Courtesy of Greg Gornick, Chestnut Hill SID

Philadelphia, PA – Former Bloomsburg University Head Women’s Soccer Coach Sandy Dickson has been appointed the College’s first Director of Fitness and Recreation, announced today by Director of Athletics, Lynn Tubman. Dickson will also assume the direction of the women’s soccer program as the selected head coach. In conjunction with this announcement, Tubman also announced that recently hired Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Laura Pruitt has been named Fitness Center Monitor.

We are thrilled to have found two highly skilled individuals to manage the opening and operations of our new fitness center," said Chestnut Hill Director of Athletics, Lynn Tubman. "Sandy Dickson’s experience coupled with her enthusiasm and energy makes her a great fit as the Director of Fitness and Recreation. Both Sandy and Laura understand the impact the fitness center will have for our entire campus community and are eager to create programming that will encourage all our students and staff to get involved.  We are excited to open the fitness center doors this fall with Sandy and Laura leading the way.

Chestnut Hill College will be opening a state-of-the-art Fitness Center with the coming of the 2011-2012 scholastic year. Dickson and Pruitt will serve as the facilities first management staff. After 14 years as a highly successful National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II head coach, Dickson has proven herself to be a quality administrator, diligent worker, and valuable asset to any athletic institution. Dickson was delighted with the announcement, “I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to assume the role of Director of Fitness and Recreation at Chestnut Hill College. The facility will be an exciting place for all students, faculty, and staff to pursue health, wellness, and recreation. It will serve as a hub of campus activity.” Looking to begin the next phase of her professional career, Dickson stepped down from her head coaching position with the Bloomsburg University women’ soccer program in order to pursue other opportunities. Pruitt will assist Dickson in all managerial aspects of the Fitness Center.

Dickson also commented on her appointment as head women’s soccer coach, “I am also excited to lead the women's soccer program at Chestnut Hill College, and I want to thank Lynn Tubman and the administration for this wonderful opportunity” During her tenure at Bloomsburg University, Dickson led the Huskies to a 139-89-27 record, which included ten Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship Tournament appearances and eight NCAA DII Championship Tournaments. Under Dickson, the Huskies won PSAC Championships in 1998 and 2002 while finishing runner-up in 2000 and 2001. She was named the PSAC Coach of the Year for the first time in 1998 and earned the award ten years later, 2008, after leading the Huskies to a 13-6-1 overall record and a 8-3-1 league standing (2^nd in PSAC East Division). Dickson produced 13 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Americans and 52 All-PSAC student-athletes including three PSAC Athletes of the Year, two PSAC Rookies of the Year, and one Adidas NCAA Division II Player of the Year. In addition to her soccer background, Dickson is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), United States of America Weightlifting (USAW), and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). She holds a Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification (CSCS).

Dickson was a NCAA Division I student-athlete at Rutgers University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Sciences and Psychology in 1994. She also holds a master’s degree in Exercise Science, earned from Bloomsburg University in 2003. Dickson currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.