By Felicia Martin
Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services, Texas Tech University
Felicia Martin, the Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services at Texas Tech University, is responsible for the administration of the academic and student services programs for over 17 sports and 400+ student-athletes. Ms. Martin earned a Bachelor of Science in Educational Psychology and a Masters Degree in Counselor Education from Mississippi State University.
If I were a college or professional athlete, I’d feel good about what happened in Phoenix, Arizona at the NFL-NCAA Summit. I imagine if I was a parent of an athlete with a promising career, I’d release the anxiety associated with the unknown. I think if I was a coach or a guidance counselor and I had an idea of the extent of the collaboration, the dynamic dialogue, and the thoughtful programming, I’d feel assured. Contrary to some accounts, there are people who work tirelessly to provide positive experiences for the college and professional athlete. I had the privilege to be in the room with people who worked in college athletics and professional sports who genuinely care about the athlete experience! In the meeting rooms were professionals who were eager to hear the presentations designed to introduce new concepts and innovative ideas. I was among athletic professionals who traveled from all over the country to be participants in programming that would help us become better administrators for the student-athletes and the professional athletes we serve.
There was a commonality that connected the professionals from the NFL and the practitioners from within NCAA member institutions. Whether it is college athletics or professional sports, there is a community of athletic administrators who dedicate their time and their energy to support and to enhance the overall experience of athletes. Our approach is holistic; we are charged with caring for the total person – socially, emotionally, and physically. We were in Phoenix to sharpen our saws, to gather new tools and to meet other athletic professionals who could support our efforts. We spent approximately 20 hours learning, growing, and exchanging. We addressed numerous topics that relate to student-athlete life, not limited to but including the below topics.
1. Financial Literacyis not fun to teach nor “sexy” to learn but it is a necessary part of life. It is a life skill we would be remiss not to make available to our athletes. Maura Attardi from Money Management International presented resources, offered best practices, and challenged our approach to educating athletes about money matters. We were students in her classroom as she demonstrated relevant icebreakers and helped us brainstorm new ideas for campus and league programming.
2. Try wrapping your mind around the idea of the “situational identity matrix.” Alonzo “AJ” Jones, Associate Dean of Students at Arizona State University dared us to think beyond our typical approach to dealing with student identity. He reminded us that the students’ “social identities are in a constant civil war.” Dr. Jones provoked us to think differently and to see our students uniquely. I left his session wondering ”When I see potential, am I treating potential differently?”
3. With the drastic changes generation to generation, Tim Elmore from Growing Leaders spent time educating us on the characteristics of the generations we are working with and offering new options for programming and character development. In addition to his ideas about the best way to engage and to connect with our athletes, he also advised us on opportunities to equip them with value based leadership development programs.
4. A portion of the programming was dedicated to mental health and safety issues. The panel of experts presented us with hot topics, best practices and strategies to assist us in minimizing the risk our athletes face in this area of critical importance. This interactive session was lead by a distinguished panel of experts: Scott Goldman, Director of Clinical and Sport Psychology at the University of Arizona; Dwight Hollier, Director of Transition and Clinical Services with the NFL; Kim Lambert, Associate Athletic Director for Student Athlete Development at University of Missouri; and Penny Semaia, Assistant Athletic Director, Student Life at the University of Pittsburgh.
5. There was frank exchange between the panel and the audience about the need to establish, build, and maintain the trust of the athletes we work with. I was humbled to be one of the presenters on the panel who shared examples of programs and topics that have been successful on our college campuses as well as on the professional level. The panel was lead by Jean Boyd, Senior Associate Athletic Director in the Office of Student Athlete Development at Arizona State. The dialogue featured perspectives from Jerry Butler, Director of Player Engagement for the Denver Broncos and Horace Raymond, Assistant Athletics Director for Player Development at the University of Oregon.
I’ve found in my nearly fifteen years of working in this industry that the best professional development opportunities feature experts in the field, present innovative resources, and offer new services to assist you. The most impactful workshops encourage the exchange of best practices and leave you feeling optimism about your most current challenge. Then, there are the memorable seminars where the audience is filled with as many experts and masters in the field as the featured speakers.
The 2014 NFL and NCAA Athletic Professional Workshop in Phoenix, Arizona was an incredible professional development experience. I’d like to offer “Kudos” to the NCAA and NFL visionaries who recognized the significance of getting college and professional administrators in the room together for this kind of learning opportunity. Also, I’d like to acknowledge and thank the athletic professionals who shared the experience with me. Thank you for the rich dialogue, your expertise and for your passion.