About Us
The following question is asked within every athletic department in America.
How can we better help our student-athletes?
WVU Sport Performance is pioneering a developmental model that educates, inspires and prepares our student-athletes to achieve elite level performance, as well as, ensure personal development, leadership and career readiness. The life of a Division I student-athlete is a unique experience consisting of a tremendous balance of academic, athletic and social interactions. Although rewarding, the demands of a Division I student-athlete is often a dynamic and complex transition. WVU Sport Performance understands both the demands and complexities involved and we are committed to creating a development model that will assist in the unique experiences and challenges associated with not only being a student-athlete, but a student-athlete committed to excel in both sport and life.
What is WVU Sport Performance?
Sport/Wellness Optimization
Morgantown has two community hospitals, nationally recognized sports medicine/medical staff, access to state of the art concussion equipment, renowned sport psychologists, full time sport dietitian, and an outstanding strength and conditioning staff. WVU Sport Performance will ensure you have will have every possible resource to optimize your talents.
Leadership & Career Readiness
WVU is committed to a building student-athletes for a lifetime of winning. Nothing is more important than the holistic development and career/life readiness of our student-athletes. WVU will introduce a developmental model that educates, inspires and prepares our student-athletes to successfully plan beyond college sport.
Menus
WVU Sport Performance menus have been created to highlight accessible resources that are available to assist you throughout your collegiate experience. Please hover over an image for more information on the menus.
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Wellness 1stWellWVU
How an athlete takes in energy (eating, breathing, sleeping, sensing) and how they expend it (thought, exercise, relationships, studying, etc.) is manageable and dependent on the choices they make. Learning techniques and increasing understanding of how to manipulate, channel, and balance energy has a direct impact on performance, whether academic or athletic.
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The Mental EdgeSport and Exercise Psychology
We assess team and/or individual needs and cognitive skills, and provide a variety of services to address the identified needs. We provide a tailored approach to each team/individual with the goal of helping them reach their potential through the process of helping them become better prepared to learn and perform during practice and competition. The utilization of our services are transferable skills that will not only aid in mental optimization, but long term life success.
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Climb HigherSports Nutrition
To provide every student athlete with sports nutrition services utilizing current, evidence-based resources to promote academic and athletic success. Our program is dedicated to ensuring optimal energy intake, nutrient timing, and fluid balance while sustaining the overall well-being of each individual athlete at West Virginia University. It is the intent of this program to enhance health and performance of WVU Athletics and to provide these individuals with the best care possible.
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Team Up!Carruth Center
Professional experts (psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers) who specialize and recognize the importance of mental health. Common examples of mental health concerns include: mood and anxiety; difficulties adjusting to WVU; self-esteem; excessive worry, moodiness or irritability; difficulties with roommates, family or boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse; traumatic or other difficult events.
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Plan Build Work Live ItCareer Services
Personal well-being, career preparation and post collegiate transitioning are areas of emphasis for the holistic development and overall life success of our student-athletes. WVU Career Services Center is a resource serving undergraduate and graduate students, as well as, alumni. Career Services offers a wide range of career and professional development services including self-assessments, one-on-one career counseling, resume writing assistance, mock interviews, career fairs, and other specialized programs and events.
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iServeCommunity Service
Giving back is a pillar of pride for Mountaineer student-athletes. Collectively the teams have served others with over 5,000 hours of community service each year. From visiting the local hospitals to being organizers, assistants and even heroes during the Special Olympics events, our student-athletes are both engaged and proud of their relationships within the community and beyond.
Contact
Joe Heskett was hired as Associate Athletic Director for Sports Performance in July 2014.
Heskett, a 2001 graduate of Iowa State, an NCAA National Champion and a United States World Team memeber, came to West Virginia from Army, where he served as head coach of the Black Knights’ wrestling program for the past four seasons.
At WVU, he oversees athletic training and strength and conditioning and will serve as the sport administrator for rowing. He will also be athletics’ liaison to WELLWVU, the Student’s Center of Health within the Division of Student Affairs at the University, and will work closely with the student-athlete life enhancement program and the student-athlete advisory committee.
Leadership and leadership training is a passion of Heskett's. He was Iowa State's representative at the NCAA Leadership Conference, a board member of the Children's Body Image, a former member of the Major Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund and an Ambassador and Public Awareness Speaker for the Ohio State Medical Center. He is the founder and Chief Visionary Officer for h Leadership (founded in 2009), a visionary leadership company dedicated to revolutionizing sport through leadership and life skill education.
A native of Akron, Ohio, Heskett has three children, Olivia, Ava and Joey.
