The St. James announced today that Ken Tyler has been named the director of athletics at the 450,000 square foot sports, wellness and active entertainment destination set to open in Fairfax County in September 2018.

"Ken has built a sterling reputation as a dynamic, creative, resourceful and high impact leader and program builder as both a coach and athletics director in some of the most demanding jobs in collegiate athletics," said Kendrick Ashton, co-founder and co-CEO of The St. James. "We set out to build a best-in-class team to lead our broad and deep sports programs and with Ken joining us, we are well on our way to achieving that goal."

Tyler has led university-level athletics programs for 21 years. He previously served as director of athletics at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where he oversaw 27 sports and approximately 600 student-athletes and led the school's athletic programs to various NCAA national titles and tournament appearances. During his tenure, he also initiated multiple facility enhancements, fostered staff development and held leadership positions in national and conference athletic associations, including serving as chair of the Capital Athletic Conference Board of Directors and as a member of the NCAA Men's Basketball National Committee.

He also previously served as director of athletics at West Virginia Wesleyan College, assistant director of athletics at Shepherd University and assistant director of athletics at Albright College. Tyler was a Division I student-athlete on the men's basketball team at the College of William and Mary before going on to a coaching career at the high school and college level with assistant coaching positions at East Stroudsburg University, Roanoke College and James Madison University and head men's basketball coaching positions at both Shepherd University and Albright College.

"I've worked in the sports world as a player, coach and administrator for decades, and I still love it just as much as I did when I started out. I believe strongly in the power of sports to instill lifelong values and to foster positive relationships," said Ken Tyler. "Here at The St. James, we will help athletes develop that same love and skill in their chosen sport from beginners up to the highest level of performance. The programs we're offering families and athletes are some of the best in the country, and I'm thrilled to be leading them at this incredible complex."

As The St. James director of athletics, Tyler will lead more than 30 sport programs, overseeing the development of individualized coaching, personal training, developmental programs, youth camps and clinics, as well as a variety of sporting events, including tournaments and exhibitions held at The St. James.

He will also help manage sports programs' use of The St. James facilities, including the FIFA regulation-sized turf field, two NHL-sized ice rinks, four full-size basketball courts which can be converted to nine volleyball courts; an Olympic-size swimming pool, squash courts, golf simulators and spaces dedicated to martial arts, wrestling, boxing, gymnastics and more.

"We've got the most comprehensive sports programming in the Greater Washington region," said Craig Dixon. "As leader of those extensive offerings, Ken's many years of experience in diverse college athletics and his passion for helping athletes and coaches achieve their goals will greatly enhance our ability to deliver on our mission to help maximize the potential of every athlete, young or old, that comes through our doors."

The St. James is hosting an event for families and athletes to meet the coaches leading its sports programs on July 18, 2018. For more information and to RSVP contact The St. James at (703) 239-6870.

About The St. James

The St. James, the premier sports, wellness and active entertainment destination brand in the country, is set to open a flagship 450,000-square foot complex on a 20-acre campus in Fairfax County, Virginiain September 2018. The complex will offer the most comprehensive combination of sports and wellness venues and programming, lifestyle amenities and family centered active entertainment in the country. The St. James will offer complex-wide memberships, youth and adult sports developmental and training programs, individual instruction, personal training, camps, clinics, leagues, tournaments, showcases, birthday parties and more. For more information, please visit thestjames.co.