Gregory Dale Obituary, Death -Gregory A. Dale, Ph.D., Duke Athletics’ Director of Sport Psychology and Leadership Program, died on Thursday, November 24, at the age of 60, after a year-long battle with gastric cancer. Abbey, Graham, Charles, and Lucas, as well as Dale’s 28-year-old wife, Cammie, are all still alive. Dale is a nationally recognized expert in sports leadership and psychology who spent more than 20 years as a member of the Duke Athletics team. Through a variety of instructional initiatives, he instructed the department’s athletes, coaches, and administrators, as well as a number of professional sports franchises and coaches, in his unique role. Dale’s team-building services were also used by the department’s athletic teams and other divisions.
Dale, a well-known professor of sport psychology and sport ethics in the Department of Health, Wellness, and Physical Education, has received numerous accolades from Duke University for his outstanding teaching. Dale was appointed to Duke’s newly formed Integrative Performance Excellence Group in July 2018. This group includes directors for sports medicine, sports nutrition, mental health, and sports performance, as well as representatives for psychiatric services, team doctors, and primary care physicians. As part of its comprehensive approach to student-athlete health, this working group sought to improve the experience of Duke student-athletes by providing an integrative approach to each athlete’s care throughout his or her collegiate career and continuing to foster partnerships with the Duke University Hospital, Duke Sports Science Institute, Duke Student Health, and Duke Counseling and Psychological Services.
Dale graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University with a bachelor’s degree in 1985. He later received his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee in 1987 and his master’s degree from Columbia University in 1993. He began his career as a professor of sport psychology at Winthrop University before moving to Duke in 2000. Dale is a Troy, Texas native who has written several books on performance, coaching, leadership, and parenting. He also provided consulting services to a number of international commercial and sports organizations.