Sports Envoy
Sports Envoy Program

Region: Moldova

Ruthie Bolton

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2008  –  Saudi Arabia
  • 2013  –  Kazakhstan
  • 2014  –  Moldova
  • 2015  –  Bangladesh
  • 2018  –  Armenia
  • 2018  –  Georgia
  • 2019  –  Kosovo
  • 2019  –  Albania

Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and WNBA All-Star.

Scored over 2,000 career points, is fourth of the WNBA’s all-time 3-pointer list, and is the only player in the history of the Sacramento Monarchs to have her number retired.

First WNBA Player of the Week in July of 1997, a member of the 1999 First Team All WNBA, and a two-time WNBA All-Star in 1999 and 2001
The 1991 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year.

Played with the 1995-96 US Women’s National Team that compiled a perfect 60-0 record.

In four seasons at Auburn, she led her team to a combined record of 199-13, which included three Southeastern Conference Championships (1987-1989), four NCAA Tournament appearances and two runner-up finishes in 1988 and 1989.

She was named to the 1988 NCAA Women’s Final Four All-Tournament Team.

A 1st Lieutenant in the United States Army.

2011 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.

Linda Gomez

Volleyball

Served as envoy

  • 2016  –  Moldova

Linda Gomez is a Classroom Certified Teacher, an Athletic Director for K-12, a Volleyball Coach (Elementary, High School, University, and USAV Club), a Sitting Volleyball Coach at USA Volleyball and Army Warrior Games, a USAV Sitting Volleyball Coordinator for the Old Dominion Region, a USAV Sitting Volleyball Liaison Florida Region of USA Volleyball, a USAV IMPACT Instructor, a USAV CAP III Certified, and a Blaze Adapted Sports Specialist Level 1.

In 2016, Gomez founded Get Set 4 All, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide adapted sports opportunities for youth, adults, and military wounded warriors.

Marshall Cho

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2014  –  Moldova

Cho began his career as an educator through the Teach For America program and taught in the South Bronx and Harlem for six years. He served as the boy’s basketball coach from 2004-06 at Future Leaders Institute, leading them to a New York City Charter School Championship.

From 2006-09, while living in Mozambique, Cho spent three years as a volunteer coach and instructor with the Mozambican National Basketball Federation. Cho worked to assist the under-20 and under-16 national team and for Desportivo do Maputo, one of the top senior men’s club teams in Mozambique. He also trained under-16 basketball coaches using the NBA/Nike Africa Coaches Guide for six consecutive weekends leading up to the under-16 national championship.

In August of 2008 Cho was the varsity boy’s basketball coach at the American International School of Mozambique, where he started and developed that program.

During his time in Africa, Cho served as a coach for the NBA-sponsored Basketball Without Borders Africa. He also led a variety of volunteer efforts, including rehabilitating basketball courts by partnering with Hoops 4 Hope and the U.S. Embassy and conducting basketball clinics with local basketball clubs.

Bill Doyle

Volleyball

Served as envoy

  • 2016  –  Moldova

Apex Director and coach, Bill Doyle, was introduced to volleyball in the early 70’s on the sand at the Naval Amphibious Base in Little Creek Virginia. Over the years he developed both a passion for both playing and teaching the game. Coach Doyle began working with the Rhinebeck High School Volleyball program in the late 80’s and became the Junior Varsity Coach in ‘91 and the Varsity Coach in ‘92.

From there, he and some Rhinebeck athletes joined what was then known as Mid-Hudson Juniors Volleyball. Within a few years Coach Doyle inherited the club and moved its center to Poughkeepsie, NY.
In 1994 Doyle signed on with Vassar College where he helped coach the Men’s team to become the ’95 Division III National Champions. In 1997 Mid-Hudson Juniors rebranded as Apex Volleyball and won their first Regional Championship in the 15u age group, moving on to Denver Colorado to compete in the Girls Junior National Championships. As Apex succeeded over the years, Rhinebeck did as well as a top performer in a crowded Section I, finishing as Class C champions twice. In a twenty-two year career Doyle coached Rhinebeck to nearly three hundred wins, perennial post-season play, seven Sectional Championships, six League Titles, four State Final Four appearances, and two years as State Runner-Up.

During 2001-2002 Coach Doyle also served as the Head Coach For the Bard Raptors Men’s and Women’s Volleyball programs finishing second in conference with both teams. At Apex, Doyle has been the Director since 1993. He has coached four Regional Championship teams as well three runner-up teams. He has coached four teams to place in the Girls Junior National Championships.
Coach Doyle also serves as an Officer of the GEVA Board of Directors.

He is currently in his Third term as the Junior Director and Director of Sport Development. He also serves as the Director of Garden Empire Volleyball High Performance Program. He founded the program fifteen years ago and has nurtured it to the present state of excellence. In the program Coach Doyle has served as the Head Coach for 2015 National Select Bronze Medal High Performance Championship Team and Head Coach for 2017 National Youth Gold Medal High Performance Championship Team.