Looking back at prior blog posts from past NIRSA Champ Series Chairs, I couldn’t help but notice a pattern of using a song title as the title for the final blog post. Oscee Wheatfall’s was “End of the Road” in 2018 and Scott Flickinger’s was “Closing Time” in 2020. Both are great songs, and I’m going to continue the pattern but with a different theme. I decided to go with ”Better Than We Found It” by Maren Morris. This song adequately puts into words how I have tried to live my life, my work within the Series, and that we should all strive to leave the world better than we found it.
Taking a step back
As a Series volunteer for the past 15 years, I have had the opportunity to witness sport programs evolve as campus rec professionals have worked to leave the Series better than they found it. During my time on the Executive Team, evolution and innovation were forced to go at lightspeed as we had to adapt to live in a global pandemic and then imagine what the Series would be post-pandemic.
In the music video, Maren reads a letter she wrote to her son where she discusses pointillism, which is “the art technique of random tiny dots linked together to create a meaningful bigger picture once you take a step back.” Our response to the global pandemic, the social justice awakening, and afterwards reminds me of this concept. I think about shifting to Microsoft Teams to streamline file sharing and group communication, creating space and education for conversations around racial and social inequities, making our meetings more efficient and meaningful, lifting up and listening to young professionals, and really diving into what our volunteers and participants experience with us. I’m truly inspired by what we’ve accomplished and as we take a step back, each of these tiny shifts and moments altered the Series as we knew it forever.
As Maren says in the song, “Who’s gonna care if [we] don’t? Who’s gonna change if [we] won’t?” We have to continue to lean into social justice work. I’ve been moved by the work and conversations of the Social Justice Work Team led by Jasmine Holmes and Mirum Washington-White. They have worked very hard over the last few years to open the dialogue about social justice issues in the Series, provide educational opportunities, and shift policies to be more equitable and inclusive. As trailblazers in NIRSA, I am eager to see the Series engage with the NIRSA JDEI Climate Study Implementation Team as they begin their rollout. As I leave this space, I commit to and encourage you all to continue to challenge oppression, continue to challenge exclusion, and utilize your channels of influence to make an impact.
I ask each you: “Will we sit on our hands doing nothing about it? Or will we leave this world better than we found it?”
Before I drop the mic…
I have so many people to thank in my time with the Champ Series, but I want to acknowledge a core four (you like that rhyme?) who really impacted me as well as so many others.
- Val McCutchan—Queen V! I would never have imagined during my time on the Exec Team and as the chair that you would announce your retirement and start transitioning. What a ride it’s been. Thank you for your love and guidance of the Champ Series, as well as for believing in me and giving me opportunities to flourish.
- Nicole Jackson—I’ve been led by you since you started and been nothing but impressed with your leadership. Seeing you in person at the national tournaments and Annual Conferences are the ultimate joy as we get to connect on life and Champ Series on a deeper level. I fully trust in you to guide the Champ Series into the future.
- Amanda Jessee —Every time I reflect on my Champ Series experience, I think of you and our growth as colleagues, friends, and champions for inclusion. Keep being a force for change!
- Sarah Fain—I contribute my attention to detail, care for others, and cherishing personable moments to you. I miss you dearly, friend and know you are shining on us from above.
Thank you Oscee, Kris, Stephanie, Nicole, Val, and Lauren for this past year. I will miss solving-the-problems-of-the-world conversations, one hitters from Kris, where things are located in Teams, and the laughter. Y’all made this experience so enjoyable!
I’ll end this blog by sharing a memory of my last Champ Series Exec Team meeting where I was surprised with some very kind words that filled me with many emotions (happiness, sadness, relief, hopefulness, and pride). As I reflected the rest of the afternoon on my time serving the Champ Series, I thought “[As] time turns this moment to dust, I hope I’ll be proud of the [man] that I was,” which for me means that I was present and authentic, provided a little fun, and gave all of my heart.
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Be well my friends. You are all in great hands with Oscee Wheatfall, Kris Newsome, and Stephanie Calhoun, and I look forward to seeing their work in the coming years.
Jonathan Johnston is currently the Associate Director at Texas A&M University-Commerce. He serves as Chair of the NIRSA Championship Series Executive Work Team.
