 *** Press Release from Maryland School for the Deaf ***
Please join us in welcoming Elena Ciccarelli as the new Athletic Director at MSD. Elena has been a dedicated member of the MSD community since 2015, serving in a variety of roles that reflect her commitment to student development and well-being. She began her career as a Residential Child and Youth Care Practitioner in the Student Life department, then supported our younger learners as a teacher’s aide in the Elementary Department. She later taught Physical Education for four years. Her leadership in athletics began to take shape through her work as co-interim Assistant Athletic Director, a role she formally assumed full time in July 2022. Most recently, she served as interim Athletic Director during the 2024–2025 school year. Over the past decade, she has coached several high school and Special Olympics teams, including guiding the 2018 Special Olympics Unified Soccer team to a State Championship. She also served as assistant coach for the varsity girls’ basketball team during its back-to-back national championship seasons, later stepping into the head coach role. A standout student-athlete herself, Elena made history at Gallaudet University as the first to compete in three varsity sports—women’s soccer, women’s basketball, and softball—during all four years of her collegiate career. In recognition of her excellence in leadership, athletics, and service, she was named an NCAA Woman of the Year nominee in 2015. Elena is also a gold medalist with the USA Deaf Women’s Basketball Team, having earned top honors at the 2014 U21 World Championship in Samsun, Turkey, and the 2015 World Deaf Basketball Championship in Taoyuan, Taiwan. We welcome her leadership in this new role. |