Elite performance experts head to Austin Peay as summit extends early-bird registration
By: Seth Riker August 26, 2026
As Austin Peay State University prepares to kick off its football season Thursday night at Fortera Stadium, the Governors aren’t the only high-performance athletes and coaches drawing attention to Clarksville.
This fall, Austin Peay will bring together experts whose careers span professional sports, Olympic competition and some of the nation’s most demanding military environments for the inaugural Health and Performance Summit, presented by Deaconess.
The one-day summit takes place Saturday, Oct. 17, inside Austin Peay’s new Health Professions Building and is designed for professionals working across strength and conditioning, athletic training, rehabilitation, sports science, healthcare and tactical performance. The inaugural event is presented by Deaconess, a regional healthcare system serving the Clarksville area through its hospital in nearby Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
“We wanted to build something that reflects how broad the field of human performance has become,” said Dr. Tim Leszczak, chair of Austin Peay’s Department of Health and Human Performance. “The same questions about strength, recovery, injury prevention, readiness and mental performance are being asked by professional sports organizations, healthcare providers and the military. This summit gives those communities an opportunity to learn from one another.”
The speaker lineup reflects that range. Session presenters include:
- Chris Dunaway, international director of athleticism and performance for the Los Angeles Dodgers, with previous experience in the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations.
- Andy Barr, a sports performance and rehabilitation expert with more than 25 years of experience, including work in the NBA and English Premier League.
- Paul Robbins, a performance specialist with 16 seasons of experience working with NBA performance data who has also worked across the NFL, NHL and USTA, as well as with Navy SEALs.
- Ryan Metzger, a strength and conditioning professional whose background includes Power Five collegiate athletics and competitive Olympic weightlifting.
- Spencer Posey, military and human performance lead for Garmin Health, whose career bridges athletic performance and military readiness.
- Seth Haselhuhn, SOCOM Mental Performance Specialist and owner of Caliber Development Group. Ph.D. and expert in mental performance, decision-making under pressure, and applied sport psychology with military and tactical population experience.
The breadth of that expertise is particularly relevant in the greater Central Tennessee region, where collegiate athletics, healthcare and one of the nation’s largest military communities intersect.
Deaconess’ support as presenting sponsor further strengthens that regional connection. Through its hospital in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Deaconess serves patients across western Kentucky and northern Middle Tennessee and represents a growing healthcare presence in the communities surrounding Austin Peay and Fort Campbell.
“Deaconess’ support helps us bring this caliber of professional development to Clarksville and make Austin Peay a gathering place for people working at the leading edge of human performance,” Leszczak said. “There is tremendous expertise across this region, particularly with Fort Campbell, our growing healthcare sector and the strength and conditioning community in Middle Tennessee. This summit will help connect it.”
To give more professionals an opportunity to attend, Austin Peay has extended early-bird registration through Tuesday, September 8. Professional registration is $150 during the early-bird period before increasing to $200. Student registration is $100 during the early-bird period, while military members and first responders can register for $150.
Attendees are also eligible to continuing education credits through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association.
The Health and Performance Summit runs from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Austin Peay’s Health Professions Building, 341 Eighth St. in Clarksville.
For the complete speaker lineup, schedule and registration information, visit https://www.apsu.edu/health-and-performance-summit/
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