Sports Envoy
Sports Envoy Program

Year: 2019

Cathy Sellers

Track & Field Paralympics

Served as envoy

  • 2019  –  Nigeria

Recently retired from the United States Olympic Committee. Served the last nine years as the Director of Paralympic Track and Field. A track and field coach for over 40 years at multiple lev-els- High School level, Collegiate level ( Stephen F. Austin State and The Ohio State University) and Team USA.

The Rio Paralympic track and field team garnered 43 medals, more than any sport in Olympics or Paralympics since 1972.

Previously served as the Manager of the USOC Coaching program and editor of Olympic Coach magazine prior to Paralympics. Was the Manager for Development Programs for USA Track and Field for eight years managing USATF Coaching Education program, Juniors, Men and Women’s Sport Development.

A former All-American, who spent her collegiate career jumping over barriers in the 400 Hurdles, Sellers received her B.S. (All-Level HPE)from Texas Woman’s University, a Masters of Educa-tion (University of Houston) and an Educational Mid-Management certification (Prairie View A & M University).

Deja Young

Track & Field Paralympics

Served as envoy

  • 2019  –  Nigeria
  • 2020  –  Virtual
  • 2021  –  Japan

Born with brachial plexus that caused nerve damage and limited mobility to her right shoulder, Young has excelled with her unique running form. A standout on her high school track team, she lettered all four years while also competing in volleyball and softball. Despite her success, she received a lot of resistance from recruiters and college coaches because of her disability. She earned a track scholarship to Wichita State University where she was All-Conference. It was at a college meet that she learned about Paralympic track and field, a path that would lead her to her first Paralympic titles at the Paralympic Games Rio 2016. She also served as an athlete mentor as part of the Sports Envoy Program of the U.S. State Department to Nigeria in 2018.

Chris Waddell

Track & Field Paralympics

Served as envoy

  • 2019  –  Tanzania

· Dalai Lama’s Unsung Hero of Compassion

· Thirteen-time Paralympic Medalist

· World Champion in skiing and track

· Most medals of any male monoskier in Paralympic history

· Doctor of Humane Letters, Middlebury College

· First Ambassador International Paralympic Committee

· Founder One Revolution Foundation

· First nearly unassisted paraplegic to summit Mt Kilimanjaro

· Paralympic Hall of Fame

· US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame

· People Magazine “50 Most Beautiful People”

· Skiing Magazine “25 Greatest Skiers in North America”

· NPR: The Best Graduation Speeches, Ever (Middlebury College ’11)

· NBC Paralympic Commentator (Opening, Closing, Track and Skiing)

Patty Dodd

Volleyball

Served as envoy

  • 2017  –  Marshall Islands
  • 2019  –  Honduras

Patty Dodd was a 2 time ALL- American at UCLA. After competing professionally in Italy and the United States Patty made the transition to beach volleyball. Patty won 15 Opens, including the Manhattan Beach Open. Along with her professional volleyball career, Patty taught Elementary School for 18 years. In 2015, Patty founded MBsand Volleyball Club where the club has earned over 1500 medals in youth Beach Volleyball.

MBsand has won Gold in all the major events, AAU Nationals, USA HP Championships, AVPFirst Nationals, BVCA Nationals, Rise P1440 and CBVA Cal Cup. In 2018 and 2019, MBsand Volleyball club earned Best Club in the country out of 90 clubs at the BVCA Championships in Hermosa Beach, 2018 and 2019.

Patty Dodd is part of USAV BCAP Cadre, Master Coach and Founder of Beach Nation, HP USAV Coach for 9 years and Assistant to the US National Team 2017-2020. Patty lives in Hermosa Beach with her husband of 34 years, Mike Dodd. They have 2 daughters Dalas, Dominique and granddaughter Dustin. She speaks Spanish and Italian.

Playing Career:
Colombian National team 1978, 1979
UCLA 1980-1984, 2 time All-American
USVBA National Champion, Open, 1980
Major League Volleyball, 2-time champion with L.A. Starlites
Italian professional indoor league, 1985
Forum Team Coed Professional Cup, 1987-1988
Professional Beach Volleyball, WPVA and AVP, 16 years
15 Career Beach Open wins, including Manhattan Open, 1989
1997 FIVB World Tour
Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame, 2013 induction.

Eric Hodgson

Volleyball

Served as envoy

  • 2015  –  Philippines
  • 2019  –  Honduras

Eric Hodgson is the Director of Outreach for the Arizona Region of USA Volleyball. He wears many hats as he is also the Coaching Education Director and PR-Marketing Director for the Region. Eric started the Arizona Region’s High Performance Program from its inception until 2012.
Eric also works with Gold Medal Squared doing camps and clinics during the summers. His passion for leading camps and clinics has taken him to several countries including Canada, Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands. Eric has recently been a US Embassy Sports Envoy to the Philippine Islands.

His job as Outreach Director takes him to places where there is no volleyball, including inner city schools and Native American Reservations. Eric also works with PE teachers, clubs and parents to help educate and develop programs to grow the sport.

Danielle Scott-Arruda

Volleyball

Served as envoy

  • 2019  –  Fiji
  • 2021  –  United Arab Emirates

Danielle was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and is a single mother of her daughter Juliánne. She attended the University of California at Long Beach and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Sociology. After competing in five Olympic Games, she became the USA Indoor Volleyball Olympic appearance record holder, Danielle has now touched and inspired thousands of boys and girls, women and men, teams and corporations around the nation by sharing the same methods she used to win two silver Olympic medals, and become inducted in multiple Halls of Fame. Danielle is also a crusader for financial literacy and helping families make and save money. She has spoken at women’s leadership conferences, empowering girls programs, schools, churches, athletic events and fundraisers. Since 2014, Danielle has been working with USA Volleyball’s High Performance Program.

Sue Gozansky

Volleyball

Served as envoy

  • 2019  –  Honduras

Sue retired in 2009 after 39 years as head volleyball coach at the University of California–Riverside, but she has not retired from the sport of volleyball. She continues to teach courses for USA Volleyball and internationally for the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) around the world. Sue is in her second year of being assistant coach of the Claremont High School Men’s Volleyball Team.

Sue took the UCR Highlander Women’s Team from competing in a small college division in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), the NCAA Division II and in 2000 to the elite level of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. Gozansky won almost 700 games dating back to 1970. During that span, UCR won three National Championships (AIAW Small College 1977, NCAA DII in 1982, 1986) and had a NCAA-record streak of 20 straight playoff appearances. She has been voted Coach of the Year in the CCAA five times (1981, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1996). Gozansky also served as head coach for the UCR men’s volleyball team for five years.

Her national and international coaching history is equally impressive. She has coached at the Olympic Sports Festival as well as the USA Women’s “B” volleyball team consisting of players being considered for roster spots on the National Team and was men’s and women’s coach for the quadrennial Maccabiah Games (Jewish Olympics) in Israel in 1981, 1985, 1989 and 1993. Gozansky is USAV CAP Level III coach and a member of the USA Volleyball Coaching Accreditation Program (CAP) teaching Cadre since 1988. She has also been a Level II certified instructor for the Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) since 1993.

She coached the men’s team in Somalia and the men’s and women’s national teams of the Kingdom of Tonga in preparation for the Mini South Pacific Games in the summer of 1997, under the auspices of the FIVB. She has given over 100 clinics in more than 35 countries, including Germany, Spain, Switzerland, China, the island of Dominica, the Dominican Republic, St Kitts, St Vincent’s and the Grenadines, Nepal and Belize.

Gozansky has written two books, “Championship Volleyball Techniques” and “Drills and Volleyball Coach’s Survival Guide,” which was adopted as the USAV CAP Level II course textbook.

Despite attending Ganesha High School in Pomona in an era where there were no organized sports for women, Gozansky became an accomplished student-athlete at Cal Poly Pomona, earning Athlete of the Year honors after lettering in volleyball, basketball, badminton, softball, tennis and track. She also excelled in the classroom, receiving a degree in physical education/social sciences in 1968. In 1970 she played on the USA National Volleyball team, and she continued to compete on the varsity volleyball and basketball teams at UCLA while pursuing her master’s degree in kinesiology, which she earned in 1975. In 1981, Gozansky was honored with the Cal Poly Outstanding Alumnus Award, and in 1986 she was again honored with her induction into the inaugural class of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

She joined the UCR staff in 1970 as head tennis and volleyball coach. During the early years of women’s sports, Gozansky served as the primary representative for women’s athletics at UCR and represented the Highlanders at the first Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) delegate assembly in 1971. When women’s sports became a part of the NCAA in 1981, she served on the first women’s volleyball committee. In 1990, she was recognized by the NCAA for 10 years of accomplishments and dedication to Division II volleyball. In 2006 she was inducted into the AVCA Coaches’ Hall of Fame and in the University of California–Riverside Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.

Sarah Huffman

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2019  –  Kuwait

During her brilliant career way she also was involved in the National team. She spent two years by playing for the “United States U-19” team from 2000 till 2002. Sarah helped National team win the 2002 FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship. In the 2003 Sarah joined to the “United States U-21”, where she played about four years. Thanks to her skills, U-21 team won on the Nordic Cup in the 2004, 2005 well as in 2007.

In the 2010 she finally appeared in the major National team of the United States. Sarah was honored with numerous awards. She was named Virginia State Player of the Year and as well as finalist for Soccer Buzz National Player of the Year. After a successful professional soccer career, she tried herself as a coach and was a volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater, University of Virginia.

Tiffany Roberts-Sahaydak

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2006  –  Uganda
  • 2007  –  Philippines
  • 2010  –  Thailand
  • 2011  –  Brazil
  • 2014  –  Brazil
  • 2015  –  Indonesia
  • 2017  –  Belarus
  • 2017  –  Albania
  • 2019  –  Egypt

An Olympic gold medalist, World Cup champion and two-time NCAA champion, Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak was named head women’s soccer coach at UCF in May 2013.

A three-time American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Roberts Sahaydak has wasted no time in putting her stamp on UCF’s successful program. Under her guidance, the Knights have earned four NCAA Tournament bids and four American Athletic Conference championships while boasting 11 conference Player of the Year awards and 38 all-league and tournament selections.

In her first season (2013), she led UCF to a school-record unbeaten streak (18 matches), an NSCAA national standing through much of the year and the program’s first undefeated conference season since 1999. In addition, UCF made history as the first program to win an American Athletic Conference Championship.

Roberts Sahaydak came to Orlando after serving six seasons at VCU alongside her co-head coach, husband and current UCF associate head coach Tim Sahaydak.

Roberts Sahaydak spent a decade with the U.S. National Team from 1994-2004, earning 112 caps (with 60 starts). Her career was highlighted by three women’s World Cups – among them, the unforgettable 1999 championship – and a gold medal with the 1996 Olympic team.

After retiring from the USWNT, she has served as an ambassador for U.S. Soccer with the U.S. Department of State Sports Envoy Program since 2007, promoting the power and benefit of sport internationally. With the program, she has visited Indonesia, Uganda, the Philippines, Thailand, Namibia, Brazil and France. In 2014, she was appointed to President Barack Obama’s Presidential Delegation to the Federative Republic of Brazil at the opening of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. She is a native of San Ramon, Calif., and was selected as the 1994 California High School Player of the Year.

She was a three-time Parade High School All-American, a three-time NSCAA All-American and was the two-time National Girl’s High School Player of the Year. She debuted for the Stars and Stripes in 1994 when she was only 16 as one of the youngest players ever to suit up for the National Team. She played in her first FIFA Women’s World Cup a month after her 18th birthday and won Olympic gold before she was out of her teens (USSoccer.com).

As a collegian, Roberts Sahaydak was a standout midfielder for North Carolina (1995-98) as a three-time All-ACC First Team selection. She led the Tar Heels to two NCAA titles (1996, 1997) during her tenure, was voted the 1998 ACC Tournament MVP and finished third in voting for collegiate soccer’s highest honor, the Hermann Trophy.

She still ranks among the top five for career starts in UNC’s record book.She was a two-time captain for the Carolina Courage in the first fully professional U.S. women’s league (Women’s United Soccer Association). She helped the Courage win the 2002 title after finishing last in the team’s inaugural campaign one year prior.

Roberts Sahaydak took over VCU’s program in 2007 and led the Rams to three conference championship game appearances. She was voted as the 2011 Colonial Athletic Association Co-Head Coach of the Year, along with her husband Tim. The duo mentored two CAA Defenders of the Year, one CAA Rookie of the Year and 20 all-conference players, including six first-team honorees.The Sahaydaks reside in Orlando with their two daughters, Layla and Evie.

“It’s been a life changing experience being involved in the Sports Diplomacy Envoys. I have had the good fortune of participating in programs all over the globe, and I’ve worked together with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. I am constantly reminded that sport can bring us closer together. We can celebrate our differences and our common interests. Every time we start to play a game we start to connect and the world seems to get a bit smaller.”

Kacey White

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2019  –  Costa Rica
  • 2024  –  Cambodia

White was a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team during her playing career. She earned 18 caps with the U.S. WNT from 2006-2010 and was an alternate for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. She had a six year professional career that took her to play professionally in Sweden with Balinge and AIK, where she was named Uppland Forward of the Year. White was also a 1st round draft pick of the WPS and played for Sky Blue FC, Magic Jack and Atlanta Beat during her time in the league where she won a WPS Championship in 2009. White was an two-time All-American who won three (3) ACC Titles and one (1) NCAA National Championship in her career at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

White currently works as a TV broadcaster and color analyst for the National Women’s Soccer League, USL Championship and ESPN. She also currently owns her own business K21 Sports Consulting where she not only mentors elite youth, collegiate and professional athletes throughout their careers but also aides former collegiate and professional athletes as they navigate their transition from elite athletics into the professional work force.

White was formerly the Head Coach of the USA U16 Girls National Team, as well as, working extensively as an assistant for the USA’s U14, U15 and U17 World Cup National Teams from 2014-2018. She has also served as an assistant coach and video analyst with the US Virgin Islands Men’s Senior National Team. White had collegiate head coaching stints as Head Coach of Xavier University and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, while also serving as an Assistant at the University of Oklahoma and Texas Tech. White currently holds her USSF A-Senior coaching license and her UEFA B License from the Welsh Association.