PLC Staff

F. Clark Power, Ph.D., Director

Clark is a Director of Play Like A Champion Today^TM Educational Series. Currently in his 25^th year at the University of Notre Dame, Clark is a Professor in the Program of Liberal Studies and Concurrent Professor in the Department of Psychology.  He currently serves as Associate Director of the Center for Ethical Education, which he co-founded. Clark served on Notre Dame’s Faculty Athletic Board for the previous 6 years (2001 - 2007).

Clark received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University and his M.A. from the Washington Theological Union.  He then taught at the middle school and high school levels for three years before attending Harvard’s Graduate School of Education for his doctorate.

Clark has authored five books and numerous articles on moral education and development with a focus on school discipline, moral atmosphere, democratic citizenship, faith and religious development, and youth sport.  He served on the inaugural Board of Directors of the National council for Accreditation of Coaching Education.  In addition, Clark is the past president of the Association for Moral Education, the leading international organization in moral education, and a recipient of the Association’s Kuhmerker Award for his contributions to the field of moral education.

Clark is married to Anne Marie Power, who is the Director of Undergraduate Education in Notre Dame’s Department of Sociology. They have two children, David, who is currently a Notre Dame senior, and Kara, a Notre Dame alumna. Clark has coached youth soccer, softball, basketball, and served as President of Holy Cross Parish’s Athletic Association.

Kristin Komyatte Sheehan, M.A., Associate Director

Kristin serves as the Associate Director for PLC. She coordinates PLC’s educational and evaluation programs, develops curricula, and teaches a course on coaching and ministry for Notre Dame’s Education, Schools, and Society undergraduate program in education. Her professional experiences prior to PLC include developing, authoring and presenting a youth abstinence curriculum; writing a Project Rachel program for the Archdiocese of Detroit: serving as Director of Hannah’s House; a home for pregnant women in crisis; and teaching parenting classes to underprivileged parents.  Kristin is a two-time graduate of the University of Notre Dame, earning a BA in Theology and a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology. While an undergraduate, Kristin was a Division I Varsity cheerleader for three years, a career highlighted by cheering for the 1988 National Championship Irish Football Team.  She is also a member of the Notre Dame Monogram Club and serves on the Parish Council for Christ the King Church in South Bend, IN.

Kristin and her husband, Dan, have been married over 18 years and have been blessed with three children. In addition to her collegiate athletic experience, Kristin's role as a parent/coach for her children in gymnastics, soccer and baseball helps her bring a unique combination of skills and perspective to development of the PLC Initiatives.

Jared C. Dees, M.Ed., Assistant Director

Jared is the Assistant Director for PLC. He recently joined the PLC team in 2008 and has been developing new technological resources for the program including new features to the PLC website and the new online recertification program set to release in January 2009.  He is a graduate of the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program at the University of Notre Dame where he earned a Master’s degree in Education.  Jared has always had a passion for ministry and sports.  As an undergraduate at Miami University (Ohio) he studied History and Religion and served as the student chair of campus ministry and the Miami intramural sport coordinator for football and soccer.  He has coached at many different age levels ranging from elementary school to high school varsity athletics.  Most recently he coached varsity football and track at Pope John Paul II High School in Hendersonville, Tennessee. 

Jared and his bride, Jenny, the Assistant Director of the Magnificat Initiative at the University of Notre Dame who is also a Miami and ACE graduate, were married in June 2008 and now live in South Bend, Indiana.

Brooke Crawford Record, M.A.

Brooke, a former Division I student-athlete at the University of North Carolina and collegiate lacrosse coach, formally  served as  Coordinator of Sport Programming for the Institute for Educational Initiatives from 2005 - 2008.  Currently living in Bryn Mawr, PA, Brooke serves as Assistant Director of Annual Programs at the Academy of Notre Dame, an Independent Catholic School for Girls, and coaches their Girls Varsity Lacrosse Team. Brooke completed her graduate degree in Applied Psychology with a specialization in Sport Psychology at the University of Notre Dame.  A 3-time All-American and former member of the US Lacrosse Squad, Brooke’s playing and coaching experience at various levels has assisted in the development of the PLC curriculum.  A coach at the University of Connecticut, James Madison University, the University of Notre Dame, Palmetto High School (Miami, FL) and now, the Academy of Notre Dame, Brooke has coached over 500+ athletes, directed numerous camps and clinics for young athletes and has significantly contributed to the growth of Girl’s Lacrosse. 

Brooke’s husband, Lon Record, is a former member of the Notre Dame Football Staff and currently serves the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Villanova Men’s and Women’s Basketball.

Patricia "Tish" Kelly-Holmes, M.D., Coordinator of Wellness Education

Tish is an Integrative Medicine physician with experience in University Health, Community Health, and Preventative Medicine. She serves as Coordinator of Wellness Education for the Center for Ethical Education and is focusing her research for PLC on the health and nutrition dimension of youth sport. In addition, Tish’s work in the community involves nutrition education for children and parents and research on the effectiveness of an integrated, sensory-based nutrition education curriculum in positively impacting health and behaviors of both parent and child. Dr. Holmes's has developed the "Healthy, Happy, and Whole™" Wellness Curriculum for the Center.

Tish and her husband, Pat, a graduate of Notre Dame and Director of Academic Services for Student-Athletes, are the parents of five children. The whole family enjoys a variety of sports and activities both at Notre Dame and in the South Bend community.

Ray O'Connell, M.A., Coordinator of Athletic Leadership Education

Ray is a graduate of Notre Dame and has a Master of Education           Degree from Loyola University.  Ray served as the Head Men's Soccer    Coach at Loyola University for 25 years from 1980-2005.  While there he successfully coached and mentored 50+ athletes per season while developing the "whole person" coaching concept that focuses on character, ethics, academics and sportsmanship. Over his career, he produced 65 All Conference and 12 Professional athletes. 99% of his athletes earned a 4 year degree. Ray worked with the Chicago Sting Professional Soccer franchise, was a Positive Coaching Alliance Midwest Representative, was the two-time recipient of the Horizon League Conference Coach of the Year award and he has authored several articles discussing positive and motivating coaching programs.

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS

Mike McCoy

Mike is the National Director of Champions For Today. He speaks in public, private and Catholic schools across America and abroad. A native of Erie, Pennsylvania, Mike is graduate of the University of Notre Dame (majoring in Economics.) He played football for the Irish and was a consensus All-American in college. He was chosen UPI Lineman of the year and was sixth in the Heisman Trophy balloting his senior year. He was the #1 draft choice of the Green Bay Packers where he played defensive tackle. He played eleven years in the NFL – seven with Green Bay, two with the Oakland Raiders and two with the New York Giants. Mike received many awards including the Packers Rookie of the Year, All-Pro player, Packers Dodge NFL Man of the Year, Notre Dame Pro Player of the Year, Erie, PA. Pro Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. Mike was awarded the 2005 Harvey Foster Humanitarian Award by the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association. Mike serves on the Board of Directors of YMCA Camp High Harbour and Camp Hope in Georgia, as well as having served on the Boards of Pro Athletes Outreach and Wisconsin Special Olympics. Mike and his wife Kia live in Jefferson, Georgia and are the parents of four children. Please visit his website at www.championsfortoday.org.

Jim Lefebvre, PLC Consultant

Jim is an experienced communications professional, providing writing, editing, consulting and project management in the areas of proposals, marketing communications, educational materials and publications.  His background includes work as a sports writer, trade magazine editor in the field of athletic administration, sports publisher and publicist.  In addition, he has been a volunteer youth sports coach, manager and board member.

Jim is the founder and director of IntegriSport, an initiative to assist youth and school sports related organizations to communicate and facilitate a new vision of sport which is centered on integrity, ethics and the development of the whole person.  Jim and his wife Joanne are parents of two daughters, Kerry and Elizabeth, both current Notre Dame students.

Nicole LaVoi, Ph.D., PLC Consultant

Nicole is currently serving as the Associate Director of the Tucker Center for Girls and Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota.  A consultant to the Center for Ethical Education, Nicole contributed to the development of the PLC curriculum with her research on the coach-athlete relationship, the motivational-moral climate, and coach education. Nicole developed Parents and Coaches Together (PACT), a program within the PLC Educational Series, for the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association.