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Crusade's Mission
CRUSADE 360
"The mind and body are the foundational pilars which are trained by athletes to drive their preparation and recovery to achieve optimal performance"
- Crusade
Crusade Sports Medicine, Nonprofit Organization was formed to conduct and publish meta-analyses and clinical surveys to provide insights on emerging trends, practices, and technologies in sports medicine and performance.
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We are a highly driven group of undergraduate student-athletes at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) that are passionate about learning how sports medicine is best practiced and what the future will look like for enhancing patient care.
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Through our research, we are developing programs that empower teams and individual student-athletes to maximize their potential on and off their playing field, guided by our Crusade 360 values of holistic growth and resilience.
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We are also excited to begin researching and improving wearable sensing technologies to enable our research team to collect and analyze data from groups of athletes on their playing field.
We are always seeking new members and professionals to join us in building a strong and active community. Welcome to the Crusade family - please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or inquiries!
Crusade SWOT Awareness Metrics
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Crusade SMART Goal Drivers
Specific to KPIs
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-Bound
Crusade Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Metrics are set by each athlete to address the weaknesses and threats which will generate results for driving performance
At Crusade, we help student-athletes reach their full potential by providing clear, science-based guidance. We believe that optimizing mental resilience, enhancing physical training strategies, and prioritizing recovery will empower student-athletes to achieve sustained excellence and long-term success in their athletic and academic careers.
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Engineering Clinical Study Project - Wearable Sensing and Data Analytics
Project Goals
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Design and develop a wearable heart-rate sensor with a compact form factor and wireless data transmission capabilities.
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Enable our clinical research group to collect data from UCLA athletes, analyze it, and use the data for research journal publications.
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Researchers learn how to design the PCB according to project goals, assemble, and test the final product.
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Low-power electronics to optimize battery life while providing accurate heart-rate monitoring.
Meet Our Team
Michael Shara
Sport: Hockey
Co-Founder
UCLA - Electrical Engineering, B.S. '27
Anirvin Bommaraju
Co-Founder
Sport: Soccer
UCLA - Neuroscience, B.S. / Film Minor '25
Azaan Bilal
Director of Education
Sport: Basketball
UCLA - Human Biology & Societies, B.S. '26
Michael, from Orange County, California, is a UCLA Electrical Engineering student and biotech Researcher with a passion for innovation in the medical field.
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Michael's interest in sports medicine and performance is inspired from his own hockey experience that required working closely with athletic trainers, nutritionists, psychologists, and sports medicine doctors.
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Before UCLA, Michael took a gap year to play Canadian Junior A hockey in the BCHL, earning the Joe Tennant Most Dedicated Player Award and ranking among the top 10 rookie defensemen in scoring. He now serves as Captain of Lebanon’s National Men’s Ice Hockey Team and plays for UCLA’s Ice Hockey Team.
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Michael co-founded Crusade Sports Medicine to cultivate a community of undergraduate student-athletes who are passionate about researching innovation in the sports medicine field, as well as educating other student-athletes on taking their performance to the next level.
Anir, from Sacramento, California is currently a Senior enrolled in the Neuroscience program at UCLA. His early involvement in soccer, spanning from childhood to his middle school years, intensified his dedication to the sport. Unfortunately, injuries prevented him from pursuing soccer at a higher level after high school. This setback fueled his desire to support other aspiring student athletes, aiming to guide them towards success in their athletic endeavors.
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During his high school years, Anir not only excelled in soccer but also distinguished himself academically as the Valedictorian of his class. Additionally, he engaged in diverse extracurricular activities, serving as a researcher on ayurvedic practices and assuming leadership roles such as president of the Spanish Honors Society. Through his athletic and academic experiences, he gained valuable insights into injury prevention strategies and cultivated a deep understanding of the lifestyle required for student athletes to thrive.
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Drawing upon his accumulated knowledge and introspection, Anir co-founded Crusade to actualize his passion for supporting student athletes on their journey to success.
Azaan, from Long Island, New York, is currently a UCLA Human Biology & Societies student with a passion for combining medicine and athletics to improve performance and recovery for athletes.
Azaan’s interest in medicine stems from his extensive experience as an EMT during high school, where he honed his critical thinking skills and learned life-saving interventions during his volunteer work with the Dix Hills Fire Department. This foundation, coupled with his leadership experience as class president, fueled his drive to pursue a career that merges medical expertise with athletic performance.
As a Sports Medicine Intern at UCLA, Azaan works specifically with the Men’s Basketball team, assisting in rehab and recovery efforts. Under the guidance of the Sports Medicine Department, he gains hands-on experience in supporting athletes’ return to peak performance.
Azaan's goal in Crusade is to inspire and educate student athletes on optimizing their performance while fostering a community passionate about innovation in sports medicine.