NCAA LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE: Goldsboro native Jones attends week-long summit

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on July 30, 2017 8:26 AM

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Chris Jones is a Goldsboro native and a member of the GHS Class of 2004.

He currently works at Clarion (Pa.) University as the director for development of athletics, and oversees all of the fund-raising efforts for the department of athletics. Jones was recently chosen as one 20 athletics administrators -- out of more than 100 applicants -- to attend the NCAA Leadership Institute. The highly intense and competitive program is a springboard to developing tomorrow's leaders as collegiate institutions continue to grow in enrollment, and athletics participation increases.

Jones graciously offered his time to participate in a Q&A session with News-Argus Sports Editor Rudy Coggins.

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ÃÆ'Q: As the week progressed at the Leadership Institute, what did you consider the biggest challenge and why?

A: The biggest challenge was an assignment developing a five-year financial plan for a university that had an $18 million deficit. This was a group assignment that made us examine what decisions to make. We had to make tough decisions, be able to justify every decision made and present it to the trustees of the University. For the purpose of this assignment, the trustees were comprised of acting athletic directors at Division I and Division II institutions. This gave us great practice for when you're athletic director and you have to make similar decisions when it pertains to hiring and firing of coaches, personnel and programs in the department.

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Q: How important is it to promote and develop a culture of excellence within the athletics department that benefits the student-athlete experience?

A: It is integral to your student-athletes having a great experience. Student-athletes often mimic the culture that they're a part of. If they're a part of a culture that has the bar set for excellence, then they'll strive for excellence. Consequently, the same is true for mediocracy. Behaviors like that are contagious and infectious. It is solely on the shoulders of the athletic administration staff to promote and develop a culture of excellence.

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Q: That being said, more college students are beginning to identify with the LGBTQ community, which brings to the forefront diversity and inclusion with collegiate athletics. What practices and policies are getting put in place with in the athletic department to assist LGBTQ athletes?

A: We learned that the average age of a person beginning to identify is between 14 and 17 (years old), so in all actuality, it is happening before they even arrive on a college campus. We as athletic administrators have to be proactive and not reactive. It is imperative to be abreast of federal as well as state non-discriminatory laws and policies, and implement accordingly.

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Q: Vision and culture in today's society, how does that affect an athletic department's effectiveness and performance, not only on the playing field but in the classroom?

A: If you don't know where you're going, where do you even begin? If you can't see where you're going, how are you going to get there? Having a vision is paramount when wanting to be successful in an endeavor in life. It's like your road map. It keeps you on track. We often get off track, but your vision is something you can refer to and it has the ability to put you back on the right track.

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Q: You had the opportunity to tour athletic departments at local campuses and view different aspects of how those administrators deal with culture, organizational structure and communication practices. What did you learn that you'd like to take back -- and implement -- at Clarion?

A: The most important this is that you have to have people employed who are dedicated to the ultimate success of your student-athletes. There are always going to be campuses that have more resources, and are able to do more for their programs. But the one constant for successful programs is that they have a village of people invested to making sure that they do all they can to ensure that their student-athletes have a desirable experience. No matter if you're a school that has 30,000 students or one that has 3,000 students. If you have genuine people in place that are passionate about what they do, you'll be surprised with all that can be accomplished. One of the key questions we were asked all week was 'what is your why?' 'Why do you do what you do?' 'What drives you?' Somewhere in your answer should always refer back to the student-athlete. When times get tough, you have to remember your why! That is something that I will take back and constantly ask people to remember when difficult times come.

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Q: Not only did you work extensively with current leadership program members, you met participants from last year's Institute. What kind of advice did they offer?

A: We had an alumni reception towards the end of the week in which nearly 100 alums had the opportunity to come back and interact with us. The program has over 350 graduates. Being that we are all in a field in which we're the minority, we face many of the same challenges on a daily basis. The best advice given is that we are not walking this journey alone. We now have over 350 brothers and sisters that have been through the same program and received the same training that we have. We can lean on them and reach out to them for best practices on a variety of issues. For the most part, everyone that goes through Leadership Institute is the decision maker or has an opinion in the decision making process. Don't be afraid to be a change agent. When you are asked for your opinion, be able to articulate in addition to being able to provide a unique frame of reference. They may not be accustomed to hearing (it) because a lot of us have lived or have been around people that live in some of the neighborhoods that our student-athletes come from.

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Q: Chris, how much did you enjoy this experience at the Leadership Institute?

A: By far, the most dynamic and transformational professional development opportunity in which I have been associated. Humbled, yet grateful, to have had the opportunity to be part of such a great program.