Media Contact:
Rachel Gary
(201) 615-9629
RGary@SportsManagementResource.com
SPORTS LEADERS UNITE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
IN HIGH SCHOOL & COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Frederick, Grant, Lopiano & Zotos
Form Sports Management Resources
EASTON, CT, (April 14, 2008) – Four highly respected current and former athletic directors announced today the establishment of Sports Management Resources (SMR), a consulting group that will help scholastic and collegiate athletic programs solve integrity, equity growth and development challenges and enhance the impact of sports programs on the lives of student-athletes. The principals in SMR are:
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Bob Frederick, Ed.D., former Athletics Director and current faculty member at the University of Kansas
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Christine Grant, Ph.D., former Director of Women’s Athletics at the University of Iowa
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Donna Lopiano, Ph.D., recently retired CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation and former Director of Athletics at the University of Texas, and
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Connee Zotos, Ph.D., current Director of Athletics at Drew University
“Having all been athletic directors and college professors at some point in our careers, we have a passion for educational sport and the benefits it provides to student-athletes as well as an appreciation for the difficulty in maintaining the highest standards of integrity in the administration of those programs. ” said Dr. Lopiano, president and founder of SMR. “The job of an athletic director is not an easy one with the incredible challenge of overseeing 15-20 sports programs while simultaneously balancing the needs and interests of students, parents, alumni, administration and media. All of us are now at a point in our careers where we can share our successes and help others learn from our mistakes .”
SMR will focus on the following areas of greatest need and highest risk:
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Comprehensive Integrity Assessment
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Preparation for NCAA Division I Certification
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Budgetary and Philosophical Alignment of Sports for Various Program Models
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Strategic Planning
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Building Fundraising Capacity and Diversification of Revenue Streams
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Athletics Program Gender Equity Assessment
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Athletics Department Personnel Systems: Achieving Diversity & Performance Objectives
Frederick added, “Whenever the stakes are high, as in situations that could damage the credibility of educational institutions such as lawsuits, Title IX complaints, rules violations, misbehavior of student-athletes or coaches, etc., bringing in a qualified and objective third party signals a commitment by the academic institution to be open and honest in self-examining its practices and then improving upon them.”
With over 100 plus years of experience in academia and the non-profit sports industry, the SMR group is committed to making a difference in educational sports. From assisting athletic directors in addressing difficult issues in an increasingly complex and litigious environment to implementing “best practices”, SMR will share model management and program approaches that can enhance the success of athletics programs.
“We take pride in having assembled a consultant team that, in addition to having a faculty perspective, has management experience in all competitive divisions as well as scholastic sports.” commented Dr. Grant. “We know that academic institutions want to meet the highest standards of integrity, solve the challenges of remedying race and gender inequities and build the revenue streams necessary for the achievement of athletics department goals. We’re excited about sharing our knowledge and experience and firmly believe that athletics excellence must be compatible with academic and ethical integrity.”
In addition to providing consulting services, SMR has established a website, www.SportsManagementResources.com, with a free library of resources for athletics managers and a free SMR sports management newsletter that provides suggested actions to proactively address a host of athletics program management needs.
Connee Zotos stated, “An institution makes a good investment when it gives its athletic staff, who are coping with significant workloads, an extra pair of expert hands to help set up exemplary oversight and other internal systems that prevent problems from occurring. Institutional use of consultants represents a cost-effective short-cut to identifying and implementing best practices to ensure a sound educational sports program.”
About Sports Marketing Resources
Founded in 2008, Sports Marketing Resources (SMR) is a consulting firm that focuses on helping academic institutions manage change in the increasingly complex and litigious environment of scholastic and collegiate athletics.. SMR’s nationally recognized educational sport experts help athletic directors solve integrity, equity, growth and development challenges of their respective programs. For additional information about SMR’s services, biographical information on each of the consultants or its library of resources, please visit www.SportsManagementResources.com.
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