Author Profile

Eric VasConselles & Dr. Lauren Holzberg

School

Bio

Kyoshi Eric VasConselles

6th Dan Shotokan Karate
Nidan Judo

Kyoshi Eric has been in Martial Arts since he was 15 years old. He has studied various styles to include Judo, Shorin-ryu and Gojin-ryu. He has also worked in law enforcement both as a Deputy Sheriff and in Jails and prisons. He has taught Karate and various other physical education sports at the University of New Mexico since 2000 and ran his own dojo for many years.

Dr. Lauren Holzberg

Dr. Lauren Holzberg was an accomplished high school and USTA (United States Tennis Association) junior tennis player. During high school, she was a four-time tennis conference champion helping her team win the Connecticut State Championship, while she won the individual Connecticut State Championship. As a USTA junior player, she was ranked #1 in Connecticut, #1 in New England, and 76th in the nation. Lauren won numerous sportsmanship awards throughout her career, including the William Hoblitzelle Award, a USTA award given annually to a tennis player who best demonstrates a superior blend of sportsmanship and leadership on and off the court. She attended The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) on a full athletic tennis scholarship where she played both singles and doubles for four years. During her collegiate career, she won over 50 individual singles matches and earned the ITA All-Academic Team award, the Academic All- Big Ten Team award and the Big Ten Conference Scholar-Athlete award. After college, she began an illustrious coaching career as an assistant tennis coach at Wellesley College, followed by an assistant coaching position at The University at Albany, where she received her master’s degree in Educational Administration and Policy Studies. Lauren continued to coach, holding the head tennis coaching position at Mount Saint Mary College and then assistant tennis coach at West Virginia University. Lauren later received her doctoral degree in education with a supporting area in sports from The University of New Mexico. She is currently an Instructor in kinesiology, health and physical education at Valdosta State University.