Dr. Albert J. Petitpas

Dr. Albert J. Petitpas for developing and leading the U. S. efforts at positive youth development through sport and physical activity. Born in Cambridge, MA, Dr. Albert J. Petitpas received his D.Ed. from Boston University. In 1978 he joined the faculty at Springfield College and created the Athletic Counseling program in the Department of Psychology. Over the next 38 years Dr. Petitpas developed this into one of the premier programs of positive youth development through sport and physical activity in the country. He has held numerous leadership positions in psychology at Springfield College and in national organizations including Director of the National Football Foundation Center for Youth Development. Dr. Petitpas is a Fellow and Certified Consultant with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology and has chaired several of its committees. Over the years he has designed and developed some of the largest youth development through sport programs in the U.S. as "Play It Smart" and "The First Tee" and has been a consultant to many national organizations as the U. S. Olympic Committee, U. S. Ski Team, NBA, NCAA and LGPA. Dr. Petitpas has published more than 50 peerreviewed articles, 40 book chapters and presented at many meetings. Among his numerous awards are the Springfield College Distinguished Professor of Humanics Award and the Founders Award from several national sports organizations. In 2017 Dr. Petitpas retired from Springfield College and is focusing on programming in youth development. Today, he and his wife Katherine live in Berlin, CT.