About Private Coach USA
Our President And Founder
A native of France, Johanna Hall was recruited to compete in NCAA Division 1 athletics by Penn State University's Women's Fencing Team. For four transformative years, she experienced the life of not only a Division 1 student-athlete but also of an international student at a U.S. university.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a master’s degree in TESL. She has taught French, Spanish, English as a Second Language, and Linguistics to hundreds of U.S. and international undergraduate and graduate students, at six different institutions of higher education and at her own language school.
For ten years, Johanna was on the coaching staff of the Penn State Men’s and Women’s Fencing team. During her tenure, the prestigious NCAA Division 1 program generated 1 Team National Championship, 3 Team National Runner-up finishes, 1 Team Fourth Place finish, 6 Individual Championship Titles, and 46 Individual Top Eight finishes. She worked extensively to recruit US and international athletes and helped them navigate the great complexities of the admissions requirements. Once team members were enrolled, she facilitated their first-year adjustment to campus and provided support toward a successful college experience.
She also guided her own children through the university journey, from exploration to graduation, and transition into the working world.
Johanna has seen the world of U.S. higher education through the lens of a NCAA Division 1 international student-athlete, a college faculty instructor at six different institutions, a NCAA Division 1 athletics coach, and a parent of four college graduates. She understands better than anyone the U.S. university system and the challenging journey international student-athletes undertake.
Our Mission: Empowering International Student-Athletes
An international education adds considerable cultural and linguistic challenges to an already demanding academic undertaking, and adding the component of being an NCAA Division 1 athlete makes the journey that much more challenging. However, the decision to study and train in an unfamiliar environment is incredibly rewarding as an individual gets to mature in a way that would not be achieved without such experience.
Private Coach USA's mission is to foster personal growth and success in all the international student-athletes we serve and mentor. We educate them, present them with valuable strategies and concrete solutions to overcome any challenge they face, and empower them to thrive in their new environment.
Our Commitment: All-Around Excellence
To The Parent
The journey your young adult is about to undertake by traveling abroad to earn a university degree and compete at an elite athletic level will be unique and transformative. Through a personalized plan, Private Coach USA will facilitate a meaningful university experience that will lead to academic success in the classroom and allow for athletic results on the field of play.
With Private Coach USA, your child will learn about the U.S. university system and NCAA Division 1 athletics, strategize about concerns and obstacles, solve problems collaboratively, and be empowered to be self-reliant, confident, and high achieving as a student and as an athlete.
To The Student-Athlete
As you seek to become an international student-athlete, Private Coach USA will mentor you and share years of professional experience, personal perspective, and insights. We have the credentials and the knowledge to guide you through your unique and transformative journey, from the day of application to the day of graduation.
Private Coach USA will be your advocate during your time in the United States, teaching you about your new university home and helping you with strategies and solutions that will empower you to become a strong student in the U.S. classroom and an elite NCAA Division 1 athlete.