I’ll be there for you

The 2017 NIRSA Annual Conference was a bit of a whirlwind with presentations, meetings, and sessions, but the interconnectedness of our members always amazes me. In speaking to several members, it seems that many of us have had a rough start to the semester and were ready for a break to reenergize. I love being around people who know what it’s like to be me. They understand the challenges, motivations, and triumphs of our jobs in a way that others might never.

When members faced a difficult time, they had someone to face the day with as NIRSA gathered around them. I was especially encouraged by the outpouring of support for the Series’ Second-Vice Chair, Sarah Fain—people wore blue ribbons, sent messages, took photos, and made an effort to take a huge group photo to encourage her as she battles colon cancer. In fact, I’m sure I answered more questions about Sarah than I did the Series. I love how our NIRSA family is there for one another in trial and triumph. Additionally, we were able to celebrate Greg Jordan as the NIRSA Honor Award recipient and several other Series alumni as NIRSA Annual Service Award winners: Aaron Hobson, Brian Mills, Charles Anderson, Jerrod Jackson, RJ Rathjens, and Scott George. Congratulations to all and thank you for your support and service to the NIRSA Championship Series.

This year the Championship Series had the opportunity to be highlighted at the Annual Meeting of the Members. In case you missed it, this is what I shared in addition to our 2016 highlight video:

“Ten years ago, the NIRSA Championship Series started as a simple idea to create a Tournament Operations Manual that would help members at any experience level host a quality tournament. The manual would maximize the player experience, student officials’ growth, and professional development by collecting best practices from seasoned professionals and putting them in the hands of the membership. Shortly after, that seed of an idea grew into the concept that became the NIRSA Championship Series.

Annually, over 900 volunteers serve at 37 Series events where they can improve communication, adaptability, and cooperation skills. They develop relationships with peers and mentors as their professional networks grow. Ideas can be bounce off of contacts from around the country to achieve higher results than one could achieve on their own. Research published by Tingle, Hazlett, and Flint in the 2016 Recreational Sports Journal showed that campus recreation directors identified three phases of professional development at Series events.

It begins with grasping opportunities to gather information and meet people. Young professionals start to see how things run. They learn about officials’ development, various training techniques and bring those ideas back to improve their own programs. Then as they grow they see the values of why teamwork, leadership, attitude, and communication are important. And finally, they evolve and start giving back to the profession through mentorship and professional leadership.

Over 90 members serve on work teams each year for the Series and are led by 12 NIRSA Championship Series Committee Members. These committee members have the opportunity to manage professionals around the country while working as a team to provide inclusive competition and professional development opportunities at a multitude of events. Additionally, the 37 events have volunteer staffs with leadership positions such as tournament directors, directors of competition, and directors of committees that advance growth as a volunteer. Many of these positions may be the first time that a professional has the opportunity to manage and motivate their peers.

One of the most important tenants at the inception of the NIRSA Championship Series was an open application process for volunteer opportunities. In 2016, 1,589 applications were received for positions at regional and national events. Many schools help support these professional opportunities, but several members fund their own travel to events due to their perceived value. The Series is not just for intramural and sport club professionals. The National Soccer Tournament uses facility professionals and graduate assistants for the tournament operations team. Several events utilize media relations committees to promote the event and enhance the player experience. While many of our work teams are sport specific, there are also ones devoted to assessment, student & professional development, standards of competition, and brand management. We would love to see more professionals with skills in these areas apply for work teams in the future, especially assessment. The Series and our membership grow stronger through diverse backgrounds and ideas.

Many of our Championship Series alumni have continued to serve NIRSA on boards, the Member Network, and the Assembly. I look forward to seeing the places this talented group will go throughout the years. Phase two of a professional development research project, funded thorough the Foundation, studied what volunteers gained from working with the Series. We hope that the exciting results will be published this fall. The NIRSA Championship Series is more than just competition. It enhances student engagement and professional development through sport. It has been my great honor to serve in various roles with the NIRSA Championship Series for the past decade and I know that I would not be the professional I am today without the Series and members who became my friends and mentors along the way. Thank you.”

I have always tried to hold the philosophy that life is a full-time interview. As I reflected on my experiences during Take a Student to Lunch and at a dinner with some mentors, I was reminded of how few degrees of separation there are between NIRSA members. At the beginning of lunch, the students I was with were strangers, but we quickly learned how many people we all knew. We talked about their dreams, job searches, and answered questions about challenges our programs face. Hopefully they learned something from us, but I know that I was energized by their enthusiasm and that they led me to reflect on my own journey.

That night at dinner, I was sitting with longtime friends and mentors. I had met two at my first NIRSA Annual Conference in Albuquerque. One interviewed me for a graduate assistantship and has continued to pour into me over the years. The other answered a post for a third roommate to share costs for the trip. As a professional, she took the pull out couch and paid for half the room so the two undergrads that were paying out of pocket spent less. That was a kindness I have never forgotten. The other two I had met at tournaments through various connections. One has taken a job at his university outside of recreation in experiential learning, but continues to give back to NIRSA through research and mentorship. He is only a call away when I have a question or need sage advice. The other is younger than I am, but I admire his passion for leadership development and teaching transferable skills more than he may ever know.

At dinner, we discussed a myriad of topics, but my favorite question was a simple one: Who are your mentors? We formed a diverse list of people, and their impact on each of us was profound. The Opening General Session speaker challenged us to list out things we wanted to do before we die. He also asked us to help others achieve items on their bucket lists along the way. I would like to challenge each of you to send a note to someone who has helped you along the way to say thank you.

I would also like to thank everyone who has donated to the Student Officials Development Campaign this year and last. This year, we collected $10,000 for student officials’ training programs at the national basketball and flag football tournaments—we’ve already been able to put a portion of that towards supporting student officials’ development at Series’ national tournaments. The NIRSA Championship Series has given me so much as a professional so I choose to donate monthly to give back. A challenge was proposed at conference for members to donate one game check for officials or make a monthly contribution. Will you join us?

We have an exciting few months ahead of us for club basketball, basketball, and tennis. I hope that many of you will join us for those tournaments.

Applications are now open for the NIRSA Regional Soccer coordinator positions (closes March 7), National Basketball officials positions (closes March 19), and Regional Flag Football Host Sites (Closes March 7)!