PROJECT DRIVEN, EDUCATION FOCUSED
Embedded in the heart and core of our mission is the desire to uplift through project driven, education focused initiatives. We honor our role and opportunity to discover how we can best serve collectively, make a difference in ways that are of value and effect positive change with kindness and compassion. Much like our logo The Kyle Group branches into different educational projects. The Kyle Group was Founded by Barbara Earley Kyle in 2011, for the purpose of partnering with the WV Women's Commission, which she was called upon to serve as Chair. Her focus was to identify and shine a light on issues pertaining to women and their children. These issues fertilized the roots of The Kyle Group. Having the opportunity and privilege to visit communities throughout the state, and see firsthand the challenges they faced, provided the catalyst to form a partnership with her husband Dr. Jim Kyle who serves as Executive Director of The Kyle Group. Together they identified opportunities that reflected individual as well as shared passions that became the foundation The Kyle Group was founded on and continues to support today.
From the President
“Things happened fast when we moved back to our home state, West Virginia, in the fall of 2009… We had spent the last decade in Florida close to the family we had there. And it was our family that provided the catalyst for our return home. Opportunities presented themselves, challenges too. Jim was asked to serve one way, a leadership post as Medical Director for Region One EMS in Southern WV. This position provided many seeds of opportunity to make a difference through education-based projects in small town USA. These towns were being ravaged by the opioid crisis, which impacted both family dynamics and our EMS systems… I was called to serve in a different way, as chairwoman for the West Virginia's Women's Commission. I had the great privilege to travel around the state meeting with women from all walks of life, listening to their stories. Again, the opportunity to identify and seed projects with great organization to help make life a more hopeful one for women and their children throughout the state.
The Kyle Group was founded based upon the intersection of these two service-based leadership positions and a lot of our shared interests and passions along the way. The Kyle Group is project-driven and education focused. Commitment to long-lasting change requires dedication, perseverance, and a steadfast determination to see it through to fruition. My paternal grandmother Flora Earley taught me a great life lesson when I was pretty young and couldn't figure out how to take on large tasks….I have taken it to heart. She would ask me: “How do you eat an elephant?” When I couldn't find an answer, she would tell me…“One bite at a time!” I carry this with me through all facets of my personal life and my work.”
Barbara Kyle
From the Executive Director
“Southern West Virginia is our home. We believe we were called here to serve in some unique way. Our initiative is simple: We recognize the challenges that our southern West Virginia communities face. It is our purpose to discover how we can best serve collectively, make a difference in ways that are of value, and effect positive change. We work to ensure that EMS is given every educational opportunity available in order to best meet the challenges they are faced with daily. We focus on lifelong learning that reflects our belief that in emergency medicine the questions remain the same, but the answers keep on changing.
This same philosophy also applies to our work in sports medicine. Exercise is medicine! Sports play for scholastic athletes is a catalyst for lifelong exercise habits. In addition, team sports participation provides an opportunity for valuable life lessons such as discipline, physical and mental toughness and the value of teamwork. We want to promote these values of health and wellness to support and encourage a path for a successful, productive life, and having fun while doing it!
The Kyle Group initiative to promote safe sports play in small town USA with inherent limited resources remains a priority. Protocols for early recognition and initial treatment of common sports injuries; concussion, heat stress, exercise induced asthma, sickle cell trait, athlete collapse.. have been developed in partnership with national leaders in sports medicine care. To name a few…ANDREWS INSTITUTE, EMORY UNIVERSITY, GATA, KSI, NFL, TAPPS, & UGA. Shared vision, values, and purpose have allowed us to continue our mission today. It is with great excitement that we announce Dr. Ron Courson as our Medical Director of Sports Medicine. We have been fortunate to collaborate with Dr. Courson for almost thirty years. We look forward to this next chapter!”
Dr. Jim Kyle
From the Medical Director of Sports Medicine
“I am a certified athletic trainer with four decades of experience spanning intercollegiate athletics, professional sports, the Olympic Games, and large-scale sporting events. In addition, I am a nationally registered advanced emergency medical technician, a board-certified clinical specialist in sports physical therapy, and a certified strength and conditioning specialist. I founded the Emergency Care in Sport (ECS) continuing education course and am deeply committed to advancing best practices in emergency preparedness at all levels of sport. I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with pioneers in the field, including Dr. Jim Andrews and Dr. Jim Kyle—whose mentorship fostered my strong belief in the vital role of education and research in improving sports medicine. I first met Dr. Kyle during the 1996 Olympic Games, and we have since worked closely on numerous emergency care projects and publications.
I am a passionate advocate for interprofessional collaboration, firmly believing that sports medicine teams should function and communicate with the same precision and cohesion as athletic teams. I have authored multiple publications on key emergency topics, including emergency action planning, exertional heat illness, sudden cardiac arrest, head and spine trauma, and hemorrhage control—where I had the opportunity to contribute to the White House’s “Stop the Bleed” initiative. At the core of my philosophy is the conviction that “athletes want to know how much you care before they care how much you know.” Building a true “culture of care” within sports medicine is essential. I emphasize the importance of intentional preparation, team-based scenario training, and communication to ensure calm, confident, and effective emergency responses. As I often say, “Calm is contagious”—and that calm comes from being prepared.”