Graduation 2014 - Northeastern University

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Alumni Newsletter

Summer 2014

Welcome Dear Master of Sports Leadership Alumni, I hope that you are all having an enjoyable summer. The Master of Sports Leadership program continues to become more robust. In fact, we recently honored our largest graduating class yet at Northeastern University College of Professional Studies’ Spring Commencement Ceremonies. Our students and alumni are achieving excellence in both the classroom and in their careers. We will be hosting our inaugural Master of Sports Leadership Alumni Reception, which will be held in Boston on Thursday, July 10. We look forward to seeing you there to celebrate your accomplishments and gather together for what will hopefully become an annual occasion. I hope you enjoy the new design and content of the Master of Sports Leadership Alumni Newsletter. As always, please let me know if there is anything that I can do to be of assistance to you. Best Regards! Dr. Robert M. Prior Professor, Master of Sports Leadership Program 617-943-3941 [email protected]

Inside This Issue: Welcome Message . . . . . . . . . . 1 Save the Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Student Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Setting a New Standard . . . . . . 4 Hitting the Links . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 All in the Family . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 MIT Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Alumni Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

NU Director of Athletics and MSL Instructor Peter Roby and Dr. Robert Prior gather with our 2014 MSL graduates.

Graduation 2014 A record number Master of Sports Leadership students completed the program, as 33 degrees were conferred. The Master of Sports Leadership program continues to grow, and we had our largest class of graduates crossing the stage at this year’s ceremony. We were proud to confer 33 master’s degrees at the Northeastern College of Professional Studies’ graduation ceremony inside Matthew’s Arena on June 6. The guest speaker was the illustrious Dr. Mark Albion, a former Harvard Business School professor and university administrator who has co-founded seven companies, including the global young leadership organization, Net Impact. He is the best-selling author of seven books and is currently chair of the career-management educational technology corporation, More Than Money Careers. He gave the new graduates advice, including two “don’ts” and three “do’s”:

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1. Don’t get really good at what you don’t want to do.

2. Don’t defer your life plan. 3. Do turn your values into value. 4. Do surround yourself with a community of love.

5. Do know how to measure success. No doubt this message resonated with our newly minted Sports Leadership graduates as they move forward into meaningful careers and lives. Congratulations and best of luck to all of the 2014 graduates!

360 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115

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Summer 2014

Save the Date:

Networked for Life Event

In Memory of Former Northeastern Athletic Director and MSL Professor Dave O’Brien: 1956-2014

You’re invited to the first Master of Sports Leadership Alumni Reception! Please join faculty, staff, students, and fellow alumni to reconnect, reminisce, and meet new people in your field. We’ll also be celebrating the final days of this year’s Summer Institute. There will be light appetizers and a cash bar.

When: Thursday, July 10, 6-8 p.m. Where: LIR, 903 Boylston St., Boston, MA

Dave O’Brien, former Northeastern University Director of Athletics and Recreation and a founding faculty member for our Sports Leadership program, passed away in March. A greatly admired administrator, college sports educator, and executive for more than 25 years, he’s served thousands of players at several schools. After graduating from Moravian College and Seton Hall Law School, O’Brien took on the role of Temple University’s Director of Athletics in 1996 following five years as Long Beach State University’s Director of Sports, Athletics and Recreation. Six years later, he joined us here at Northeastern from 2002 through 2007, and then moved on to Drexel University as an auxiliary teaching professor and sport management program director. O’Brien’s time at Northeastern was fruitful. His vision and leadership led the university’s move to the Colonial Athletic Association, resulting in increased regional and national exposure. He brought in a notable team, having hired current men’s basketball head coach Bill Coen, who led the Huskies to the 2013 CAA regularseason title.

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He was instrumental in establishing our Sports Leadership master’s degree program—one of only a handful of its kind in the country. Classroom performance also improved during his tenure as athletic director, and student-athlete graduation rates steadily rose. Outside of his academic role, O’Brien was the managing partner of the O’Brien Sports Group and an editor of College Sports Business News. O’Brien was deeply devoted to his family—wife Eva and children Kevin, Danny, and Jimmy, as well as son Michael, who preceded him in death. “All of us within Northeastern Athletics are saddened by the passing of our friend and colleague,” says Peter Roby, Northeastern’s athletic director. “Dave was a wonderful person who loved athletics and loved his family. I was introduced to this athletic department through Dave and it was his generosity that ultimately led to my being named athletic director. I will miss him and will be forever grateful. We send our love and support to his family.”


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Summer 2014

Q+A Sports Leadership Student Mark Dickson Assistant coach of men’s tennis at the University of Miami in Coral Gables Mark Dickson joined the University of Miami men’s tennis staff in 2011, following successful careers as both a player and coach. He is a 10-time winner of international professional tournaments who defeated many of the world’s top players in the U.S. Open and Australian Open. Not one to rest on his laurels, Dickson began coaching privately in 1990, opened the Mark Dickson Tennis Academy, and has run an investment company for 15 years. He’s currently enrolled it the Master of Sports Leadership program. Can you summarize your position? I’m involved with every aspect of the tennis program, including evaluating and recruiting student athletes from all over the world, budgeting, coordinating travel for our teams, assisting with scheduling, and staying on top of players’ academics to make sure they graduate on time with a meaningful degree. My door is always open and I talk with student-athletes about school, personal, and family issues. I’m always building relationships with them. It’s heartfelt. It’s amazing to be able to do the things I love to do—it’s like a fairy tale. How do you find taking the program while working? Education is a hugely important part of my life. For me to continue my education at Northeastern really gives me a sense of purpose. I like how I can talk to students from first-hand experience about the importance of continuing your education throughout life. And I can be a role model to my son and daughter.

learns differently and processes things differently, and I need to be able to communicate and say the things students need to hear, and in the way they need to hear it. That’s been the joy of making this transition. Being a good player certainly helps to be a good coach, but understanding what each individual student needs is most exciting. What leadership skills resonate in particular? Every day I learn something that I apply into my day-to-day life. It’s helped my communication skills a lot. Being able to communicate well with athletes from around the world means recognizing their differences in personalities, cultures, and needs. I really enjoy it. I’m learning that it’s important to have excellent listening skills and to hear what people are saying—but also to understand what they are meaning. And on the court, I’m doing a better job of reading them. So much of what we do as coaches is nonverbal communication. So it’s not just in what I say or what they say but body language and sensing when to give them a nod as opposed to saying something.

What is it like going from being a pro player to a coach?

What’s the most rewarding parts of your job?

I see it as an extension of what I was already doing in some ways. I’ve realized that everyone

To be part of the athletes’ lives and help them understand the importance of helping others

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and contributing to society. To be able to shape them – and be shaped by them – is a wonderful experience that’s had a huge impact on me. Being in the Sports Leadership program has given me empathy for our student-athletes. I know how tiring it is to do all we do as coaches, but students also have to go to class and focus. I have an even deeper level of understanding since I need to do my coursework, stay fresh, and handle my responsibilities well. Any advice for someone considering enrolling in the program? Enroll as quickly as possible! All of us model the leadership skills that we see. I’m taking my second course with Dr. Prior and am so impressed at how well-spoken and organized he is and the diversity of the concepts he presents. Learning from someone like that gives me a lot of confidence in my own skills and ability to succeed in the program. Everyone can use a role model like him. Where do you see your career headed? I’m very happy. The day I get my diploma I’ll be so disappointed. I don’t want the program to end!

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Setting a New Standard

that everyone needs to teach the same way, but this way there’s one voice that can speak to child development through basketball and one set of principles that everyone in the country can use.”

Alumni Jay Demings creates a national model for youth basketball

Demings shares an example. “We wouldn’t want to teach a 5-year-old how to perform a combination move followed by a dunk, and we wouldn’t want to wait until he’s 17 to teach proper shooting form,” he explains. “Our program gives organizations autonomy but shows them there’s a systematic way to develop players physically and emotionally.” And through the program parents, players, and organizations can know that coaches are in line with a certain set of guiding principles, have passed a background check, and received some kind of formalized training.

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In order to truly be a leader, I need to keep my value system in mind and act on them. A lot of times that means saying no when it’s easier to say yes.

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There are 23 million youth basketball players and 2.5 people coaching them—which means there’s a lot of people learning the game and teaching it differently. No one knows this better than Jay Demings, who went back to school at age 32 to get his Master of Sports Leadership, having worked in boys and girls basketball for well over a decade. “Since graduating it’s been a whirlwind for me,” Demings says. Last fall, he took on the role of USA Basketball Youth Division Director in Colorado Springs, where he oversees all facets of the newly created department. The goal is to develop an inclusive basketball community of coaches, administrators, players, and parents and provide them with a national model for quality youth basketball programming. This major initiative includes coming up with a set of guiding principles that address player development, coach education, and safety as well as an accreditation system for organizations to receive training education. “It’s important to have one body that can promote and elevate the game in a proper way,” he says. “We’re not trying to say

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Demings kept an open mind when hearing feedback. Instead of focusing on the media-darling “elite athletes” bound for the college basketball or the NBA, he found that the program could impact the masses most by focusing on the average player and targeting community centers, YMCAs, and schools. Considering how the Sports Leadership program is most influencing his work, Demings credits a lesson drilled home by Dr. Prior and Peter Roby. “They showed me that in order to truly be a leader, I need to keep my value system in mind and act on it,” he says. “A lot of times that means saying no when it’s easier to say yes.” He points to a difficult decision Roby made in deciding to cut Northeastern’s football program—a decision that upset many people but one that needed to be made. “He wasn’t afraid to make a tough choice. His life lessons affected me because I now have courage to go out there and make the tough choice when it’s the right choice.” Learning to trust his inherent value system is the “best thing I took away from Northeastern,” Demings says. “It’s made me a better person without regard to my career status.”

It’s been more than half a year of strategic planning, and the program is ready to launch. While building the program from the ground up, Demings used many of the practices he learned while earning his degree. “The program’s emphasis on leadership, as opposed to straightup management, is very relevant since I’m less focused on implementing processes than encouraging our organization to explore its own capabilities and carrying ideas through the whole initiative,” he says. He’s spent the bulk of his time coalition building, talking to groups around the country about their needs and fusing their feedback into the program’s infrastructure. “In this first phase, my job was to really listen to everyone,” he says. Demings got an overwhelmingly positive response about the need for a standardized progressive teaching method that explains what to teach, how to do it best, and when to teach it. Many resources for young players and coaches already exist (Google “how to dribble” and 500 instructional videos pop up)—which has lead to a disjointed national approach.

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Summer 2014


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Hitting the Links

Being able to show the sports field just what she was made of entailed building a broad but deep base of knowledge about the industry. It’s what drew her to Northeastern’s program. “I didn’t know what part of the sports industry I wanted to be in,” she says. “Earning my degree allowed me to focus in on figuring out what I wanted to do.”

MSL Graduate Michelle Krasodomski explores a new passion for golf with the USGA Growing up, Michelle Krasodomski, ’11, was no stranger to golf courses. She learned how to play as a teenager from her father, who adores golfing. But she preferred to stick to her sports of choice: volleyball and basketball. Much later, an internship with the Vermont Golf Association got her hooked—so much so that in the fall of 2012, she joined the Southern California Golf Association (USGA) as its Communications Coordinator. “Golf was a great field to get into after playing team sports my whole life,” she says of the change. While earning her Master of Sports Leadership degree, Krasodomski tested out many types of jobs in the sports industry and spent time with the Patriots, Boston Red Sox, Boston Cannons, and the YMCA. “I realized that I had “hit” all my favorite areas (football, baseball, lacrosse, youth sports) and what I enjoyed most about all of them was communications and public relations,” she says. Writing is something I enjoy and being able to do it in the sports industry is just icing on the cake.” Her job can be hectic. “Working in communications, you never know what the day may entail,” she says. “I’ve learned how to talk to a wide array of people, calming them down or chatting about an awesome hole-in-one experience. ” She especially loves to write stories about USGA members, who are always excited to talk about their experiences. “I recently wrote about a veteran who gives back by teaching other veterans how to golf,” she says. It’s amazing what people can do with a sport, and the impact that the sport makes on people.” On any given day, Krasodomski manages USGA’s website; conducts interviews; writes for the organization’s magazines; plans photo shoots; coordinates with the media; and acts as

Summer 2014

It also gave her the leadership skills she needed, and she applies many of them on the job. One she regularly draws upon is all about presence. “Lots of people say that first impressions matter, and I learned why at Northeastern,” she says. “Professors taught us about the impact you make when you walk into the classroom, go on an interview, or speak to a group of people— and how to make it.”

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I had to show the boys that I could play with them—and at a higher level than they were at. Once I showed them that I could score points and help the team win, they were more than willing to pass me the ball.

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the organization’s internal email communications guru. She finds the time to get outside to enjoy the warm California sun by working tournaments by doing media coverage and photography. Being in a highly visible role—and in such a highly visible organization—is a welcome challenge for Krasodomski , and she relishes her position as a woman in a male-dominated field. “Golf is, in my eyes, the hardest sport to break into as a female,” she says. “Luckily, more women are moving into golf at high levels and making a nice pathway for the rest of us. But it’s still a long journey.” It helps that she’s had practice. Krasodomski grew up in a small town without good organized sports for girls. So in middle and high school she played on the boys’ teams. “I had to show the boys that I could play with them—and at a higher level than they were at,” she says. “Once I showed them that I could score points and help the team win, they were more than willing to pass me the ball. It’s the same being a female in a male industry. Show them what you got and they’ll take you in.”

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She also learned the power of relating. “Developing relationships is big in my current role and in the golf industry as a whole,” she says. “I believe leadership capabilities develop over the years. I’ve been able to establish a foundation of stability, which I believe is one of a leader’s most important skills.” Krasodomski enjoys her job with the SCGA and sees herself remaining there for a few more years. After that, she’ll continue exploring. “I would love to work for the PGA or LPGA one day, probably sticking to the communications side of things, and earn my doctorate,” she says. In the meantime, she’s hitting the golf courses, where she says she’s happy to be bonding over backswings with her dad.

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Summer 2014

All in the Family MSL alums receive World Series Rings from Boston Red Sox Three Sports Leadership graduates who work for the Boston Red Sox were recognized for their behind-the-scenes efforts to bring the team to the World Championships last season. On May 19 at Fenway Park, they joined other select Sox employees for a special ceremony recognizing that they are just as much a part of the team as the players themselves. And they each received a championship Red Sox ring to prove it. One recipient was alum Amanda Heglin '08, who was recently promoted to manager of Sponsor Services for the team. “As cliché as it sounds, I always knew I wanted to work in sports,” she says. “I never knew where it would lead me or that I would be doing what I’m doing now. I just admired growing up and even now that sport plays such a pivotal role in our society. So she put in her time, starting in the ticket office, and credits her ability to promote herself and go the extra mile with getting her the position she holds today.

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–Katie Shanahan, on her Championship Red Sox ring

Katie Shanahan '14 was thrilled to be recognized for her dedication as a ticket operations representative. She grew up saying that she’d work for the Red Sox one day and realized her goal when she joined them for the 2011 season. After the win, she joined the players down in the field and later walked

with them in the celebratory parade. “The management appreciates the fact we put in a lot of work,” says Shanahan. “My ring is just like the players’ rings, and it’s so big that I’m not able to wear it on a daily basis. But that makes it special. Nothing I do will ever top this.”

She’s been the primary contact for more than 100 corporate partners and negotiates contractual agreements between companies that ask to use the Red Sox brand or the team’s resources to promote their product. “The most rewarding part though is creating those individual experiences for each person,” she says. “Whether it is a guests first time or 500th time to Fenway Park, we help create those memories that can last a lifetime.” Another ring went to Jonathan Chin '10, vice president of Integrated Sales for Fenway Sports Management. In this highly visible role, Chin is responsible for selling integrated media, marketing, and sponsorship programs for one of the nation’s leading sports marketing organizations. He was brought in four years ago for his proven track record of developing creative and hugely successful marketing programs with the Boston Bruins.

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Nothing I do will ever top this.

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Summer 2014

MIT’s Connection to Master of Sports Leadership Program is No Small Coincidence The importance of professional development and seeking an advanced degree are paramount in today’s competitive job market. The Master of Sports Leadership program has provided MIT Athletics personnel with the skills and knowledge to achieve both of these goals and looks forward to continuing the relationship that has been a win-win scenario for all involved. Following is a list of MIT students that have had an association with the MSL program:

Katie Hoppe

Jennifer Miller-McEachern

Eleven past or present employees at MIT have graduated from or are currently enrolled in the Master of Sports Leadership program. This is no coincidence, as MIT’s employees are encouraged by the Athletics administration to further their education and develop their professional leadership skills.

those who I've met through the online courses. The classes include real life examples of experiences the teachers have gained from their careers combined with the most current industry information. Most importantly, the teachers are understanding and always available whether it be a question about class or to bounce career ideas off of."

MIT Assistant Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator Barb Bolich has been an advocate for the Master of Sports Leadership program specifically and states that “"I've always been a motivator for obtaining a master's degree and the Northeastern Master of Sports Leadership program is a natural fit for the MIT employees,” said Bolich. “DAPER (MIT’s Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation) has been fortunate to benefit from the education as staff directly apply the learning to their work while preparing for their future. And, with the flexibility of online and on campus classes, the program allows our employees to have a full time job while maintaining their lifestyle with family and friends." Katie Hoppe, an Athletics Administrative Assistant at MIT, and a student in the Master of Sports Leadership program noted "the MSL program has allowed me to further define my interest in the sports field while networking with other professionals both in the area and

MSL Alum Jennifer Miller-McEachern (’13), Director of Varsity Equipment Operations at MIT added “the Sports Leadership Program in the College of Professional Studies is a unique way to earn your degree. So many people I know go through the process of getting their master's degree just for the piece of paper. I'll admit, that was my motivation before I started my first class. However, I quickly found out the information I was learning in class was easily transferable to my job. The professors are individuals who are currently working or have worked in athletics so it feels like being mentored by an experienced professional instead of taking a class. The on-line format provides you with the flexibility needed to manage your time in order to complete assignments and the courses offered on-campus provide the feeling of a traditional classroom setting. I am constantly recommending this program to athletes, coaches and staff looking move on to graduate school."

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Current MIT Employees: Michael Booras (2010) Massachusetts Institute of Technology Individual Giving Officer Stephanie Kloos (2012) Health Fitness at MIT Director of Fitness and Member Services Jennifer Miller-McEachern (2013) MIT Athletics Director of Varsity Equipment Operations Jamie Olson (2010) Massachusetts Institute of Technology Member Services Supervisor/ Campus Recreation Past MIT Employees: Aubrey Brick (2008) Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Contract Specialist Jody Mello (2009) Round House Racing Event Manager Vanessa Cox (2011) Brandeis University Athletic Department Administrator Stephen Remick (2012) Boston College Assistant Equipment Manager Current Students: Katie Hoppe, Athletics Administrative Assistant Brian Bubna, Assistant Football Coach Kelly McManus, Assistant Field Hockey Coach 7

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Summer 2014

2014 Spring MSL Alumni Updates

Marc Arria ’08 was recently named Director of Athletics at Winchester High School. He was previously the Director of Athletics at the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School.

Mike Billings ’12 was named Athletic

Communications Assistant at Brown University last fall. He previously worked in the Sports Information Office at Boston College.

Jeff Bonda ’13 was hired as the Ticket

Office Coordinator for the New England Patriots. He is responsible for ticket operations pertaining to the Patriots, New England Revolution, UMASS football, and concert events in Gillette Stadium.

Athletics and has also been broadcasting UC Riverside Highlanders Basketball games.

Tim O’Donovan ’13 has been promoted

Jonathan Gay ’09 was promoted to

to Director of Hockey/Media Administration for the Kamloops Blazers Hockey Club in British Columbia, Canada.

Matt Grosso ’14 has been named an

Congratulations to John Reid ’10 and Heidi Schonland, who were married on November 23, 2013 in South Boston. John serves as the Middle School Athletic Director at Thayer Academy in Braintree, MA.

Director of Partnerships and Development at Playworks, where he is responsible for business development and fundraising. His family also recently welcomed their first child. assistant baseball coach at Sacred Heart University.

Amanda Rogers ’14 has been named

Director of the Boston College Annual Fund last October.

Digital Communications Developer for the Philadelphia Eagles in their new Digital Media Department. She was previously the SID at Montgomery County Community College.

Michael Carriero ’14 was recently hired

Dave Hoffman ’09 was recently promoted to Senior Manager of Community Relations by the Boston Celtics. He and his wife welcomed the birth of their first child in January.

Ricardo Sanon ’10 has accepted the

by Reebok as Associate Product Test Engineer. They have a nice campus in Canton, MA that could be a great place to stage an interview.

Pat Colbert ’13 and Lindsay

Jill Harrington ’12 is working as a

DeStefano '09 were married on May 25, 2014 on Cape Cod.

Jay Demings ’13 was hired last November as the first-ever Director of USA Basketball’s newly created Youth Division in Colorado Springs, CO. His responsibilities include building and directing the division through its beginning stages and beyond, while continuing to establish the organization as the respected authority of the sport in the U.S. at all levels.

Taylor Fisher ’13 was hired as the General Manager for the Old Orchard Beach Raging Tide (ME) of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.

Samantha Fitzgerald ’12 is now the

Assistant Sports Information Director at Suffolk University.

Matt Freedman ’11 and his wife welcomed their second child, as Shane Logan was born on 10-10-13.

David Gascon ’11 completed his first

season as Gameday Host of the San Diego Chargers with Clear Channel Media during the 2013 NFL season. He is in his second year with Campus Insiders covering San Diego State

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David Hadly ’12 was hired as the Assistant

Regulatory Specialist/Instructor for HCPro, Inc. She is teaching Health Care Regulatory/ Medical Coding Boot Camp Seminars across the United States.

Amanda Heglin ’08 was promoted to

Manager of Client Services by the Boston Red Sox. She is also an adjunct faculty member and advisor at Endicott College for the College of Sport Science and Fitness Studies.

Mark Leonard ’12 is Senior Vice Presi-

dent and GM for Fidelity Investments in Merrimack, NH. On September 3, 2013, Mark was granted a United States Patent (#8,527,302) with three of his colleagues. The Patent application titled, “Managing an Insurance Plan” was submitted to the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2007.

Jen Miller-McEachern ’13 was recently

named the Executive Director of the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association, which governs and supports a National Championship for NCAA Division III Women’s Gymnastics. She is the Director of Varsity Equipment Operations at MIT.

position of Academic Success Coordinator for Student-Athletes at Central Washington University.

Dalton Swing ’11 earned his Juris

Doctorate from Stetson Law School in December of '13. He is also a licensed USSF soccer player agent.

Ryan Townzen ’13 has been hired as

Intramural Coordinator for the University of Minnesota.

Myisha Trice ’13 was hired as the Exercise and Nutrition Science Teacher at Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy, Chavez Prep Campus in Washington, DC.

Natalie West ’11 is pursuing a Ph.D. in

Educational leadership at Simmons College. She will graduate in the spring of 2015.

Sarah Wolcott ’13 is the Head Women's Soccer Coach at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA.

Justin Wright ’10 recently completed

a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Administration at Northeastern. He is the Campus Recreation Coordinator at Northeastern University.

Dane Morris ’13 has been named Head Coach for Men's Basketball at St. Mary's University College in Canada.

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