Gregory Dale Death, Obituary – After a year-long struggle with gastric cancer, Gregory A. Dale, PhD, who served as the Director of Sport Psychology and Leadership Program for Duke Athletics, lost his battle with the disease on Thursday, November 24. He was 60 years old. Funeral services are scheduled to take place in the Duke University Chapel on Wednesday, November 30, at 1:30 p.m. Parking is available in Bryan Center parking garage (GPS: 135 Science Dr.) This site will also provide access to a live webcast of the service. Cammie, his wife of 28 years, and their children Abbey, Graham, Charles, and Lucas are the only people who will remember Dale after he has passed away. Dale was a member of the Duke Athletics staff for over twenty years, during which time he established himself as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on sports leadership and psychology.
In this one-of-a-kind position, he was responsible for providing training to the department’s athletes, coaches, and administrators, as well as to a number of professional sports franchises and coaches. He did this by participating in a variety of educational programs. In addition, Dale was responsible for providing services in the area of team building for the department’s athletic teams and other units. Dale is an esteemed professor at Duke University, where he teaches sport psychology and sport ethics in the Department of Health, Wellness, and Physical Education. He has received multiple awards from Duke University in recognition of his outstanding teaching.
Dale was given a position in the newly established Integrative Performance Excellence Group at Duke University in July of 2018.
This group is made up of directors in the fields of sports performance, athletic medicine, sports nutrition, and behavioral health, as well as individuals representing psychological services, team physicians, and primary care physicians. Dale has been a member of this group since July 2018. This working group’s objective was to improve the overall collegiate experience of Duke student-athletes by implementing an integrative approach to the care of each individual athlete throughout the course of his or her collegiate career. At the same time, the group wanted to continue to cultivate partnerships with the Duke University Hospital, the Duke Sports Science Institute, Duke Student Health, and Duke Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) as part of its holistic approach to the health of student-athletes.
In 1985, Dale graduated with a bachelor’s degree in general studies from Stephen F. Austin State University. In 1987, he received his master’s degree from Columbia University, and in 1993, he received his doctorate from the University of Tennessee. After beginning his professional life as a professor of sport psychology at Winthrop University, he moved on to a position at Duke University in the year 2000. Dale, who was born and raised in Troy, Texas, is the author of multiple books on topics such as leadership, coaching, parenting, and performance. He has also worked as a consultant for a wide variety of athletic and corporate organizations all over the world.