward says. “We’ve always had athletics trainers and strength coaches. But now we’re a bit more deliberate in examining how we all work together, what our comprehensive support network for student-athlete performance looks like and where we need to fill gaps.”

One of the most active participants in the program is the Department of Physical Therapy. Assistant Professor Shefali Christopher, who serves as the department’s liaison, says the collaboration has evolved from focusing on treating injuries to providing risk-factor assessments to prevent injuries. This allows trainers to tailor individualized strength and conditioning or rehab techniques and ultimately maximize performance.

As part of the program, DPT students get to start conducting quantitative research with student-athletes during their first four weeks on campus. They then analyze the collected data and present it to coaches and athletics staff. “For our students to get the opportunity to work with Division I athletes is meaningful,” Christopher says. “This doesn’t happen at other schools.”

Ward says this collaboration spans the entire student-athlete experience. For instance, when recruits visit Elon, they tour the Gerald L. Francis Center and learn about the kinds of testing that will be available to them to enhance their performance. Once they come to Elon, athletes are able to engage in a number of tests to determine everything from body composition and bone density to structural imbalances and movement inefficiencies.

And if they get injured, Ward adds, athletes have some of the nation’s best physical therapists and PTs-in-training working to get them healthy. This collaboration gives Elon an edge. “The team of experts in the Francis Center has been incredibly generous with their time and heavily invested in the success of our young people,” Ward says. “I can’t stress enough how impactful this relationship is on the performance of our student-athletes and the success of our teams.”

“The science of wellness and human performance continues to advance,” Ward says, “and we’ve had to broaden our team to stay contemporary. We want to be a national leader in this area.”

Christopher says the Peak Performance program has already led to the creation of a sports residency program that will allow for more in-depth interpretation of biometric data to help student-athletes perform to the best of their abilities. She sees a greater emphasis in the future on data analytics. “I see the program morphing into a sophisticated system with all hands on deck to have top-notch, high-level athletes and make more informed decisions,” she says.

As the program expands, Ward expects it will continue to dive more deeply into enhancing wellbeing, focus, performance optimization and happiness. Student Health and Wellness already provides sport psychology support for athletes and access to clinicians from a neighboring institution through the program, something Ward expects will continue to evolve. “The science of wellness and human performance continues to advance,” he says, “and we’ve had to broaden our team to stay contemporary. We want to be a national leader in this area.”

One area that will be different this year from prior years is the return-to-play protocols since athletes are experiencing extended downtime due to COVID-19. “We’ll take a very careful look at how we prepare our student-athletes for the rigors of training and competition after longer off-seasons than their bodies may be used to,” Ward says. “The NCAA Sports Science Institute will be engaged in this work, and we hope to contribute our own analysis.”

The (NCHA), is a nationally recognized research survey sponsored by the American College Health Association (ACHA). 

Elon University is participating in the NCHA to assess student health behaviors in order to provide better services and support for students.  Student participation in the NCHA is critical in helping Elon develop wellness programs and services that meet our campus needs.  Participation is completely voluntary, confidential, and only takes about 20-30 minutes.  

The award honors distinguished professionals in the field of leisure and recreation who are considered to be a positive role model epitomizing the values and desired outcomes of recreation and demonstrates enthusiasm for the profession.

Smith has been active in SHAPE America, formerly AAHPERD and now the Society of Health and Physical Educators, for almost 30 years. She has taught at �þ��� for 18 years in the Department of Health & Human Performance and has been actively involved in the profession as evidenced by her many publications, presentations, and committee work.

Smith’s nominators focused on her knowledge, leadership and enthusiasm related to Outdoor Adventure Education and Recreation as being exemplary. They noted the development of a minor in Adventure Based Education along with implementing adventure education with study abroad programs. They commended her passion about her efforts and stated she is truly a leader and avid supporter of Recreation. One reference wrote “All totaled, Carol Smith is one of the most outstanding recreation professionals currently a member of the Southern District of SHAPE America”.

The first presentation was titled: Sport Success in Three Easy Steps and was offered on Friday, Nov. 11. This session encouraged coaches and physical eduction teachers to simplify their approach for maximum effectiveness. Participants learned basic concepts that apply to all sports.

The second presentation was titled: The Pleasure Principle: The Biochemistry of Choice and was offered on Saturday, Nov. 12. This session was designeded to challenge perceptions and explain why people make good and bad choices.  The session provided a foundation for courses on drugs and wellness.

​The article focuses on the rise of mobile devices, such as cell phones, and the impact they have on students studying abroad. �þ��� discussed their feelings of being disconnected and describe how disconnecting impacted their overall experience. Participants in the study agreed that disconnecting from technology (specifically cell phones) had positive effects on experiential learning and the global experience.

Major themes included students’ enhanced immersion and engagement, the value of disconnection in providing opportunities for personal growth, and the difficulty of initial separation from technology as a result of conditioning.

To link to this article:

While Katherine Carter ’96 was a student at Elon, she participated twice in study abroad programs, which made her well aware of the challenges of landing and integrating in a foreign country. 

That’s why she didn’t hesitate to offer her assistance when she was asked to be a contact for a group of Elon students interested in visiting her adopted country, Namibia. Thanks to her guidance, seniors Kelsey Lane, Susan Reynolds and Aleksandra Zayac were able to spend part of their summer in the African nation conducting focus groups and interviewing key professionals in their areas of research, which include climate change, agriculture and food security.

 “Working with Katherine was amazing,” says Associate Professor of Health and Human Performance Carol Smith, who accompanied the students. “Her knowledge and background about Windhoek and Namibia in general were a wonderful help. She met us on the first day we were there, and showed us around, took us to a number of great places for lunch and snacks, and was just a wealth of knowledge.”

Carter also helped coordinate logistics with accommodations, locating supermarkets, exchanging money, navigating local transportation, finding internet connections, purchasing SIM cards for cell phones and making research contacts at Center for Teaching and Learning at the Namibia University of Science and Technology, where Carter works. “She has been an incredible contact both with regard to our Periclean initiatives and with regard to my own personal interests,” Lane says. “My main takeaway from Katherine was the utmost of appreciation for her support as an Elon alumna.”

Carter settled in Namibia after volunteering in the Peace Corps, earning her master’s degree in sociology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and her doctorate in cultural anthropology from the University of Debrecen in Hungary. In total, she’s worked abroad for 16 years in five different countries. She attributes much of her success as a world citizen to the mentoring and hands-on experiences she received at Elon from her sociology and anthropology professors. Tom Arcaro, now director of the Periclean Scholars, was one of her sociology professors. When she met the Periclean Scholars, she says, she immediately recognized and related to their ambition and drive. “Perhaps this is what Elon instills in its graduates,” she adds.

For Zayac, Carter’s kindness demonstrates the “global bond” that the Elon community has. “She really epitomizes the idea that once an Elon student, always an Elon student,” she says. �þ��� will return to Namibia in January to continue working on a documentary about food insecurity and help to organize a conference that addresses food-related issues in the country. Carter will once again be ready to welcome them and share her expertise.

Elon’s academic programs receiving the , placing in the top 5 percent nationwide, include the following:

Other academic programs placing either in the top 10 percent or the top 15 percent nationwide include:

The USA Today/College Factual rankings are based on 11 factors of quality. The rankings do not involve any subjective data and schools are not grouped into categories. The rankings attempt to measure the quality of academic programs and majors, comparing schools in a variety of fields.

Elon’s overall national out of 1,387 schools is based on test scores of incoming students, high freshman retention rate and graduation rates, educational and faculty resources, starting salary of graduates, and a low default rate on student loans.

College Factual provides proprietary college content and insights, college rankings and an array of college-comparison and decision-making tools to help students find their best-fit college. In 2016, the company was chosen to be the data provider for the USA Today College Guide, which is read by more than 100,000 U.S. families.

For many countries, participating in the Summer Olympics is a source of national pride. But there is more to the games than just athletic competition. For the upcoming games in Brazil, there are bragging rights at stake for the first South American country to host the international event. But reports of water pollution near Olympic venues and the recent Zika virus outbreak—not to mention the country’s unstable political situation—have raised safety concerns for the athletes. Some nations are even threatening not to participate. There is also the issue of financing the event in times of economic austerity. 

Carol Smith, associate professor of health and human performance, looks at these and other complexities that surround this world event as part of “Modern Summer Olympic Games.” The class incorporates the philosophy, history and economics of the games. A wide variety of writing assignments, including short, informational papers and longer research papers, help students gain a comprehensive understanding of the Olympics. The classroom portion of the course is discussion-based. This format allows for all students to talk and contribute to the class, Smith says, while giving them more ownership and a greater commitment to learning about the topic.

In order to get the full picture, students consider the significance of global events taking place around the time of the games. For example, students must complete a paper about the 1936 Olympics in Germany and reflect on events at the time, such as having legendary athlete Jesse Owens, an African American, compete during a period when Adolf Hitler was gaining power and preparing for World War II.

Smith’s interest in the Olympics drives her to continue �þ��� the class. The high level of competition and stories behind the athletes also compel her. “I love the Olympics. Most people do,” says Smith. “It is ever evolving, and there are many ‘behind-the-scenes’ stories of multiple athletes, not just Usain Bolt or Tyson Gay, but athletes many of the general population might not know.”  

While many students who take Smith’s class have competed in athletics at some point in their lives, they come from a variety of majors. They find common ground, however, in their love for the Olympics. Whatever their interest, Smith hopes they all gain a better appreciation for the games and develop a deeper understanding of all the complex issues that the event entails. “I really hope students will learn more about what makes the Olympics, the Olympics,” says Smith. “For instance, what about the athlete who has the chance to represent his or her country at the games, but realistically might not have any chance for a medal? [It’s] so much more than just the athletes striving for greatness.”  

About the professor

Carol Smith joined the Elon faculty in 1999. She teaches in the Department of Health and Human Performance and serves as the coordinator of the adventure-based learning minor. Her research interests involve adventure-based learning and how it impacts students, including retention rates of first-year students, leadership characteristics, moral reasoning and locus of control. 

Recommended reading

• “Chariots of Fire” film
• “The First Olympics: Athens 1896” television series
• “Rome 1960: The Olympics that Changed the World” by David Maraniss

The book discusses teachers as characters in popular media and examines what can be learned from fictional teachers to help educate actual teachers. By exploring the teacher construct, readers are able to consider how fiction and film have influenced society’s understandings and views of classroom teachers. 

Written to four themes to help educate the preservice teacher—identifying with the teacher image; constructing the teacher with content; imaging the teacher as savior; the teacher construct as commentary—the book investigates the complex combination of truth, typecast and distortion of the teacher in the public eye and presents popular culture as curriculum. Through text about fictional teachers, preservice as well as current teachers can investigate various representations of self (positive or negative) for areas of professional development.