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Cristina Fink, PhD, is a highly experienced sport psychologist with over 20 years of experience in teaching, counseling and sport administration. Counseling clients include Olympic Medalists and World Champions as well as professional and national soccer teams. Cristina competed in two Olympic Games (Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992) and held the Mexican High Jump Record with a 6’4 jump for 22 years. She has a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in Family and Consumer Resources from the University of Arizona, Tucson. She has a Masters Degree and PhD obtained in Sport Psychology from the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED) in Madrid, Spain.
Dr. Fink is the author of a number of published papers and books, and a keynote speaker in many national and international conferences. She is the Director of Sport Psychology for Union Youth Development and is responsible for helping implement core values and behavioral learning into the soccer education curriculum. Cristina also supports the Philadelphia Union working directly with first team athletes as directed by Philadelphia Union Technical Staff. She is the first non-European to be invited into INFP (International Network of Football Psychologists) where her peer group includes sport psychologists from top professional European clubs (including Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, etc.).
Bill Knowles is world-renown in the field of Sports Reconditioning and Athletic Development. He is a Certified Athletic Trainer and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with nearly 30 years of experience at the Professional, Olympic, and Elite Junior levels of sport. He specializes in developing Planned Performance Reconditioning strategies for elite athletes following injury. These same concepts are also designed for athletes and teams to improve performance and reduce the incidence of injury.
Bill has lectured and trained staff around the world on his concepts of managing Joint Compromised Athletes in their quest for returning to competition following injury. He has been invited to work with staff and athletes at such Clubs as Manchester United, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester City, The FA, and England Rugby to name a few. His work has brought him high profile athletes such as Tiger Woods, Alex Rodriguez, Peyton Manning, Frank Lampard, Michael Owen, Mario Ballotelli, and swimming legend Dara Torres.
Garrison is an up and coming sport scientist with experience throughout Major League Soccer (MLS). Before coming to Philadelphia, he worked with the Chicago Fire and Seattle Sounders. Garrison has implemented an athlete monitoring system which follows players through physical testing, GPS and Accelerometry, heart rate monitoring, and non-contact injuries. This data is used to better understand response to training and player growth and development. Garrison supports Philadelphia Union Academy, YSC Academy, and Philadelphia Union First Team Players and Staff.
Finn Gundersen is the former Director of Sport Education at the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), and co-founder of Burke Mountain Academy, the first ever “sports high-school,” which was developed for the sport of alpine ski racing in 1970. Burke Mountain Academy is the conceptual genesis and sister school for YSC Academy, a soccer specific high-school for grades 8–12. Gundersen has over 40 years of youth development and coaching experience, including coaching at the Olympic and Alpine FIS World Cup levels. He has worked with athletes from youth grassroots to the elite Olympic level. Finn travels the world attending and presenting at leading youth development and sports science conferences seeking to keep Philadelphia Union Youth on the cutting edge of youth development “best practice” methodologies.
Jessica holds a Master Degree in Athletic Training from Florida International University, and a BS in Exercise Science from Immaculata University. She is a Board Certified and Licensed Athletic Trainer in both Pennsylvania and Delaware. Jessica works closely with our Athletic Development Staff to provide professional health care for the Philadelphia Union Academy teams and YSC academy. Jessica previously worked with division three university student-athletes while serving as an adjunct faculty instructor within the Kinesiology Department at Wesley College.
Eric has a Masters Degree in Exercise, Science & Wellness, and a BS in Sports Management. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Eric implements the day-to-day Athletic Development programs for all Philadelphia Union Academy teams and is instrumental in daily training for all YSC Academy athletes. With a background playing collegiate soccer, Eric works closely with the Academy Technical Coaching Staff and the Union First Team Performance Director to keep our “one system” approach toward performance and prevention across all ages. Eric also assists with the Union First Team and Bethlehem Steel FC throughout the year.
John has worked with NCAA Division 1 soccer players, including the University of Kentucky Men’s Soccer Team. His focus is on physical preparation and performance and recovery trends based on GPS, heart rate variability, and subjective wellness data, which is implemented into training and recovery modalities. John’s background as a strength and conditioning coach further enhances his approach as a sport scientist. He supports YSC Academy and Philadelphia Union Academy players and staff.
Daina is a graduate of Florida State University and graduated with his Masters of Professional Studies in Sport Management from Georgetown University. Prior to joining the Academy Staff, Daina worked in diverse capacities throughout the sports industry. Daina’s passion for soccer runs deep from playing to coaching – he brings a unique background and perspective to the organization and is looking forward to growth of the Academy and US Soccer as a whole.
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If you are interested in seeking a position at the Academy, please see our job openings listed here or email UnionAcademy@philadelphiaunion.com.