BACKGROUND
For more than 30 years, Kathleen Stroia has been a transformational leader creating a wide range of global health and wellness programs for professional tennis players. Upon joining the WTA in 1990, Stroia established the Sport Sciences & Medicine department developing standards of care coordinated with WTA tournament physicians worldwide and conducting research to address injury prevention and women’s health issues including Performance Health and Mental Health & Wellness resulting in the groundbreaking WTA Age Eligibility Rule for young athletes and WTA Player Development programs to enhance career longevity. Kathleen currently serves as Sr. Vice President of Performance Health and is the acting co-chairwoman of the Hologic WTA Women's Health Task Force.
EDUCATION
A native of Merrillville, Indiana, Stroia earned a B.A. in Sports Science with an emphasis on Athletic Training from Purdue University, an M.S. in Athletic Training from West Virginia University and a B.S. in Physical Therapy from Chicago Medical School which prepared her to launch her career in professional sports.
EXPERTISE
Specializing in the female tennis athlete, Kathleen has been a part of the WTA Sport Sciences & Medicine team since 1990. In her current position, Stroia continues to lead her innovative team to new heights as they bring tennis medicine into the next century. The Sport Sciences & Medicine department, put in place to enhance the career performance, safety, fulfillment, and longevity of professional women tennis players, is recognized as the leader of such programs in the professional sporting world. Stroia is also the architect for Advantage (initially Transitions), a program that has been introduced to the professional tennis world. Advantage launched in 2010 to provide sophisticated education, training, and career guidance to maximize opportunities for athletes during their tennis careers and after.