Kochenderfer Interacts with Athletic Professionals at Symposium and Workshop
By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Athletics Program Assistant Britanny Kochenderfer of Willamette University recently attended two conferences for workers in college athletic administration. She was involved in the NCAA/Women Leaders in College Sports Women's Leadership Symposium that was held online on May 25 and May 26, 2022. She also participated in the NCAA Effective Facilitation Workshop in Las Vegas, Nevada, from June 23 through June 24, 2022.
The Women's Leadership Symposium focused on helping young professionals build their brand and their professional status. It was attended virtually by women from all over the country who are beginning or aspiring to a career in intercollegiate athletics or the sports industry. The event was designed to expand the participants' professional networks and to promote the recruitment and retention of women working in intercollegiate athletics.
"They encourage connection and engagement," Kochenderfer said. "The CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports, Patti Phillips, calls on women leaders to support one another and take a proactive role in advancing women in sports. They hold circle calls, happy hours, and virtual forum boards to help women in the industry network and learn from one another and be excited for each other's success."
Program goals included networking throughout the industry and helping young women in athletics improve their ability to prepare resumes, develop personal brands, and learn how to effectively participate in interviews when seeking a job and when hiring workers. The symposium also explained how college athletics works and how various administrative units interact.
Kochenderfer commented that "a session that was impactful for me was centered around maximizing your opportunities and how to approach the work force with confidence."
Some of the tips that were shared during the maximizing your opportunities session were to bring optimism and good energy to your work, understand your supervisor's communication style, and be an observant and active listener with your colleagues.
"We also got to hear from Sable Lee and Lamarr Pottinger, who are Directors of the NCAA Leadership Development Programs," Kochenderfer recalled. "They spoke about how to brand yourself authentically and in line with your values. The session was geared toward 'rookies' and helping younger women in the industry prioritize their presence for both personal and professional development. Women leaders also distributed a checklist for 'landing the job'. The list had tips for resume building, interview preparation, and the art of salary negotiation. Women leaders encouraged us to join ... committees, visit the leadership hub, apply for various NCAA programming, and take advantage of other professional development tools."
The Women's Leadership Symposium, despite being held in a virtual environment rather than an in-person setting, provided Kochenderfer and other participants with opportunities to interact with other young athletic administration professionals.
"I really enjoyed engaging in the virtual message boards with other attendees," Kochenderfer noted. "It gave us the chance to connect with one another and build a network."
Smaller group meetings during the on-line sessions also allowed for interactions and growth.
"We were put in breakout rooms and had the opportunity to connect with other young professionals in the industry. We talked about our goals and setting ourselves up to meet them," Kochenderfer said. "We also discussed what it is like being a woman working in a male-dominated industry and ways we can continue to support one another throughout our careers."
Part of Kochenderfer's motivation to attend the two-day, on-line event was to have a chance to interact with other workers in the sports industry who were enthusiastic and excited about their jobs.
"One of the reasons I joined the Women Leaders in College Sports was because they always bring the energy!" Kochenderfer commented. "Bringing optimism and good energy into your place of work is a huge lesson that was reinforced at the symposium."
The NCAA Effective Facilitation Workshop was created to enhance the understanding of each participant about their leadership style. The workshop also focused on developing the skills to create a safe and engaging learning environment and enhancing communication skills.
"The workshop taught me that no matter what your job title is, you can always bring something unique to the table," Kochenderfer noted. "Almost everyone I met at the workshop had a different introduction into intercollegiate athletics and had specific skills and insight that benefits their institution. I have always thought that you must follow a very specific pathway into college sports, but I want our student-athletes to know that whatever skills they have can be beneficial to an athletic department if they can learn how to market them."
Part of the workshop involved completing a DiSC assessment test before attending the event, and then receiving the results in Las Vegas.
"Once we arrived, the NCAA distributed our results and talked with us about how we scored. I discovered that I have an "i" style, meaning that I lead by influencing and inspiring," Kochenderfer said. "The assessment reaffirmed what I already knew – I am a 'people person'. Connections to others are important to me and I value cultivating an environment where we listen and respect one another. I learned that I facilitate by encouraging understanding and openness."
During the workshop, participants learned a lot about presentation and facilitation. They were encouraged to interact and network while adding to their own skills and abilities. It was a great time for each person to develop their own style for inspiring others and becoming leaders on their respective campuses.
"I enjoyed learning new activities and ways to engage," Kochenderfer said. "They taught us that presentation and facilitation are two very different things. Facilitation doesn't mean you have all the right answers - it means that you can ask all the right questions (to help the group or others attain goals). I valued learning about facilitation because I enjoy helping others with self-exploration and creating a space where it's okay to not know all the answers."
Facilitation promotes conversation and learning through shared dialogue, while presentation is more related to showing facts, data, and sharing of information that the presenter holds.
Getting everyone to feel involved with a project, whether those participating are student-athletes, coaches, or athletic administrators, is an important way to accomplish the tasks facing an athletic department, while increasing confidence and teamwork.
"When it comes to facilitation, being open to hearing new perspectives and encouraging a pursuit of curiosity in the office is a great way to make sure everyone feels heard. If you create a work environment that supports the sharing of new ideas and champions different backgrounds, then you can lead with inclusivity," Kochenderfer commented. "An accepting office is an effective office!"
Kochenderfer was joined at the NCAA Effective Facilitation Workshop by about 50 athletic professionals from throughout the country and all three NCAA Divisions. It was a great opportunity to meet in-person with other college athletic workers who possessed a wide range of interests, skills, training and experience.
"They were mostly younger and came from an assortment of positions. There were coaches, advisors, learning specialists, marketing and media directors, career counselors, and people with a variety of other job titles in attendance," Kochenderfer explained.
"The workshop was a great networking opportunity for me to meet people that I would normally not have an opportunity to talk with," Kochenderfer added. "The NCAA created an inclusive space where I didn't feel intimidated and had lots of time to interact with other participants. It was nice to connect with people of a similar age and career path to talk about our goals with each other. I enjoyed meeting new people and I was able to create relationships that will continue throughout the span of our careers."