Aug. 22, 2006

Chicago, Ill.- UIC Director of Athletics Jim Schmidt announced on Tuesday that Ann Crosby will assume the post of head strength and conditioning coach.

Crosby will oversee and implement strength and conditioning programs for all 18 UIC athletic teams.

In her new position, Crosby becomes one of just a handful of female head strength and conditioning coaches in collegiate athletics.

Crosby comes to UIC after nearly six years as an independent strength and conditioning consultant for numerous professional athletes, including 2003 Women's World Cup MVP and 2003 FIFA Player of the Year Birgit Prinz, softball standout Tara Knudsen and the entire Scottish Women's National Lacrosse Team.

At the collegiate level, Crosby has served as a strength and conditioning coach for Georgia Tech (2003-2004) and Northwestern (1998-2001). At Northwestern Crosby designed and implemented programs for 15 varsity sports while assisting the football, men's basketball, wrestling and men's golf strength coaches.

Crosby also served as the Head of Athlete Performance for the Carolina Courage of the Women's United Soccer Association from 2001-2003, becoming the first full-time strength and conditioning coach in the WUSA.

From 2004 through 2005 Crosby served as the Director of Women's Sports for Velocity Sports Performance in Baltimore, Md. There she implemented speed, strength and conditioning programs for athletes ages 12-adult.

Crosby earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science with an emphasis in biomedical science from Western Michigan University in 1998. She is a certified strength and conditioning specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association and earned certification and membership with the American Red Cross, USA Track and Field, USA Weightlifting, the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Sports Medicine.