M.Ed. in Intercollegiate Athletics Administration

M.Ed. In Intercollegiate Athletics Administration

Although today's college students lead increasingly busy lives, they still seek a sense of community with their fellow students during the college experience. Creating a strong and vibrant college community is one of the core objectives of any intercollegiate athletic program. The vital role of college athletics in fostering a positive atmosphere on campus has received a great deal of media attention in recent years. The reputations of athletic teams are inexorably tied to the reputation of the university. Consider how the George Mason University basketball team's unexpected success in the 2006 NCAA championships expanded the applicant pool of this once largely regional university.

The effective administration of an intercollegiate athletic program demands a new breed of manager. He or she must be able to navigate the rocky terrain of increased media scrutiny, the legal requirements of NCAA academic compliance and Title IV regulations, as well as serve current and former students' demands for entertainment and college pageantry during game time. I believe I have the ideal set of intellectual and interpersonal skills to provide such expertise.

Athletics have long been a passion in my life, and I think that physical activity is an ideal arena to learn about sacrifice, teamwork, and to feel a positive sense of connection with others. Whether playing competitively in organized football and baseball leagues when I was young, or in friendly pick-up games with friends today, my life is incomplete without the physical and spiritual challenges of athletics. To be a part of a team is to be a part of a community, and to be part of a school with strong athletic teams creates a lasting sense of a common university culture, that is felt even after a student graduates. Alumni still return to their school to see their team play. A strong athletic program keeps former students loyal and draws new, more qualified students into the applicant pool.

At present, I am employed in the aviation industry. I obtained a M.S. In Aviation Safety at the end of 2006 with a 4.0 GPA and have since continued my education, maintaining a 4.0 GPA through an online master's program at Delta State University in the field of Commercial Aviation. My success is testimony to the fact that I believe wholeheartedly in the need to pair athletic and academic success in tandem. I was originally drawn to aviation because of the discipline and teamwork I had seen exhibited in the field, but I have begun to realize that I wish to channel my passions into something even more meaningful, that of creating athletic programs that foster positive values in young people.

I believe that my combination of management, business, and marketing skills, can create a program with a high graduation rate and attract athletes with high levels of physical ability and personal character. Ideally, I would like to improve all athletic programs, not simply high-attendance like football and basketball, although these sports are my first love. I would also like to contribute to the development of underrepresented college sports, to enable as many students to participate in competitive intercollegiate athletics as possible.