One very large paper stands between me and the end of the quarter. This has been a challenging quarter, between 40+ hours per week at my internship and spending another grossly enormous amount of time completing readings, assignments, projects and the likes for my classes, I'm not sure everything has fully hit me yet. Perhaps that will happen when I venture home for the holidays; a short respite before it starts all over again January 3rd.
In looking back over what I've learned in all my classes so far, and the real time experiences I've had at my internship, I am beginning to see some of the major themes take form.
There's the arms race - Our relatively new football program still trying to find its legs, while attempting to gather the support and financing the other FBS schools have so that they can keep some of the amazing local talent, well, local.
Growth in facilities - 10 years into the program, our football team is, at long last, getting an on-campus stadium after finally securing the financing.
Academics vs. athletics - Student-athletes who may not have been accepted to the school based on their academic successes, accepted for their athletic abilities and the potential success they can provide to the program.
The fight between Olympic and non-Olympic sports - Our campus does not have a men's track & field team despite great interest, because they have not been able to create a way to balance out this new men's team with a women's team to stay compliant with Title IX.
Football will always be king - While home to virtually all athletics department staff, almost all the women's sports locker rooms, academics, sports medicine and university at large classrooms, football runs the athletic center building, and when they want a room or don't want you to have it, then it shall be done. When their staffing offices occupy as much space, if not more, than either the remainder of the athletics department staff and coaches offices and the academic support services offices and work space, it is clear who runs the show.
It's been interesting to see how everything comes out into the open when you've been trained to look for it. I can't wait to see what the next semester brings at my internship as football goes out of season, and the other sports take center stage, with some recently very successful teams. Will football remain king? My guess is yes, but I also think it will play a Prince Charles to the other sports' Prince William. Everyone knows football will be king, but a strong following want to jump over them to see what the young gun can do.
Here's to happy paper writing and a relaxing holiday break!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Like buildings, we build success one brick at a time
With the exception of one long paper due in a few days, I completed my assignments for the quarter last night when I submitted my Facility Enhancement Proposal. The purpose of this assignment was to enhance a currently existing athletics facility on our campus to meet the growing needs of the facility and its users. This could have been providing more space, updating features and facilities to meet codes, or enhancing certain features of the space to make seats more marketable or to allow sponsors more enticements for becoming involved among countless others.
My enhancement stepped away from the competition venues and took a look at the building that houses the athletics department, and focused on enhancing the student-athlete academic services offices and spaces so that they were more efficient and effective for the student-athletes, mainly through providing them with more space to grow and allow student-athletes to study comfortably.
What I learned about facility enhancement through this project is that there are a lot of small variables that can greatly impact whether or not you can succeed with an enhancement or even simply how you progress. For my enhancement, I had to come up with 2 separate plans for expanding the academic center - 1 for if the football offices moved into the new stadium when it was completed, and 1 for if they did not. While it may seem like a small difference, the resulting enhancements ranged on one end to simply taking over the abandoned space left by the exiting football personnel, to building an entirely new 2-story addition to house the academics center. Clearly this is going to have a huge impact on budget as well as what can be done with the different spaces to meet the needs of the student-athletes and the support staff.
I also learned that you have to be flexible with enhancements as sometimes you'll have to make decisions on the fly if something isn't turning out the way you want or expected. It's better to remain flexible and not get strung out over things as this will allow you to reevaluate and make changes more quickly.
I didn't learn much about my leadership style through this solo project, but I did learn that I have the ability to think through enhancement projects like this from start to finish, which I think will ultimately provide me with the confidence to broach an idea like this once I am within an athletics department. Demonstrating that confidence would hopefully also demonstrate my ability to think on my feet and take initiative on projects.
I'm excited to take what I learned with this project and add it to my tool belt for future jobs.
My enhancement stepped away from the competition venues and took a look at the building that houses the athletics department, and focused on enhancing the student-athlete academic services offices and spaces so that they were more efficient and effective for the student-athletes, mainly through providing them with more space to grow and allow student-athletes to study comfortably.
What I learned about facility enhancement through this project is that there are a lot of small variables that can greatly impact whether or not you can succeed with an enhancement or even simply how you progress. For my enhancement, I had to come up with 2 separate plans for expanding the academic center - 1 for if the football offices moved into the new stadium when it was completed, and 1 for if they did not. While it may seem like a small difference, the resulting enhancements ranged on one end to simply taking over the abandoned space left by the exiting football personnel, to building an entirely new 2-story addition to house the academics center. Clearly this is going to have a huge impact on budget as well as what can be done with the different spaces to meet the needs of the student-athletes and the support staff.
I also learned that you have to be flexible with enhancements as sometimes you'll have to make decisions on the fly if something isn't turning out the way you want or expected. It's better to remain flexible and not get strung out over things as this will allow you to reevaluate and make changes more quickly.
I didn't learn much about my leadership style through this solo project, but I did learn that I have the ability to think through enhancement projects like this from start to finish, which I think will ultimately provide me with the confidence to broach an idea like this once I am within an athletics department. Demonstrating that confidence would hopefully also demonstrate my ability to think on my feet and take initiative on projects.
I'm excited to take what I learned with this project and add it to my tool belt for future jobs.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Austin, TX Bids for the D2 Championship Festival... Sort of
Today brought with it the culmination of one of the most challenging group projects I've had to complete since my undergraduate years.
Our task: To select a city to host the 2013 Division II National Championships Festival and create a bid presentation, a complete marketing and promotions plan, a participants manual and an accompanying Facebook event, which we were to invite our classmates and instructors to. Trying to complete a project of this magnitude when group members are 3,000+ miles away, immersed in internships and jobs requiring 40+ hours per week, proved to be quite a challenge in logistics and coordination.
As for what I learned about event management and marketing from this project, I can't say it was much new. I've been planning and marketing events since I was 8 or 9 years old. My Girl Scout troop and I used to plan, organize and put on a handful of events each year for other troops in our council, which hundreds of girls and their troop leaders would attend each day. Additionally, prior to returning to school, I worked at an advertising and marketing agency where one of our services was planning and managing events and another was creating and executing marketing and promotions plans often times in conjunction with a PR firm we partnered with. I like to think events are what I do; they're a part of who I am. I suppose you could say what I did learn was that an event like the DII Festival existed and quite honestly had there been more time to actively work on this project and give it the attention I used to give the events I planned at my previous job, there would have been no contest as to which city would have won the bid.
When we turn this around to look at what I learned about my leadership skills during the completion of this project, I would say that much of what I already knew was confirmed through this project. While I often happily jump into the leadership role because, unfortunately, I'm a bit of a control freak and like to have control over my own grades and outcomes, just as often, leadership roles fall into my lap by default whether it's because I have a solid understanding of what needs to be accomplished or because people feel comfortable with me working them through the process successfully. I think that my "position" as the go-to person for questions on projects and assignments all summer and autumn quarters put me in the position of default leader for the group because they felt that I could direct them in the right direction with this project, while hopefully taking them along the least painful path. Additionally, as a leader I like everyone to feel comfortable when working on a project, and so I had each of my teammates select something they wanted to do so that hopefully they would tackle that component with enthusiasm. I often take a back burner on this and end up working on whatever no one else wants to work on, even if it's not my specialty. I'm willing to tackle the difficult components, while having my hands in everything else by helping teammates complete their parts. My role tends to end up with me as the hub of the group with my team members each bouncing ideas off of me and using me as the one person who knows every other component and how they should all mesh together to create one solid final outcome. I would say it's almost as though I'm the traffic cop for the group, directing everyone with their individual parts to one common central goal.
One area I've been able to improve upon a bit since my undergraduate group work days is delegating tasks and letting go of some things. I've learned that I simply can't take on everything and I have to begin to trust my team members to help me out and complete their components well.
Lastly, I take pride in often becoming the default leader because to me it shows that somewhere along the way I've managed to instill a confidence about myself in my team and that they are confident in me taking the lead on something that will affect their success in a class or on a project. As a leader in any capacity, there's not much more you can ask for.
Our task: To select a city to host the 2013 Division II National Championships Festival and create a bid presentation, a complete marketing and promotions plan, a participants manual and an accompanying Facebook event, which we were to invite our classmates and instructors to. Trying to complete a project of this magnitude when group members are 3,000+ miles away, immersed in internships and jobs requiring 40+ hours per week, proved to be quite a challenge in logistics and coordination.
As for what I learned about event management and marketing from this project, I can't say it was much new. I've been planning and marketing events since I was 8 or 9 years old. My Girl Scout troop and I used to plan, organize and put on a handful of events each year for other troops in our council, which hundreds of girls and their troop leaders would attend each day. Additionally, prior to returning to school, I worked at an advertising and marketing agency where one of our services was planning and managing events and another was creating and executing marketing and promotions plans often times in conjunction with a PR firm we partnered with. I like to think events are what I do; they're a part of who I am. I suppose you could say what I did learn was that an event like the DII Festival existed and quite honestly had there been more time to actively work on this project and give it the attention I used to give the events I planned at my previous job, there would have been no contest as to which city would have won the bid.
When we turn this around to look at what I learned about my leadership skills during the completion of this project, I would say that much of what I already knew was confirmed through this project. While I often happily jump into the leadership role because, unfortunately, I'm a bit of a control freak and like to have control over my own grades and outcomes, just as often, leadership roles fall into my lap by default whether it's because I have a solid understanding of what needs to be accomplished or because people feel comfortable with me working them through the process successfully. I think that my "position" as the go-to person for questions on projects and assignments all summer and autumn quarters put me in the position of default leader for the group because they felt that I could direct them in the right direction with this project, while hopefully taking them along the least painful path. Additionally, as a leader I like everyone to feel comfortable when working on a project, and so I had each of my teammates select something they wanted to do so that hopefully they would tackle that component with enthusiasm. I often take a back burner on this and end up working on whatever no one else wants to work on, even if it's not my specialty. I'm willing to tackle the difficult components, while having my hands in everything else by helping teammates complete their parts. My role tends to end up with me as the hub of the group with my team members each bouncing ideas off of me and using me as the one person who knows every other component and how they should all mesh together to create one solid final outcome. I would say it's almost as though I'm the traffic cop for the group, directing everyone with their individual parts to one common central goal.
One area I've been able to improve upon a bit since my undergraduate group work days is delegating tasks and letting go of some things. I've learned that I simply can't take on everything and I have to begin to trust my team members to help me out and complete their components well.
Lastly, I take pride in often becoming the default leader because to me it shows that somewhere along the way I've managed to instill a confidence about myself in my team and that they are confident in me taking the lead on something that will affect their success in a class or on a project. As a leader in any capacity, there's not much more you can ask for.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
My Late Summer/Early Fall Reflection
Back at the end of the summer, I realized that I gained a bit more of an understanding of why things were the way they were in college athletics. I was fully aware of many of the concepts that were discussed and brought up during our classes, but hearing more details from people who had experienced them first-hand gave me a new perspective on things.
I've always viewed the issues with college sports through the academic lens. Because that's what interests me, I've always taken a look at the rough and tumble kids that are recruited for their athletic abilities and not necessarily their academic abilities. I saw this exploitation without opening my eyes wide enough to really see that it was exploitation. What I saw was an under-served group of students who I wanted to help realize there was more to life than just sports, and for many of them there was going to have to be more than sports. I never wanted to be a dream crusher, but I wanted to help prepare these student-athletes for when "the league" managed to do that for them. I wanted to prepare them to "make it out" even if they couldn't do it through sports and entertainment.
I realized through my classes and interactions this summer that this isn't a simple task. I can't make someone care who doesn't want to, but I can hope that I can at least prepare the students I work with to face the world prepared for something. As I progress through the first months of my internship, I have witnessed first-hand the apathy some students view their school work with. Every day I am learning new ways to approach my students and work with them to get them excited about classes and doing well, and finding something they want to do with their lives after school and after sports.
I work directly with 13 students on a weekly basis and hundreds more indirectly. Each week I learn how each of these students work and respond to different methods of introducing information, absorbing information, and utilizing techniques and study skills and I deliver the same material to each of them in a way they'll be best able to utilize it. We talk football, baseball and boys and bring my world of academics into their world of sports and socializing with examples they can understand.
I want to keep growing these skills as I wrap up the fall semester with them. I've learned that by being flexible with my students and their learning styles they become more responsive. I think that this flexibility will help me become a stronger leader because it allows me to allow them to grow in their own way, but grow none the less. I've seen the change with many of my students over the course of the weeks we've been working together from skepticism to working with me to an open sharing of information, questions and concerns about their academics and how they can improve. I continue to learn as they continue to learn. That's a win-win situation if you ask me.
I've always viewed the issues with college sports through the academic lens. Because that's what interests me, I've always taken a look at the rough and tumble kids that are recruited for their athletic abilities and not necessarily their academic abilities. I saw this exploitation without opening my eyes wide enough to really see that it was exploitation. What I saw was an under-served group of students who I wanted to help realize there was more to life than just sports, and for many of them there was going to have to be more than sports. I never wanted to be a dream crusher, but I wanted to help prepare these student-athletes for when "the league" managed to do that for them. I wanted to prepare them to "make it out" even if they couldn't do it through sports and entertainment.
I realized through my classes and interactions this summer that this isn't a simple task. I can't make someone care who doesn't want to, but I can hope that I can at least prepare the students I work with to face the world prepared for something. As I progress through the first months of my internship, I have witnessed first-hand the apathy some students view their school work with. Every day I am learning new ways to approach my students and work with them to get them excited about classes and doing well, and finding something they want to do with their lives after school and after sports.
I work directly with 13 students on a weekly basis and hundreds more indirectly. Each week I learn how each of these students work and respond to different methods of introducing information, absorbing information, and utilizing techniques and study skills and I deliver the same material to each of them in a way they'll be best able to utilize it. We talk football, baseball and boys and bring my world of academics into their world of sports and socializing with examples they can understand.
I want to keep growing these skills as I wrap up the fall semester with them. I've learned that by being flexible with my students and their learning styles they become more responsive. I think that this flexibility will help me become a stronger leader because it allows me to allow them to grow in their own way, but grow none the less. I've seen the change with many of my students over the course of the weeks we've been working together from skepticism to working with me to an open sharing of information, questions and concerns about their academics and how they can improve. I continue to learn as they continue to learn. That's a win-win situation if you ask me.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
On to the next chapter
We've been out of classes for one week, and I will admit that it was probably one of the hardest weeks I've had all summer. Spending virtually every day for 8 weeks with the same small group of people results in bonds and friendships being established that are hard to break. And going from seeing everyone every day to not seeing anyone was a rude awakening.
America's Team has touched my heart. America's Team are the 25 other people I spent my summer with learning, growing, playing, laughing and who knows what else together. I learned a lot from my classes over these 8 weeks, but I learned just as much from my classmates. We got eerily close very quickly and we've been told by many that we're all way too comfortable with each other. But in an industry like ours, I'm glad to have these 25 on my side - on my team. These are the people I'll be moving through the ranks with, the people who may hire me when their institution has an opening and visa versa. These are the people I want working in the athletics departments at the schools my future kids will attend.
As I start the next chapter in my story with the start of my internship at Florida Atlantic University for the next 9+ months, it is a calming feeling to know that I have a support system that spans the country (literally). So as I jump into this new adventure, I wish the rest of America's Team luck as they too take their first steps into the world of intercollegiate (and interscholastic) athletics. See you in October kids!
America's Team has touched my heart. America's Team are the 25 other people I spent my summer with learning, growing, playing, laughing and who knows what else together. I learned a lot from my classes over these 8 weeks, but I learned just as much from my classmates. We got eerily close very quickly and we've been told by many that we're all way too comfortable with each other. But in an industry like ours, I'm glad to have these 25 on my side - on my team. These are the people I'll be moving through the ranks with, the people who may hire me when their institution has an opening and visa versa. These are the people I want working in the athletics departments at the schools my future kids will attend.
As I start the next chapter in my story with the start of my internship at Florida Atlantic University for the next 9+ months, it is a calming feeling to know that I have a support system that spans the country (literally). So as I jump into this new adventure, I wish the rest of America's Team luck as they too take their first steps into the world of intercollegiate (and interscholastic) athletics. See you in October kids!
The Sociology of Education - Reflection on Wk. 8
And so this week brings to a close our crazy summer course load. 8 weeks of readings, guest speakers, panels, projects, group work, and papers. This week worked to tie together everything we'd covered over the 7 previous weeks.
We took a good look at the groundwork that is set for many students coming into college (if they even get there) and realized that as educators, as leaders in athletics, we can make a difference. And that that difference can be as simple as believing in a child and showing them that someone cares for them and their well being - someone wants them to succeed.
Not every kid is lucky enough to have numerous opportunities growing up or the support of family and community. For many, school is an escape from the troubles and hard times they face at home. By making school a place that they want to be, students are given opportunities to succeed on their own, despite their environment.
The reason I went back to school and joined this program is because I want to be that person, that support for students. College, and intercollegiate athletics, is an entirely unique beast to tackle, but it is my goal to provide student-athletes with the support and the services and challenges they deserve, both athletically and academically. I want to see these students earn their degrees and feel that sense of pride in accomplishment. I want to give them something to hang their hat on besides their athletics. I know it will be hard to compete with $45 million contracts to play professionally, or unsupportive families, or the struggles that came before college, but I'm willing to give it a try - and I'm hoping to win some of these battles.
We took a good look at the groundwork that is set for many students coming into college (if they even get there) and realized that as educators, as leaders in athletics, we can make a difference. And that that difference can be as simple as believing in a child and showing them that someone cares for them and their well being - someone wants them to succeed.
Not every kid is lucky enough to have numerous opportunities growing up or the support of family and community. For many, school is an escape from the troubles and hard times they face at home. By making school a place that they want to be, students are given opportunities to succeed on their own, despite their environment.
The reason I went back to school and joined this program is because I want to be that person, that support for students. College, and intercollegiate athletics, is an entirely unique beast to tackle, but it is my goal to provide student-athletes with the support and the services and challenges they deserve, both athletically and academically. I want to see these students earn their degrees and feel that sense of pride in accomplishment. I want to give them something to hang their hat on besides their athletics. I know it will be hard to compete with $45 million contracts to play professionally, or unsupportive families, or the struggles that came before college, but I'm willing to give it a try - and I'm hoping to win some of these battles.
You can't just mail out your resume - Reflection on Wk. 7
Week 7 brought us up against Human Resources in Intercollegiate Athletics, which was a lot less HR and hiring policies and a lot more leadership within intercollegiate athletics.
Hearing the first hand experiences of how not only our instructors got started in the industry and worked their way up, but the stories of how all our guests did the same thing was refreshing. It was great to hear how many of them returned to sports after spending some time in other fields, as that's where I'm coming from. Spending four years in the advertising world made me realize that I wanted back into college sports, and knowing that it is possible to get a later start and still succeed was a great reassurance.
I also learned a lot about the decisions and challenges that face everyone at every level of an athletic department. I realized that athletics directors and people who work in athletics departments get put up against EVERYTHING under the sun. Being able to make sound, logical decisions quickly is a key characteristic that will lead to success in this field. The ability to have a cool head in stressful situations, to see the big picture, and to make the tough calls can only bode well for someone entering into this industry. I also learned that you've got to be willing to make those tough decisions. There are going to be choices and decisions that can be uncomfortable to make, but as an administrator you've got to make them regardless of how unpopular they may be. I'm excited to be challenged in this way. As I start my career with my internship, I'm ready to start my climb up the ladder.
Hearing the first hand experiences of how not only our instructors got started in the industry and worked their way up, but the stories of how all our guests did the same thing was refreshing. It was great to hear how many of them returned to sports after spending some time in other fields, as that's where I'm coming from. Spending four years in the advertising world made me realize that I wanted back into college sports, and knowing that it is possible to get a later start and still succeed was a great reassurance.
I also learned a lot about the decisions and challenges that face everyone at every level of an athletic department. I realized that athletics directors and people who work in athletics departments get put up against EVERYTHING under the sun. Being able to make sound, logical decisions quickly is a key characteristic that will lead to success in this field. The ability to have a cool head in stressful situations, to see the big picture, and to make the tough calls can only bode well for someone entering into this industry. I also learned that you've got to be willing to make those tough decisions. There are going to be choices and decisions that can be uncomfortable to make, but as an administrator you've got to make them regardless of how unpopular they may be. I'm excited to be challenged in this way. As I start my career with my internship, I'm ready to start my climb up the ladder.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The art of friendraising - Reflection on Wk. 6
Week 6 gave me the amazing opportunity to learn from Mr. Andy Geiger, one of college athletics most accomplished athletics directors. It also brought us face to face with the one class I was dreading most of all: Development and Fundraising.
I've never been a fan of asking people for favors, let alone money. But what I learned from Mr. Geiger was that it's not always just about the ask, it's about the relationship; and developing relationships is something I can do. I can Friend-raise.
If I learned nothing else this week it's that developing relationships are key to success, both in fundraising and in a career. When you believe in something - your institution, your colleagues, a project - it shows through and people are drawn to that. This ties back to the first week in class when we learned that "While no single conversation is guaranteed to change the trajectory of a career, a company, a relationship or a life – any single conversation can." By taking the time to develop relationships, by making people feel connected to something you believe in, you make the connections that enable you to ask the tough question when it comes to it (or to know who to have ask the tough question).
After this week, while I am still not comfortable in the "fundraising" role, I do think that I can do the development portion of this relationship. I may not be a "Rain-maker" but I am a Friend-maker. And I'm comfortable with that. Who knows I may become a rain-maker yet.
I've never been a fan of asking people for favors, let alone money. But what I learned from Mr. Geiger was that it's not always just about the ask, it's about the relationship; and developing relationships is something I can do. I can Friend-raise.
If I learned nothing else this week it's that developing relationships are key to success, both in fundraising and in a career. When you believe in something - your institution, your colleagues, a project - it shows through and people are drawn to that. This ties back to the first week in class when we learned that "While no single conversation is guaranteed to change the trajectory of a career, a company, a relationship or a life – any single conversation can." By taking the time to develop relationships, by making people feel connected to something you believe in, you make the connections that enable you to ask the tough question when it comes to it (or to know who to have ask the tough question).
After this week, while I am still not comfortable in the "fundraising" role, I do think that I can do the development portion of this relationship. I may not be a "Rain-maker" but I am a Friend-maker. And I'm comfortable with that. Who knows I may become a rain-maker yet.
Friday, August 20, 2010
A rule book the size of Manhattan's phone book - Reflection on Wk. 5
Week 5 brings us to Legal Issues in Higher Education. Like accounting, the law classes I took during my undergrad, were not fun and were dry and dragging and full of case studies that made me want to claw my eyes out and enroll in a class to learn legalese because that's the only way you could get through any of them. 4+ years later, case studies haven't changed.
And then we were introduced to the NCAA Division I Manual. Mind blown. 431 pages covering 33 basic bylaws that get dissected into 15+ subsections whose 10 subsections each have 5 more subsections. REALLY?! And they're self imposed rules. Everyone is afraid that everyone else is going to cheat so they want to do everything they can to stop it. In reality what these rules are doing is ruining sport for the kids who end up playing them. Most of these rules cause so much confusion that it's no wonder there are minor violations every year by virtually every institution in the country. Who can keep up with all of them?
I'm glad I have a general understanding of the bylaws and what's allowed and what's not, but like accounting, I'm glad there are compliance departments who can keep track of all of this because there is just way too much to stay on top of! I also learned that if you're not sure, ask. Because while in some cases it's better to jump first and ask forgiveness later, sometimes it's not and you never want to play with a student-athlete's career, because if you put it in jeopardy it will come back to bite you.
And then we were introduced to the NCAA Division I Manual. Mind blown. 431 pages covering 33 basic bylaws that get dissected into 15+ subsections whose 10 subsections each have 5 more subsections. REALLY?! And they're self imposed rules. Everyone is afraid that everyone else is going to cheat so they want to do everything they can to stop it. In reality what these rules are doing is ruining sport for the kids who end up playing them. Most of these rules cause so much confusion that it's no wonder there are minor violations every year by virtually every institution in the country. Who can keep up with all of them?
I'm glad I have a general understanding of the bylaws and what's allowed and what's not, but like accounting, I'm glad there are compliance departments who can keep track of all of this because there is just way too much to stay on top of! I also learned that if you're not sure, ask. Because while in some cases it's better to jump first and ask forgiveness later, sometimes it's not and you never want to play with a student-athlete's career, because if you put it in jeopardy it will come back to bite you.
Who are our student-athletes - Reflection on Wk. 4
Week 4 brought us into a class titled Student Populations & Experiences in Higher Education. I'm not naive enough to think that everyone entering any given college has had the same upbringing or background. I realize they haven't all been lucky enough to have a top notch high school education nor the family support or ability to help them through these developmental years. And yet the glaring inequities and the variance in the scale of what parents can and are willing to provide their children opens eyes and breaks hearts.
On the one end, you've got the parents we were introduced to when we looked at the book Game On by Tom Farrey. The parents in this book started training, coaching, teaching and pushing their kids almost from the day they were born. This attention and drive, or in my opinion over attention and pressure, on children at that young an age scares me. I look at that and all I can see is the future for these kids: over-specializing at an early age, burn-out, resentment, and lack of a real childhood. Parents pushing these children to be the best so young means these parents are determining their kids lives for them before they even have a say in it. They're raising athletes, not young boys and girls. When do the kids just get to be kids?
On the other end you've got the kids who are coming from nothing. They don't have the resources to have the top of the line equipment or facilities, and they're raised with the impression that professional sports or entertainment are the only ways they are going to have to "escape" their hometowns. These students focus so much on their athletics growing up that their academics are rarely up to par, and they are frequently admitted to schools through special-admits for their athletics not their academics which only perpetuates the problem, as these students continue to focus on their athletics in order to keep their scholarships rather than on their academics. Many times the schools are forced to accept these students, knowing they don't have the services to assist them academically, which robs the student of the complete experience.
This class made me really look at the sort of services provided to student-athletes at different universities and to establish a "best practices" proposal that I would like to see at any university I work at. It makes you think hard about the different services an institution needs, to be able to meet the academic, athletic, social, and personal needs of its athletes so that they may get the most out of their college experience. I also realized that it may be more of a challenge than I expected. You've got to merge the children of both of the above examples and make sure that you're providing the proper services and support to them to not only help them, but assuage their parents and get them to let go for a bit and finally just let the kids be kids.
Bring it on, Challenge. I'm ready.
On the one end, you've got the parents we were introduced to when we looked at the book Game On by Tom Farrey. The parents in this book started training, coaching, teaching and pushing their kids almost from the day they were born. This attention and drive, or in my opinion over attention and pressure, on children at that young an age scares me. I look at that and all I can see is the future for these kids: over-specializing at an early age, burn-out, resentment, and lack of a real childhood. Parents pushing these children to be the best so young means these parents are determining their kids lives for them before they even have a say in it. They're raising athletes, not young boys and girls. When do the kids just get to be kids?
On the other end you've got the kids who are coming from nothing. They don't have the resources to have the top of the line equipment or facilities, and they're raised with the impression that professional sports or entertainment are the only ways they are going to have to "escape" their hometowns. These students focus so much on their athletics growing up that their academics are rarely up to par, and they are frequently admitted to schools through special-admits for their athletics not their academics which only perpetuates the problem, as these students continue to focus on their athletics in order to keep their scholarships rather than on their academics. Many times the schools are forced to accept these students, knowing they don't have the services to assist them academically, which robs the student of the complete experience.
This class made me really look at the sort of services provided to student-athletes at different universities and to establish a "best practices" proposal that I would like to see at any university I work at. It makes you think hard about the different services an institution needs, to be able to meet the academic, athletic, social, and personal needs of its athletes so that they may get the most out of their college experience. I also realized that it may be more of a challenge than I expected. You've got to merge the children of both of the above examples and make sure that you're providing the proper services and support to them to not only help them, but assuage their parents and get them to let go for a bit and finally just let the kids be kids.
Bring it on, Challenge. I'm ready.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Know what you don't know - Reflection on Wk. 3
I was never good with accounting. I passed my undergraduate accounting classes because I had an awesome TA who was able to make the complicated seem easy. That doesn't mean I don't understand the importance of having at least a basic understanding of accounting concepts, procedures and policies. As a business owner I understand them all to well.
Coming away from our class in Budgeting and Financial Reporting in Intercollegiate Athletics, I have a renewed respect for having a basic understanding of accounting. We entered this class and were told to "know what you don't know". We're not expected to be accountants. For some of us that wouldn't be the best career path. But in knowing what we don't know, we then also know where we need to find people to help us with those things. To find the experts.
Having the basic knowledge though can only be beneficial for us as administrators in intercollegiate athletics because if we have the ability to see the whole picture even if we don't understand the nuts and bolts, it will put us a step ahead. If I can look at a balance sheet or an income statement and see that something isn't adding up properly, even if I don't know what it is exactly, I can then have the people who do know take a look and figure out where the error is. Even having the most basic understanding will give me that much more insight into my athletics department and how it runs and how it's financed, so that I might have a better grasp on the overall picture. By understanding how things are recorded, what transactions are made and when, allows leaders to make informed decisions about moving a department forward. By noting trends or where the money is going, you can make an informed decision on whether you really can afford the new coach's salary or whether the soccer team gets new uniforms this year.
I understand that I will never be a CPA (there's a reason I didn't select that as my major in undergrad), and I thank the powers that be that there are accounting departments to help out with that sort of thing. But I do also understand the importance of being able to grasp even the littlest bit of information as it pertains to my department's finances and budgets so that it can function successfully and I can make informed decisions to enable it to do so.
Coming away from our class in Budgeting and Financial Reporting in Intercollegiate Athletics, I have a renewed respect for having a basic understanding of accounting. We entered this class and were told to "know what you don't know". We're not expected to be accountants. For some of us that wouldn't be the best career path. But in knowing what we don't know, we then also know where we need to find people to help us with those things. To find the experts.
Having the basic knowledge though can only be beneficial for us as administrators in intercollegiate athletics because if we have the ability to see the whole picture even if we don't understand the nuts and bolts, it will put us a step ahead. If I can look at a balance sheet or an income statement and see that something isn't adding up properly, even if I don't know what it is exactly, I can then have the people who do know take a look and figure out where the error is. Even having the most basic understanding will give me that much more insight into my athletics department and how it runs and how it's financed, so that I might have a better grasp on the overall picture. By understanding how things are recorded, what transactions are made and when, allows leaders to make informed decisions about moving a department forward. By noting trends or where the money is going, you can make an informed decision on whether you really can afford the new coach's salary or whether the soccer team gets new uniforms this year.
I understand that I will never be a CPA (there's a reason I didn't select that as my major in undergrad), and I thank the powers that be that there are accounting departments to help out with that sort of thing. But I do also understand the importance of being able to grasp even the littlest bit of information as it pertains to my department's finances and budgets so that it can function successfully and I can make informed decisions to enable it to do so.
You've got to stand for something - Reflection on Wk. 2
I realize I'm behind a bit on my posting. Each of these should have gone up immediately following the class each week, but I'm finally catching up and you will now get to see my foundational nuggets from each class.
After week 2, the key point I came away with was that
You have to stand for something. If you don't you'll fall for anything.
This stuck with me because I feel that I have always tried to stand for something in everything I do. In my life I've always tried to stand up for the underdog, the underrepresented, and the unheard. It's in my nature.
Through this class we came to realize that there are many challenges facing intercollegiate athletics today that are only going to continue to grow unless someone steps in and makes a change. That someone is going to have to be my classmates and me. The new blood infusing the world of intercollegiate athletics administration. We will be the change makers. The ones to end the battles that were started many years ago.
As I mentioned in my last post, we also took a good look at where our moral compass pointed. For me family and integrity were the 2 values that I simply couldn't give up. The strength of these two values I think will do well for me in my future career.
By forcing us to boil everything down to the most basic concepts we now know where we stand on many different topics and issues, which will enable us to enter the industry with a clear head and an understanding of where we are and where we want to go.
After week 2, the key point I came away with was that
You have to stand for something. If you don't you'll fall for anything.
This stuck with me because I feel that I have always tried to stand for something in everything I do. In my life I've always tried to stand up for the underdog, the underrepresented, and the unheard. It's in my nature.
Through this class we came to realize that there are many challenges facing intercollegiate athletics today that are only going to continue to grow unless someone steps in and makes a change. That someone is going to have to be my classmates and me. The new blood infusing the world of intercollegiate athletics administration. We will be the change makers. The ones to end the battles that were started many years ago.
As I mentioned in my last post, we also took a good look at where our moral compass pointed. For me family and integrity were the 2 values that I simply couldn't give up. The strength of these two values I think will do well for me in my future career.
By forcing us to boil everything down to the most basic concepts we now know where we stand on many different topics and issues, which will enable us to enter the industry with a clear head and an understanding of where we are and where we want to go.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Family and Integrity
Last week in class we did an exercise to help us figure out what our core values were as people. We started out with a list of 18 values with room to write in 2 more if we wanted, and were told to select the ones that were important to us.
What started out as a list including peace, happiness, friendship, authenticity, integrity, joy, love, family, truth, and wisdom, was soon whittled down through a series of cuts to simply family and integrity.
Family and Integrity are my 2 core values. The values I whittled away at are no less important, but these are the two that I simply could not live without. My family is my world. Always has been, always will be. They are the ones who have guided me, shaped me and let me grow into who I am today. They were there when others were not and I consider them my biggest support system. As I grow older, they will always remain a very large part of who I am, and my future family will hopefully be just as close as we are.
When it came to integrity, this was something that was important to me as well, because I've always lived my life by doing the moral and ethical thing. It hasn't always been popular, but I was able to live with that knowing that I was doing the right thing. I've always fought/stood up for the underdog, the unspoken or the underrepresented. I strongly feel that if you live your life with integrity, you will have lived a very full life. It may not be an easy one, but it will be full.
And so when I finally got down to these two values, I realized that in fact these are the two most important things in my life, and they have greatly influenced the way I've lived my life, and I'm sure they will continue to do so.
What started out as a list including peace, happiness, friendship, authenticity, integrity, joy, love, family, truth, and wisdom, was soon whittled down through a series of cuts to simply family and integrity.
Family and Integrity are my 2 core values. The values I whittled away at are no less important, but these are the two that I simply could not live without. My family is my world. Always has been, always will be. They are the ones who have guided me, shaped me and let me grow into who I am today. They were there when others were not and I consider them my biggest support system. As I grow older, they will always remain a very large part of who I am, and my future family will hopefully be just as close as we are.
When it came to integrity, this was something that was important to me as well, because I've always lived my life by doing the moral and ethical thing. It hasn't always been popular, but I was able to live with that knowing that I was doing the right thing. I've always fought/stood up for the underdog, the unspoken or the underrepresented. I strongly feel that if you live your life with integrity, you will have lived a very full life. It may not be an easy one, but it will be full.
And so when I finally got down to these two values, I realized that in fact these are the two most important things in my life, and they have greatly influenced the way I've lived my life, and I'm sure they will continue to do so.
My Foundational “Nuggets” - Reflection on Wk. 1
I’ve had an opportunity to take away a lot of ideas from my first week in the IAL program. I’m going to call them my foundational nuggets; the ideas and concepts that I want to take away from this week that I hope will continue to help me grow over the next year in this program.
The first nugget comes from the quote, “While no single conversation is guaranteed to change the trajectory of a career, a company, a relationship or a life – any single conversation can.” For me this was a very strong reminder that you never know which of the conversations you’re having is going to be the one that greatly impacts your life or the lives of those you’re speaking with. The key to remember about it is that it doesn’t have to be the most demanding topic of discussion to have an impact. It could be an impressive, formal conversation about the research you completed last year, or it could be discovering a shared affinity for hiking the Green Mountains in Vermont. The fact that you don’t know which of these conversations is going to be the one that might get you in the door reinforces the concept of being present in each conversation you have so that you can make an impression in either situation that will enrich your relationship with your conversation partner and potentially change your life. I plan to take this concept with me into every conversation I have while I complete this program. By entering each conversation with the idea that it could be the one that changes my life, I will remember to stay engaged in each one and make the most of the relationships they form.
My second nugget is based in the concept of “Smart + Heart.” You could be the most intelligent person in your organization, but if you don’t have the interpersonal skills to form relationships with the people you work with you will not go very far. It links back to the golden rule we were all taught when we were younger: “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” In this instance it gets changed just slightly to the concept of interacting with people the way you want to be interacted with. For me this was another great reminder that regardless of how good you are at what you do or how smart you are, without other people there to help you, you will not be nearly as successful as you could be if you had them there to stand beside you. I’ve heard many employers say they would rather hire someone with a 3.5 who’s got a great personality, than a jerk with a 4.0. I plan to take this with me into every interaction I have because if you interact with people in a way that gains trust and challenges them in a good way, you also gain loyalty which is always a great thing to have in an industry as small as the one we’ve chosen to work in.
These two concepts are great guiding principles for the way you act and react not only in the business world, but also in life in general and I plan to use them frequently as I progress through this program.
The first nugget comes from the quote, “While no single conversation is guaranteed to change the trajectory of a career, a company, a relationship or a life – any single conversation can.” For me this was a very strong reminder that you never know which of the conversations you’re having is going to be the one that greatly impacts your life or the lives of those you’re speaking with. The key to remember about it is that it doesn’t have to be the most demanding topic of discussion to have an impact. It could be an impressive, formal conversation about the research you completed last year, or it could be discovering a shared affinity for hiking the Green Mountains in Vermont. The fact that you don’t know which of these conversations is going to be the one that might get you in the door reinforces the concept of being present in each conversation you have so that you can make an impression in either situation that will enrich your relationship with your conversation partner and potentially change your life. I plan to take this concept with me into every conversation I have while I complete this program. By entering each conversation with the idea that it could be the one that changes my life, I will remember to stay engaged in each one and make the most of the relationships they form.
My second nugget is based in the concept of “Smart + Heart.” You could be the most intelligent person in your organization, but if you don’t have the interpersonal skills to form relationships with the people you work with you will not go very far. It links back to the golden rule we were all taught when we were younger: “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” In this instance it gets changed just slightly to the concept of interacting with people the way you want to be interacted with. For me this was another great reminder that regardless of how good you are at what you do or how smart you are, without other people there to help you, you will not be nearly as successful as you could be if you had them there to stand beside you. I’ve heard many employers say they would rather hire someone with a 3.5 who’s got a great personality, than a jerk with a 4.0. I plan to take this with me into every interaction I have because if you interact with people in a way that gains trust and challenges them in a good way, you also gain loyalty which is always a great thing to have in an industry as small as the one we’ve chosen to work in.
These two concepts are great guiding principles for the way you act and react not only in the business world, but also in life in general and I plan to use them frequently as I progress through this program.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
And so it begins...
I've been a sports junkie my whole life. Some of my first memories are sitting with my dad watching football on the weekend and having him test me on my ability to match the teams with their cities. Sometimes I would even know about trades and team moves before he did and I'd surprise him. When I travel my hotel TV is always turned to ESPN. I've played soccer, softball, basketball, and I've rowed. I've competed at the recreational, AAU, travel, interscholastic and intercollegiate levels. Sports are my life blood...
And now I get the opportunity to combine sports with my other passion in life - learning. I have been blessed enough to be accepted into the 2011 Cohort for Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership at the University of Washington. This blog for the most part will contain my thoughts, ideas, reflections, and musings as I go through this amazing journey over the next year. My posts will come fast and furious at first because I'm playing catch up with everything I need to get up here, but I'll try to space them out as I go.
Let the adventure begin.
And now I get the opportunity to combine sports with my other passion in life - learning. I have been blessed enough to be accepted into the 2011 Cohort for Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership at the University of Washington. This blog for the most part will contain my thoughts, ideas, reflections, and musings as I go through this amazing journey over the next year. My posts will come fast and furious at first because I'm playing catch up with everything I need to get up here, but I'll try to space them out as I go.
Let the adventure begin.
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