LaVoi to Participate in Keynote Panel at Up2Us Regional Conference
June 22, 2009

Nicole LaVoi, Ph.D., lecturer in Kinesiology and associate director of the Tucker Center, has been invited to be part of a keynote panel at the Up2Us Regional Conference in Los Angeles, CA on Tuesday, June 30th. The conference is sponsored in part by the LA84 Foundation .

LaVoi will discuss the role of coaches in facilitating positive youth development. LaVoi is part of the Up2Us Research Advisory Committee and co-developed an Up2Us research paper on "Sports-based youth development for girls", which will be available by late summer.

LaVoi to present at St. Cloud chapter of AAUW
May 8, 2009

Nicole LaVoi, Ph.D., lecturer in Kinesiology and associate director of the Tucker Center, will give a talk to the St. Cloud chapter of the AAUW on Tuesday, May 12. She will discuss research findings from the 2007 Tucker Center Research Report, "Developing Physically Active Girls." For more information on the event, see the article in sctimes.com .

Valentini to Head Coach Gustavus Adolphus Men's Tennis
May 1, 2009

Tommy Valentini, doctoral student in sport and exercise psychology and advisee of Nicole LaVoi, Tucker Center associate director, will be the Head Men's Tennis Coach at Gustavus Adolphus College starting fall of 2009. Valentini will take the helm from Steve Wilkinson who is retiring from coaching after 39 years. Valentini will also help run the popular Tennis & Life Camps at Gustavus. Congratulations!

LaVoi presents to Prior Lake Rotary Club
April 15, 2009

Nicole LaVoi, Ph.D, associate director of the Tucker Center, spoke to members of the Prior Lake Rotary Club on April 15 on behalf of the U of M Alumni Association. LaVoi's talk focused on the work of the Tucker Center including her sport parent research and barriers that prevent girls from being physically active.

LaVoi gives training workshop at Carleton
April 8, 2009

Nicole LaVoi, Ph.D, associate director of the Tucker Center, returned to Carleton College to give an invited workshop to student-athletes, coaches and community members titled Mental Toughness Training for Peak Performance.

The workshop was paid in part by a grant from the NCAA. LaVoi was Carleton's Assistant Women's Tennis Coach (1991-1993) before becoming the Head Coach at Wellesley College in 1994.

Tucker Center's Spring 2009 Distinguished Lecturer Featured in SoCal Newspaper
March 31, 2009

Michael Messner, the Tucker Center's Spring 2009 Distinguished Lecturer, recently published an op-ed, "Let's have more crying in baseball," in the Pasadena Star-News.

A University of Southern California professor of sociology and gender studies, Messner's presentation, titled "You Gotta Be Tough": Challenges and Strategies of Female Coaches in Youth Sports, is based in part on his just-published book It's All For the Kids: Gender, Families, and Youth Sports. The lecture will take place on April 22 from 7-9:00 pm at the Hubert H. Humphrey Center on the U of M's West Bank.