黑豹田径队的教练被公认为杰出的领导能力

佩里西比州立社区学院的黑豹田径队在短短三年的时间里继续创造历史，最近因其领导力而获得了重大荣誉。

Head Men’s Soccer Coach Abe Tizaf in the fall won NJCAA Southeast District Coach of the Year for a second consecutive season, while Head Women’s Volleyball Coach Erika Waycaster was recognized as NJCAA Southeast B District Coach of the Year among the 16 whose teams qualified for the national tournament.

“We brought on staff with the expectation that, even though athletics at Pellissippi State is young, there’s no reason these new teams can’t be championship programs,” said Panther 体育运动 Director Brock Evans. “All our coaches, including Abe and Erika, really bought into that, and they very much deserve this recognition for the success they’ve earned as a result.”

Tizaf和Waycaster在经历了历史性的赛季后分别获得了年度最佳教练的称号。

The men’s soccer team in November became back-to-back district champions, defeating Georgia Military College, 4-1, to make the NJCAA Southeast District Championship their eleventh straight win and ultimately advance to the national tournament in Kansas.

Though their winning streak ended at the national level, it was the Panthers’ second time in only two seasons of postseason play competing at the national championship.

“This is not something you see in every program,” Tizaf said. “I’m proud of what we have at Pellissippi, and the support that we have, and the work that the players have put in.”

蒂扎夫强调，他的认可不仅仅是他自己努力的结果，也是他的员工和学生运动员的结果。

“It’s because of the players,” he said. “it’s not just me.”

The men’s soccer team at Pellissippi overcame various challenges this season to come back better than ever, Tizaf said, and their second national championship appearance has cemented the Panthers as a team to watch for people nationwide.

蒂扎夫说，这个项目为学生运动员的成功做好准备，不仅是在佩里西比大学，而且是在其他地方。

“To sign with Pellissippi State men’s soccer – it's a great opportunity,” Tizaf said. “It opens more doors for student-athletes, and more opportunities for them to be recruited in programs after Pellissippi.”

Meanwhile, Pellissippi hosted its first-ever NJCAA Southeast District Tournament for women’s volleyball after the Panthers won the TCCAA Region 7 Conference Championship. 这支队伍在地区一级击败了费耶特维尔科技木马队，参加了在爱荷华州举行的全国锦标赛。

The women’s volleyball team worked hard day in and day out to make it to the national championship, Waycaster said.

“I think when we hosted the district tournament, the girls really realized what was in our grasp,” she said. “It was wonderful to watch them see everything that our coaching staff had been talking about come to fruition.”

她把年度最佳教练的称号归功于整个球队。

“Coaches are well aware that we would not be anywhere without the athletes surrounding us,” Waycaster said. “So it was good to celebrate that award with the girls and get to have a little bit of recognition and celebration with them. We were 100% lucky and blessed to even be at that national stage to receive that award.”