Related Content
•
CoSIDA.com/CoSIDA360 Magazine Archive
Note: This story appeared in the Fall 2019 November edition of CoSIDA 360 Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.
The Value of Adding Value
Career and life-changing opportunities to grown, learn and serve others await for those willing to step out of their comfort zone and apply for the NCAA Leadership Development programs.
by Rob Knox – Towson University, Associate Director of Media Relations // CoSIDA Past President
Danielle Percival knew she needed to exit her comfort zone.
Luckily for Percival, she found a convenient and intentional opportunity to take a leap of faith. The Piedmont College Assistant Athletics Director of Communications and CoSIDA board member’s life isn’t the same after participating in the NCAA’s Effective Facilitation Workshop. It was one of the best moves of her career.
“I learned about the opportunity through the emails sent through the NCAA,” Percival said. “It conveniently lined up with the dates I would be in Orlando for the CoSIDA convention so I applied, thinking I didn’t have much of a shot, and fortunately was selected. I was one of a few communications professionals who participated in this workshop. It sounded like an opportunity for me to grow and step out of my comfort zone to improve myself.
“Attending this workshop helped me further my role within our department and helped me earn a promotion to Assistant Athletics Director of Communications based on experience, added value and additional responsibilities.”
There are plenty of success stories like this from athletic administrators, coaches and student-athletes across the country who participated in many of the NCAA leadership development programs that are offered.
Under the guidance of acting director DeeDee Merritt and her talented and dedicated staff at the national office, NCAA leadership development provides education and training for college athletes, coaches and administrators to assist with the transition to life after college sports, to foster the growth of the next generation of leaders and to encourage athletics administrators to translate lessons learned through competition.
DeeDee Merritt serves as the NCAA’s Acting Director for Leadership Development.
For the athletics communications profession, these programs provide valuable training opportunities and learning chances for athletic communicators to enhance their skill set, impact others, add value to their respective campuses and advance their careers.
“It’s two-fold on why it’s important to have athletic communicators participate in leadership development programs,” Merritt said. “It is the opportunity to provide professional development and growth for our communication colleagues in a different setting and that doesn’t involve their traditional day-to-day experiences. Secondly, their presence and participation help to provide diversity of thoughts and experiences, which can be used to strengthen the cohort they are with and assist the student-athletes that they are coming into contact with.”
In addition to the Effective Facilitation Workshop training, some of the programs available for athletic communicators include the Dr. Charles Whitcombe Leadership Institute, NCAA/Women Leaders in College Sports Women’s Leadership Symposium (WLS), and Lessons in Management and Leadership Academy.
CoSIDA Third Vice President Jessica Poole participated in the External/Marketing Leadership program this past February. One of the key takeways from the two-day training for Poole was learning how storytelling and marketing help the entire department.
“When someone is talking stories, we should always think of how they can help, ticketing, development, coaches, and others accomplish their goals,” Poole said. “Even though, we talked quite a bit about storytelling, I think there are some valuable lessons to be learned from putting together a crisis communications plan, strategic plan, etc. These are all areas that athletic communicators can really showcase value and worth towards the entire department.
“It allowed me to get differing perspectives and while also seeing different ways of reaching the same outcome. Just like other areas of college athletics, athletic communicators are seeking growth and upward mobility and by participating in these types of programs it helps with those goals. I believe that we as communicators sometimes get tunnel vision with the day-to-day demands of our careers and it hurts our ability to get our names out and share thoughts and ideas from a communicators’ point of view.”
Though the day-to-day diligence of game management, statistical reporting, social media posts, and writing recaps will never cease in importance, it’s even more critical for athletic communicators to be able to provide leadership that is proactive in terms of messaging, branding, and crisis communication.
South Carolina State’s Director of Athletic Media Relations & Marketing Kendrick Lewis graduated from the NCAA Leadership Institute and the lessons learned from his experience and relationships he established in 2011 still serve him to this day.
“Attending the Leadership Institute changed my life and enhanced my career,” Lewis said. “When I say no matter what class you are a part of, it’s a big happy family and we are constantly looking out for each other. I made personal and professional relationships with my classmates I still have to this date and it’s a bond I will forever cherish.
“Some of the lessons I learned through leadership are always keep it professional and maintain integrity in whatever you do. Your name is your name and whatever you do in your profession, you are constantly building your brand and people are watching.”
No matter the program, participants spend plenty of time working in groups with people who share different views and values, critically thinking about the big picture, doing public presentations and much more. There are late nights, early mornings, engaging dialogue, laughs and tough decisions that everybody has to make based on the challenging activities.
For Percival, the Effective Facilitation Workshop helped her develop her leadership skills and guide productive conversations. It enhanced her ability to lead her student workers and become a part of the Lions Leadership Academy, a branch of student-athlete development on her campus helping to develop strong leaders within teams and prepare them to lead after graduation.
“Being a part of NCAA Leadership development allowed me the opportunity to interact with a different sect of the athletic world and expand my network to include many individuals within student-athlete development,” Percival said. “All of our jobs involve developing student-athletes and learning from individuals who have a different background and perspective than me. It helped me broaden my vision.”
Merritt has been working in leadership development since 2016. She is passionate about witnessing the growth and advancement of student-athletes, administrators and coaches who participate in the programs. The multitude of success stories warms her heart.
“I don’t have a job; I have a joy,” Merritt said. “As a servant leader, being able to provide these opportunities allows me to marry my passions with a way to make a living. I’ve been an admitted leadership development junkie since I came in contact with the department in 2011. It has been a key part of my professional development. I felt at home being surrounded by like-minded individuals who wanted to learn and grow.”
Leadership development opportunities are open to any administrator at a NCAA institution. The two main application periods are usually in the spring and early winter. There are some programs for which one needs to be nominated and there are others for which an application is needed to be considered.
The only criteria for selection consideration is a desire to grow, learn, serve others, work hard and be challenged beyond your comfort zone. More importantly, many participants also learn that what they once thought was their ceiling is now their floor.
“Not only do you better yourself through these opportunities but you strengthen your network,” Percival said. “We still have a GroupMe conversation between the 50 of us that were selected for the EFW workshop in 2019. We share ideas, successes, and have become a group of friends, not just colleagues.”
For more resources and information on NCAA Leadership Development and its programs, visit: NCAA.org/about/resources/leadership-development.
Want to add something to this topic? Add your thoughts on the
CoSIDA Connect Open Member Forum.