Projects
Work Study Supervisor
The biggest role I took on during my mentorship program was supervising 35 work study students. The athletic department is provided 35 students worker positions based on their FAFSA and financial needs. These students are a vital part of the department as they help us run day to day functions.
Among the many roles and duties the students worked were:
game day crew, coaching assistants, weight room attendants, Covid screeners and much, much more. Each role just as important as the other. Thus I was tasked with the hiring, training and oversight off all 35 students. This position provided me an enormous opportunity for growth and experience getting to be a supervisor. It came with its many challenges, most specifically staffing needs during a global pandemic, but it has been an absolutely wonderful experience getting to know and work with the students at Belmont Abbey College.
It is my personal goal to be someone they look up to, and hopefully a great mentor for many of them who are studying for a sports management degree.
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Pictured below are four students working a men's basketball game doing the shot clock, game clock, scoreboard and official book.
Google Maps
One of the projects that I have been tasked with is working with Google Business to verify our athletic fields so that they show up on the map. Their are a number of benefits behind doing so that include:
-Ease for visitors coming on tours or to watch opposing teams finding it for directions when they search
-Marketing purposes as we look to potentially name the unnamed fields with sponsorships or after large donors
-Visibility to those searching in the Charlotte area on maps
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To verify the fields, I have had to provide google with information, receive verification codes and then verify online. Once verifying the site, I have the ability to upload photos, videos, operation hours and many other details that help showcase our venues for fans!
Compliance
Another project that I have been working on is designing a new layout for compliance education that occurs at Belmont Abbey College. The main goal is to ensure coaches and staff are adhering and properly applying NCAA rules and regulations for recruiting, coaching, and the many other topics the association has created.
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Currently, the education sessions take place once a month in a room where one coach from each team is required to attend. Once in, the Coordinator of Compliance and Associate AD of Compliance conduct a lecture based education session sharing new changes and interpretations of how to use them before asking if anyone has questions and sending them on their way.
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My mentor recognizes the sessions need a face lift to be more effective, and with my former teaching background , gave me the reigns to design a new method of delivery. Thus having sat through some of the meetings, I recall the sheer amount of info being overwelming as a new coach during my interim bowling coach days. I thought to myself as I looked around at all the head coaches and said, "where are the new young coaches?" The sessions had become mainly the experienced coaches who knew compliance policies, while the young untrained ones were in their offices never hearing or being educated of new or existing policies. Thus the first idea was how to get everyone involved. I determined meetings needed to be mandatory for all. Anyone who could not attend in person would watch the zoom recordings.
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Second, and just as important was how to get the coaches engaged rather than just sitting and drawing up plays not thinking about what was discussed. I then came up with a pre and post test system with the Coordinator of Compliance to see what they already knew, and the questions would serve as the outline for the topics of each meeting. Thus during the meetings, the coaches would get the answers to the pretest and use them during the post meeting post test. Scores would be documented to show who is paying attention and knows their stuff in addition to serving as a tracking system for attendance.
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Lastly, the google form for which the pre and post test will be completed on will provide a clear picture on what our coaches need additional training and information on. In stead of simply nodding their heads and saying "yes we understand" at the end of a lecture, now they must showcase what they know. The tests now serve as an indicator on where they all are for our compliance department to adapt accordingly with its analytics the form provides. I look forward to hearing the feedback from coaches as the new design gets laid out!
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Sports Information Work
Broadening my horizons
My internship has provided me many experiences and opportunities to try out different things within sports that I would otherwise never get the opportunity to do. One of those things was doing some sports information work with the fellow SID's in my department. They provided me training on some of their roles which included taking action and team shots, writing stories, and posting to the athletics web page. Although it is not something I see a career in, it did give me insight into what they all go through to have images, and create stories for families and fans to see. Additionally, if I were to ever be an athletic director, I would have a better understanding of what is reasonable to ask of these individuals, and the great work that they do!
