Soccer's Dr. Osiris Estrada First Athlete to Earn Doctorate from OLLU

SAN ANTONIO (Dec. 29, 2023) – Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) began intercollegiate athletics in 2007 with volleyball and men's soccer. Since then, 658 student-athletes have received degrees, including 53 with advanced degrees. On Dec. 13, the first student-athlete to receive a doctorate walked the stage at Freeman Coliseum. Men's soccer's Osiris Estrada earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership Studies. His dissertation was "A Study of the Relationship between Soccer Players' Age, Gender, Position on the Field, and Level of Competition and their Leadership Skills and Emotional Intelligence." 

Estrada joined the team in 2012 as a junior midfielder. Born in Durango, Mexico, and raised in Ciudad Juarez, he attended Cisco College for two years. Estrada lived in El Paso, Texas, for five years before moving to San Antonio. After graduating from El Dorado High School, Estrada participated in a professional soccer camp. He was one of the three players recruited to play professionally for Real Magari FC in Juarez. He continued his professional career playing for Pelicanos Neza in Mexico City. 

While at OLLU, he was a Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Scholar-Athlete and part of the first men's soccer team to win both the regular season and postseason tournament and qualify for the NAIA National Tournament. Upon receiving his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in 2013, he began his postgraduate program, while also serving as a graduate assistant for the men's and women's teams. In 2016, Estrada earned a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership. 

Estrada said, "In my time playing at OLLU, I made amazing friendships that, to this day, are still an important part of my life. Upon graduating in 2013 with a bachelor's degree, [men's soccer head coach] Shane Hurley encouraged me to continue my education and complete my master's and first year of my PhD program. He gave me the opportunity to serve as a graduate assistant soccer coach from 2013 to 2016."  

While simultaneously attending graduate school and coaching, Estrada served as Director of Operations for Kickers Soccer Academy in San Antonio. The organization, which began in 2013, is focused on providing young athletes the opportunity for player development through professional soccer training and life values.  

In January 2017, Estrada started his career in health and fitness, serving in several part-time roles at the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.  

"My career was greatly impacted by the organizational leadership education I received at OLLU," Estrada said. In August 2017, he received his first promotion and the opportunity to serve as a Health and Wellness Coordinator at the Harvey E. Najim YMCA located on Roosevelt Ave. A year later, in November, Estrada became the Health and Wellness Director at the D.R. Semmes Family YMCA located on North St. Mary's St., in San Antonio.  

Estrada briefly served as a Senior Health and Wellness Director at Semmes in May 2020 before serving as Operations Director from 2020 to 2022 at the Mays Family YMCA at Stone Oak. In December 2022, he became the Association Director of Wellness and Personal Training at the YMCA of Greater San Antonio. "In this role, Estrada said," I have had the chance to serve and support the operations of the health and wellness department across 12 locations in the San Antonio, Schertz, Cibolo and Boerne areas. I've also had the pleasure of leading the logistics and operations of Siclovia, a city-wide initiative that promotes health and wellness in the San Antonio area." 

Estrada credits his education at OLLU for allowing him to learn valuable lessons and gain practical information that he could take into his professional career.  

"I'm truly grateful for the servant leadership mentality inculcated in me throughout my 11 years at OLLU. It has led me to discover that I can have a successful career through servant leadership," Estrada said. 

Head Coach Shane Hurley said, "Osiris was a joy to coach; he consistently brought his best efforts and attitude to training and matches. We are very proud of his accomplishments and success in the community. Being the first student-athlete at OLLU among all 18 teams to earn a doctorate from OLLU is exceptional, and we congratulate him on this fabulous feat." 

Estrada and his life partner, Selena Wicklund, have two dogs - Milo and PB, and two cats – Astro and Oli. They all reside in San Antonio.