Illinois Valley Community College issued the following news release:
Illinois Valley Community College's Intramural Coordinator Tommy Canale will be the first person to be conferred a baccalaureate degree from the United States Sports Academy.
As the last of Tom Canale's Jr.'s three children to receive baccalaureate degrees, Tommy will be the first to be conferred a degree from USSA, the wish of Tom Canale III, whose father is suffering from terminal cancer.
'My brother and sister are already college graduates and I wanted to get my degree while my father was still alive,' stated Canale.
Canale received his associates degree from IVCC while working as the assistant basketball coach to the college. Tommy, a 15 year coaching veteran took a year off from his coaching career to finish his Bachelor of Sports Science Degree in sports management and will be the first graduate of the two year old upper division BSS degree at USSA.
'It was a bold decision for Tommy to take a year off coaching to work on his bachelor's degree,' said his mentor and IVCC's Athletic Director Michael Riley. 'He is a unique individual who when he sets his mind is one hundred percent focused and goal oriented. What sets him apart is that he also does everything with quality.'
The convenience of online learning made it possible for Canale to expedite the pursuit of his bachelor degree. Distance learning allows for convenience and flexibility for many busy adults.
'Tommy came to me without a bachelor's degree,' said Riley. 'But he had a lot of talent as a coach and administrator. We talked about him going back to school and I was familiar with the US Sports Academy. We both liked the online delivery that offers students an option to pursue their degree while working because they can continue in their personal and professional life.'
'One of the main reasons this program was so appealing to me is the fact that it's so sports specific and I could go at my own pace,' stated Canale. 'If I'm going to out of town for two or three days I like to get my work done before I leave so I won't be behind when I get back. The Academy offers great flexibility with their online course delivery.'
The final work toward Canale's bachelor's degree comes to a close in April with the last day of his mentorship at IVCC with Coach Riley who is also the Division II liaison to the National Junior College Athletic Association.
The United States Sports Academy is an independent, non-profit, special mission school of sport offering sport-specific residential and online distance learning programs around the world. The Academy which has a rich history of addressing the need to provide quality, sport-specific programs is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award a Baccalaureate degree, a Masters of Sport Science degree, and a Doctor of Sports Management degree. The Academy is located in Daphne, Alabama, on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. After 32 years of offering master's degrees and 15 years of offering doctorates, USSA began offering upper-level bachelor's degree course to transfer students in 2004.
