SPORTS, LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING

LAUNCH OF NEW SPORTS, LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING DIVISION

In October 2022, Abilene Christian University launched the Sports, Leadership and Learning division, a first-of-its-kind partnership between educational and athletic organizations. This university-wide division seeks to be a pioneer in fortifying the global culture of sport via existing degree programs, customized courses and fully online pathways catered toward meeting any sports organization’s educational priorities. ACU is proud of its role in equipping athletes and sports leaders with educational resources, so they can reach new heights mentally, spiritually and physically.

Learn more at acu.edu/sportsed.

MEET DR. DARYL JONES

Dr. Daryl L. Jones (DJ) has joined ACU Dallas as the vice president for sports, leadership and learning. As a former Nike executive with more than 20 years of experience working with athletes and sports leaders, DJ is working extensively to create innovative curricula and content for athletes and sports leaders by fostering direct-to-business relationships with major sports organizations and leagues through the ACU Sports, Leadership and Learning division.

By partnering with professional teams like the Texas Rangers, Jones is building a division which combines ACU’s distinctive faith-based values with one-of-a-kind course offerings that empower athletes to develop leadership and career skills off the field or court.

“We are excited about adding Dr. Daryl Jones to our ACU family,” said Dr. Stephen Johnson, chief executive officer for ACU Dallas. “Daryl comes to ACU Dallas with an extensive background in academics and business in the sports world, and we could not be more thrilled to witness how he will expand and sustain this new division.”

Rangersu Powered By Acu

Partnering with the Texas Rangers, ACU released its RangersU courses to the general public in late June. Taught by a diverse array of Texas Rangers management, Major League Baseball experts and ACU faculty, each seven-week course offers opportunities for baseball fans and others to foster professional development and personal enrichment through flexible online learning for just $95 per course.

Courses like Baseball History and Culture teach the ins and outs of baseball history as well as how it has shaped America from a historical lens while Leadership Development focuses on helping participants explore their self-identity and leadership style to reshape their understanding of what makes a high-performance leader. And, while courses are for non-credit continuing education, participants can elect to receive three hours of academic credit by submitting a learning portfolio and a $300 assessment fee.

Learn more at acu.edu/rangersu

Rangersu Player Pathways

RangersU launched two Player Pathways for Rangers players interested in gaining continued education, academic credit or new skills through ACU’s fully online, bilingual seven-week courses. Harnessing their shared mission, ACU and the Texas Rangers are eager to see the impact these pathways will have on players both on and off the field.

“Part of developing in the baseball world and in real life is finding your identity outside of baseball, and one of those things that I’ve been able to add to my identity is [I’m] a student again,” said Tekoah Roby, Rangers pitching prospect and current RangersU student.

Each pathway consists of different courses geared at enhancing players’ current leadership skills, expanding on their previous knowledge of baseball history or guiding them through effective mental well-being practices.

With the combined expertise of ACU’s online learning environment and the Texas Rangers subject experts, RangersU Player Pathways will enable the delivery of these courses for interested players and staff, regardless of their location, with the hopes of motivating them to pursue an online bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or certificate program.

Learn more at acu.edu/rangersu/rangersu-players-program