Professor Roy Yarbrough
Roy Yarbrough, EdD
Roy Yarbrough is the Program Director of Sport Management Studies and a Professor in the Department of Health Science and Sport Studies at California University of Pennsylvania, California, and Pennsylvania. He has been a faculty member at California University since the fall semester of 1999 and is responsible for directing the Sport Management Studies program. California University of Pennsylvania Sport Management major is a North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) approved program. One of thirty nationally approved programs. Dr. Yarbrough has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration with a minor in Health and Physical Education from Greenville College (1970), Greenville, Illinois. He received his master's degree in Sport Administration in 1976 from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. He earned a doctoral degree from the University of North Carolina Greensboro in 1986 with cognates in higher education, sport administration, history and research.
Dr. Yarbrough's involvement and success in sports began when in 1970 he became an AAU-All American in track and field through the sport of Race Walking. He was then sanctioned by US Coast Guard to compete on US Olympic Track Team.
Roy Yarbrough has been actively involved in Sport Management since 1986 when he co-developed the Sport Management Studies at Liberty University to be one of four NASPE/NASSM Nationally Certified Programs. He is a National Instructor for the American Sports Education Program (ASEP) and a Certified Recreational Sport Specialist (CRSS). From 1989-2003 Roy served as the National Historian for the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA). He has been an active member in the North American Society for Sport Management since 1988. Over the last twenty years Roy has directed and assigned over 3000 student internships with professional, semi-professional, Olympic, national and local sport teams/clubs, and public and private schools.
He has served with the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NISOA) since 1976 and is on the National Academy staff as a physical fitness advisor and National Clinician. Roy serves on the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) National Staff as a physical fitness advisor and a referee instructor. This federation governs professional and Olympic soccer teams. He has refereed three state championship games in soccer in the states of Illinois, Virginia and Alaska. In 1990, Roy had the honor of being inducted into the USA Soccer Hall of Fame.
Roy has researched and written a book entitled "MASCOTS" The History of Senior and Community College/University Mascots (2nd ed.). The third is in the works. Roy is currently serving as the Senior Judge for the Capital One Bowl (Football) National Mascot Championship (capitalonebowl.com) on New Year's Day. Also, Roy has been a consultant for the NCAA, ESPN, and ABC sports on mascot related issues. The May 23, 2003 issue of Sports Illustrated (SI) has called Roy the "Guru of Mascotology". He has also written numerous other articles including Physical Fitness articles for National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association, United States Soccer Federation Referee, REFEREE -- The Magazine of Sports Officiating.
Roy is a university / college representative to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Directors Association (PSADA) Executive Council and has worked on membership for college students in the association.
He is a lifetime member with the National Intramural / Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) and served asthe NIRSA National Historian (1989 - 2002). He is also a certified Recreational Sports Specialist (CRSS). Other past sports related experiences have included the Commissioner of the Mason-Dixon Track and Field Conference, Director of Sports Activities for the Virginia American Legion Boys State program, Executive Committee Member of Virginia High School League and a USA Track & Field Certified Athletic Official.
Roy has recently retired from the US Coast Guard as a LT. Commander serving his country for 26 years in the active and reserve programs. One tour of duty included the assignment as Operations Officer for Western Alaska for the Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup. For eight years he served on the summer orientation staff at the US Coast Guard Academy training incoming cadets in the area of physical fitness.