Olson Returns to Serve as Sports Chaplain/Sports Psych Coach

By Abigail Hintz, Assistant Sports Information Director

CIRCLEVILLE, OH — Ohio Christian University is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Larry Olson as the Sports Chaplain/Sport Psychology Performance Coach.

In this role, Dr. Olson will assist the athletic department in providing pastoral care and spiritual guidance to student-athletes, staff and coaches. This could include overseeing Bible studies or prayer groups, consulting with athletes, coaches and staff on sport psychology issues, working to refer athletes to specialists when necessary and assisting teams with performance readiness.

"First, I want to thank President Smith and AD Arroyo Jr. for bringing me on in this new post," Dr. Olson said. "Beyond that, I look forward to working with everyone in OCU Athletics as we continue in the quest for strong spiritual development and positive 'game-time' attitudes and winning performance."

Dr. Olson has been with Ohio Christian University in a variety of capacities since 1984. He graduated from what was then Circleville Bible College in 1987 with a degree in Christian Ministries before getting his master's in Pastoral Counseling from Olivet Nazarene University in 1990. He went on to get his PhD in General Psychology from Capella University in 2008 during which time he had sport psychology training and was teaching classes at OCU.

Dr. Olson was the athletic director at OCU from 1994-2002. He was also the head baseball coach for ten years, building the program from the ground up from 1996-2005. His current role with the university is psychology professor and professor emeritus.

"I am thrilled with the hiring of Dr. Larry Olson as we continue seeking ways to enhance the student athlete experience," Ohio Christian athletic director George Arroyo Jr. said. "Dr. Olson has a genuine passion for students and sports. With the newly created role, he will assist student athletes and teams in the areas of mental performance, character development and discipleship. This is another WIN for the Ohio Christian University Trailblazers."

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