Spring Quarter/IAL Program Review

This quarter has been about reflection on the past year and preparation for the next big step in life. What is that next big step? Not really sure, but I think it has something to do with getting a job. I love the way things have come full circle in my IAL experience.

The first week of our summer intensive we went through the Fierce Conversation workshop. I was really impressed with what was said during that program and one point that stuck with me was that everything in our lives happens “gradually, then suddenly, one conversation at a time.” I had been looking for a job for a while and not having much luck. While I still don’t have one now I have far more possibilities than I thought I was going to have due largely thanks to a new mentor and a conversation I had back in January. You never know what might change the course of your life.

I gained much perspective about what I hope to do in my career from going through this program. The majority of our studies have been focused around Division I athletics. The greatest lesson I learned from IAL is that I believe in Division III athletics and I’m really interested to learn what Division II. While I have great respect for all those involved in Division I athletics it’s not where I want to work. I may or may not spend the rest of my career in athletics, but at least I know where I want to start.

This quarter alone has been about pulling together everything we have studied over the year and understanding how we can apply what we’ve learned to our personal morals, ethics, and values. While I don’t believe my core values will be solidified as a leader until they are tested, the self reflection process of this course has helped solidify beliefs.

I wouldn’t say IAL has changed my life because I think I internally believe the same things I did when I entered the program, but it has certainly help ground me and given me a great deal of knowledge to take into my future career.

Ethical Leadership in Collegiate Athletics Review

This course has been both terribly depressing and exceptionally refreshing - along with a number of other emotions and mental states as well - for a final course to my IAL experience. To be a leader in any industry means have your morals and ethics challenged and athletics are no exception, I’d even say those personal beliefs and ethical lines are tested more in athletics than almost anywhere else. Why do students that go through the IAL program want to be in a world that is so often considered moral corrupt and ethically suspect? This is something I’ve had to think long and hard about all year long and even more so during this semester with the ethics course.

While trying to answer that question I tested my desire to continue within intercollegiate athletics and I really appreciate that of this course. In just a few assignments and only three days of class this course has really made me explore my desires for my future and why I believe what I do - it has been a great way to sum up everything we discussed throughout the year. Though we may not have explicitly referenced other classes, similar topics were brought into discussions.

Right now I’m confident that there is great value in intercollegiate athletics and that all those involved have the opportunity to positively affect young adults. I haven’t always been so confident and I may not be in the future, but if that changes so be it. This course has helped me with self reflection has been a good opportunity for me to solidify my beliefs.

For who knows what reason I chose to write my final paper for this course about the film Tin Cup. For those who haven’t seen that movie it is far from being a moral pillar to build your cultural values on, but I chose to write about it. I got a significant portion of the paper written before I hit a serious wall and didn’t think I could confidently write about morals and Tin Cup. I stuck with it and ultimately proved that sports can be represent much more than just competition in any form. This was a great example of what this course as a whole has been for me - a true exploration of my personal values.

Winter Quarterly Reflection

What areas of expertise are you developing? Select one and note the key challenge as you see it and suggestions for innovation.

After the iSports system analysis report I developed a keen understanding of three systems in place at Cal and how they help or hinder day to day work in the athletics department. This assignment was very useful to me because I spoke with a number of coaches and sports assistants about how they use the various systems and where they think these systems need improvements.

What frightened me after this assignment was the ways in which technology is being used to regulate athletics. Regulation is a good thing because it ensures that everyone is playing by the same rules and being held accountable. However; the regulation within the NCAA is growing at an outrageous rate and technology is only helping this growth.

Efficiency is what can be achieved through technology and areas where efficiency can be improved is often the result of system profiles. I am developing an eye for improved efficiency. In my daily internship I have been corrected a few times by my supervisors who have shown me more efficient ways to go about my daily tasks. This has helped greatly improve my productivity as well as my ability to spot areas for improvement in other tasks.

I have also been working on my writing throughout the year. I have been developing many different styles of writing this year. There is a different tone of voice you have to take with your writing depending on to whom you are writing. Scripts for Cal on air personalities can be more light hearted and playful. When speaking to fans it’s important to create excitement as often as possible while ensuring that priority is given to the correct event. I have been asked to write letters to professors on behalf of coaches and their players - this is an essential skill. As a professional in college athletics you must never forget that professors are essential to the growth of your student-athletes. However; if you acquiesces to everything a professor asks for you will lose the importance of athletics - it’s a fine line that must be walked daily in college athletics.

Leadership with Data - EDLPS 549

What did you learn about your own leadership from completing this assignment?

I wrote my final report on gender equity across the three NCAA divisions. I chose three school in Massachusetts wondering if there would be a substantial difference in a state with one of the largest number of institutions of higher education in the country. What I found was that there was hardly a difference at all between my chosen there institutions - this was a very encouraging discovery to me. Of course, as the three institutions I chose are not average representatives for their respective divisions my numbers cannot be unilaterally applied across the NCAA.

Throughout this project I constantly thought back to the NCAA convention in San Antonio and a session I attended on gambling across the divisions. The information presented showed that an overwhelming number of student-athletes that admitted to gambling tendencies were Division III athletes. While there was not conclusive answers as to why this is the case such things are easy to speculate. Division III student-athletes do not draw the media attention that Divisions I student-athletes do and they don’t have the consequence of loosing an athletic scholarship if they are caught gambling to worry about.

While thinking through these two topics (gender equity and gambling in DIII) I came to realize that as a leader I want to instill a strong ethical base in the people that I work with and fore. It shouldn’t matter that you might not suffer a consequence for your actions - you should always act with ethics in mind. If the NCAA says you can’t gamble on sports then you should abide by those rules - you agreed to follow the NCAA as your governing body.

iSports - IMT 525

What did you learn about your own leadership from completing this assignment?

As a leader I place an emphasis on making sure everyone on my team understands the subject we are working on completely. It is essential that people understand the subject they are working on or else they can take go off the rails and not understand that what they are doing is wrong. I believe the best way to lead is to trust those you are working with and allow them to voice their own opinions; however, this only works if everyone understands the basis from which they are developing said opinions.

While delegating is key to getting the most work out of a team, I often find that I often check up on people I have delegated to - sometimes too often. This can be considered micromanaging, but as I don’t try and do everyones part I believe it has more to do with my trust of other peoples ability more than my need to do everything myself. Ensuring that people do not need to be constantly observed begins, as I have said, with making sure everyone is on the same page.

When working on future projects I will try and have a stronger plan in place before work begins. It is important to be flexible as projects develop to ensure that all ideas are heard and that when issues occur, as they always do, they do not become road blocks. With that being said, the more people understand the goals and the subject from the beginning the easier it will be for them to adapt during the actual project. A strong outline at the start is key to success.