Gallaudet athletics

One of the most important focuses during my tenure was the athletics program because it was a fine way to develop student spirit, morale, and teamwork. Being a huge sports fan, I saw the value of athletics beyond the competition itself. I believed athletics allow people to come together and work as a team. Working alone, even as a “superstar,” doesn’t bring success to the team. Win or lose, student-athletes learn to support one another no matter what. Lessons learned from sports helps to prepare student-athletes for graduate school or to enter the workforce. In 2012, I became the first deaf chair of the North East Athletic Conference (NEAC) and served a two-year term. NEAC is affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a Division III regional conference, networking with thirteen colleges and universities throughout the northeast region. It was a fantastic experience, and unlike the NCAA Division I, the missions of the NEAC and the NCAA Division III were geared toward student-athletes. Between 2010 and 2013, a record forty-nine student-athletes at Gallaudet University made the NEAC scholar-athlete list. That record was topped by sixty-one student-athletes in 2014–15. I am proud to have played a major part in improving the athletic facilities which enhanced the athletic programs. As mentioned earlier, the field house was renovated, turf placed on both the baseball and softball fields, and a new track and field apparatus installed. Competitively, the Gallaudet Bison made its mark. Well over 100 student-athletes earned all-conference honors, and conference championships were garnered by the men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, women’s soccer, men’s football, and women’s volleyball (which has won six straight NEAC championship during my presidential term)s. Cross-country and men’s soccer returned as varsity teams. I was mighty proud of the student-athletes’ accomplishments in both academics and sports. As a result of the successful student-athletic programs, the Bison earned national media attention several times from the sports network ESPN and other major media outlets. The athletic director at the time, Michael Weinstock, is to be commended for his outstanding leadership with the athletics programs. He was instrumental in the transformation of the program into a strong and viable member of the NEAC. Vicki and I love sports, and attended as many home games as we could. I sincerely believe a successful athletic program has had a direct impact on Gallaudet recruitment and retention numbers. It has also been a great opportunity for many mainstreamed deaf and hard of hearing students to come to Gallaudet because they want to play sports and mingle with others who are like them, and where they have full access to coaches, teammates, and so forth.

Gallaudet’s athletic director Mike Weinstock and I went to one of the NCAA’s national conferences. He attended workshops for athletic directors, while I attended luncheons and group meetings with other presidents. Afterward, Mike and I got together to share what we learned from our interactions. Mike brought up the concept of a “front porch” and explained that many colleges and universities talked about the importance of making their athletic programs highly visible on campus. Sharing our perspectives about Gallaudet, we realized that the athletics department was located way in the back of the field house—and something needed to be done about that. Mike then proposed to the provost and the physical education department chair that the athletic department be relocated to the front. Upon approval, the move was made, with a lot of improvements also taking place in the field house. Staffing for additional head coaches and their assistants was expanded. This led to Gallaudet becoming one of the best athletic programs within the Northeast Athletic Conference.