Player Bio: Dr. Sho Fukushima - NAVY OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Dr. Sho Fukushima

	Position: Head Coach
	Experience: 18th Year
	Alma Mater: Washington '71

Dr. Sho Fukushima, a tenured professor in Physical Education, has guided the Navy gymnastics program for the past 17 seasons with class, honor and dignity.

The numbers -- both academically and athletically -- that have been produced during Fukushima's tenure speak for themselves.

In the classroom, Fukushima has produced 31 Academic All-Americans, and in the athletic arena, he has coached 33 NCAA qualifiers.

"When I first arrived at the Naval Academy, there was no organization at all in the program," Fukushima said. "I was determined to change everything in the program and have it fit my liking. It took nearly three years, but I was finally able to blend Midshipmen who excelled in the classroom and in the athletic arena."

Last year, he guided the Mids to their first All-Academy Championship, a title at the USAG Collegiate Championship, a convincing Star Meet victory over Army and a 9-8 record. Fukushima, who owns a 197-189 (.510) all-time record, coached Navy to a fourth-place finish at the ECAC Championship and seven Midshipmen to the NCAA Qualifying Meet.

The accomplishments of his athletes at Navy has also brought him much deserved individual recognition as well.

In 1997-98, 1999-00, 2004-05 and 2007-08, Fukushima was named Coach of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches (NACGC) and was named Men's Team Coach of the Year by USA Gymnastics. He was also named East Region Coach of the Year by the coaches' association.

"The individual awards are nice, but what is special when some of my former gymnasts have returned and finally thanked me for what I was able to do for them when they were here," he added. "That is what makes coaching special."

Fukushima came to Navy in 1991 after coaching in several places around the world.

He began his gymnastics career in Japan and moved onto other places, including the Montreal Olympics and the Verna World Championships. He has coached five Olympians and five USA National Team members. He has also published two books on gymnastics in Sweden and England, in addition to writing numerous articles in Europe, Japan and the United States.

Fukushima graduated from Washington with a B.A. and M.S., and completed his Ph.D. at California in 1984. He earned the Pac-8 Conference Scholar-Athlete-of-the-Year award in 1971, while also achieving All-America status. He was Pac-10 Coach of the Year at California three times (1984,`87,`89) and was also NCAA Western Region Coach of the Year in 1980.