Akira Kondo was named the assistant athletic trainer at Hood College in April 2005 and was promoted to head athletic trainer in the summer of 2008. Kondo came to Hood from Pima Community College in Tucson, Ariz., where he served as a staff athletic trainer. Prior to working at Pima, he served as a graduate assistant at the University of Akron, providing injury prevention, care and treatment to NCAA Division I student-athletes.

Kondo, who played soccer at Chowan College, received his bachelor's degree in athletic training/sports medicine and his master's degree in exercise physiology/adult fitness from Akron. He has four years of experience working with highly competitive athletes.

Kondo is certified by and a member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association and American Red Cross for FA/CPR/AED instructor and professional rescuer. He is also a member of the Maryland Athletic Trainers' Association and the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Trainers' Association.

Kondo, a native of Tokyo, Japan, has worked major events such as the NJCAA Division I Softball National Championship (2004), the U.S. Youth Soccer Championship Series (2004) and the NCAA Division I Track & Field National Championship (2003), among others.