I’ve been everywhere

Maybe I’ve only been to four states in thirty days for the NIRSA Championship Series, but sometimes it sure felt like I’d traveled every road in this here land. I had the good fortune to attend events for three of our four sports from late October to mid-November and witness the amazing work that hundreds of NIRSA volunteers make possible.

The USTA Tennis on Campus Fall Invitational in Hilton Head, South Carolina was the first event on the schedule. Initially scheduled for the weekend Hurricane Matthew passed along the eastern seaboard, the event was rescheduled for Halloween weekend and made for some fun participant costume contests and décor. Thirty-six teams had a beautiful weekend for tennis at the Sea Pines Country Club playing on clay courts, many for the first time. Our tennis events have a unique culture with a competitive but social atmosphere. Time waiting on matches provides the opportunity for players from different teams to mingle and make new friends. This year, there was even a player social where many teams competed in a series of challenges concluding in a sand castle building contest. Ultimately, the big tournament winners were the University of Florida who defeated defending national champion Auburn University to win their third Fall Invitational in four years.

The following weekend I was on the road to Gainesville, Florida for the Swamp Bowl Regional Flag Football Tournament. This has become one of my favorite football tournaments due to the six-team Special Olympics Division. It was a great opportunity to expose our student officials to Unified Sports, which teams Special Olympic athletes with partners to create an inclusive game for all. I hope this will inspire many student officials to encourage the expansion of rivalry series and Unified Leagues on their own campuses. A former NIRSA student member is now working as the Coordinator for Sports Training & Competition for Special Olympics Florida and was on hand for the event.

The University of Florida also had its inaugural Women’s High School Division as the Florida High School Athletic Association offers flag football as a spring sport. This creative thinking added an additional eight teams to the tournament allowing more officials and staff to be invited to the event. I even spotted a former Florida State intramural supervisor coaching one of the high school teams. He has been able to put his skills and knowledge as a former official to use in his job as a high school teacher and coach. Regrettably, two of our eleven regional sites had to cancel events due to low team registrations. Dwindling flag football team numbers are a concern for the Series and will require us to challenge our status quo.

Two weeks before Thanksgiving, I headed to L.A. (Lower Alabama) for the National Soccer Championships at the brand new Foley Sports Tourism Complex. Ninety-five teams from across the country played 178 soccer matches in three days on the 16 fields at the complex. That is a lot of soccer! Ultimately, the University of California, Santa Barbara Women’s Team and the University of Virginia Men’s Team arose as the National Champions. The event was officiated by National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association members, of which two were NIRSA members; we hope to have more NIRSA officials in the future.

In addition to all the games, thirty-six tests were proctored throughout the tournament, allowing students to participate in the event and thrive academically as well. One student told me that if we had not offered the proctoring service her final would have counted for fifty percent of her final grade because she would have missed a test. That makes the fact that we do offer test proctoring at Championship Series events a game changer in my book.

The soccer tournament fosters a culture of hard work—with the event being held off-campus and running from 7:00am-10:00pm, it is all hands on deck to make it successful. One group that is unique to the soccer tournament is the operations staff. Facility graduate assistants get a unique experience working a large event under the mentorship of facility professionals; they work hard to set up fields, keep water coolers full, and keep a large staff of volunteers and officials fed as games run through meal times.

This year’s staff social to conclude the tournament was touching as long-time volunteer and leader Doug Ewing, Director at Fort Lewis College, stepped down so others could have the opportunity to serve as a tournament director. Stories of how he helped keep the tournament focused on the participant experience as it grew from 64 teams to 96 teams while working tirelessly to make the event better were plentiful. Numerous staff members recounted the kindness and leadership that Doug showed throughout the years and the impact it had on them and their careers. I know that while we will miss Doug, the leadership legacy he has left behind will have an enduring impact on the NIRSA Soccer Championships and those who have served with him.

As challenges have come up this fall, NIRSA Championship Series volunteers have risen to the occasion. We have plenty of work left to accomplish this year, but having the opportunity to witness the joy of our participants, growth of our students and professionals, and success of several events makes me love the Series even more. I hope many of you will consider applying to be on a work team for the Series. It is more than competition as our Assessment, Brand Management, Standards of Competition, and Student and Professional Development work teams work diligently to support the Basketball, Club Basketball, Flag Football, Soccer, and Tennis work teams.

We hope that this year’s committee applications will bring in a wide variety of applicants and experience. When selecting work teams, applications are read and reviewed with consideration of regional representation, variety of experience levels, and diversity. This year we are hoping that diversity also includes members outside of the intramural sports and sport club areas. Assessment and marketing experts could be valuable assets for the Series.

If you have been a part of the Series previously and are looking to take on more leadership responsibilities, the NIRSA Championship Series Committee is looking for applicants for the chairs of the Assessment, Brand Management, Club Basketball, Soccer, and Student and Professional Development Work Teams. The executive team is likewise accepting applications through January 17 for the 2^nd Vice Chair position. It is a three-year, progressive leadership position that has been an amazing opportunity for me personally and professionally. I hope that you will consider applying for one of the almost 100 volunteer opportunities available with the NIRSA Championship Series Committee and work teams.

Additional volunteer opportunities are upcoming with applications opening for National Basketball Staff (December 2–January 19) and National Tennis Staff (December 18–January 18). The extended deadline for National Basketball Directors will close on December 9.

Travel, I’ve had my share, man. I’ve been everywhere, but NIRSA Championship Series events are always some of my favorite destinations.