NCAA Division III Athletics Experience Continues Its Impact Today

April 5, 2022

This is NCAA Division III Athletics Week. This celebration, coupled with an invitation to attend my 30th college reunion this summer (it can’t be that long ago), has me reflecting on the role athletics and attending a small college had on my personal and professional development.

I believe that NCAA Division III athletics, when done right, is the type of activity that changes lives. My time at Saint John’s University in Minnesota, an NCAA Division III institution like Buena Vista University, changed my life.

Many high school students who want to participate in college athletics grapple with options; from participating in community college, to competing at the NCAA Division III level without athletic scholarships, to athletics scholarship-funded experiences at NAIA or NCAA Division I and II schools.  All are good options.

I wrestled with my decision.

As a high school senior, I loved running, but was unsure if I should compete in college. I was always one to two places away from qualifying for the state meet in track. And while I was often on the podium in cross country, I never placed high enough to run at the state meet, so I didn’t attract attention from more than a couple of institutions offering very small scholarships.

One advantage of NCAA Division III athletics is that there are no athletic scholarships. I know it sounds strange to call this an advantage, but it is! All financial aid and grants are tied to financial need and academic achievement at NCAA Division III institutions like BVU. That means that if a student-athlete is not having a good experience on the playing surface, they can engage in other activities, or simply focus on academics. It takes the pressure off participating to maintain your financial support for school.

Part of what attracted me to Saint John’s, aside from the strong science programs and beautiful campus on the lake (sound familiar?), was that I knew I would have the opportunity to try cross country and track and field. I was able to pursue something I enjoyed without facing pressure to compete or stay on the team to keep my scholarship because it was an NCAA Division III school.

I was fortunate because I had a great experience. I had wonderful teammates, many of whom are still good friends 30 years later. We had a wonderful coach in Tim Miles, who embraced the NCAA Division III model of developing the whole person, not just the athlete. NCAA Division III athletics was important to my success in college and life for several reasons.

First, participating in NCAA Division III athletics helped me transition to college quickly. I immediately had a friend group with common interests. I was around upper-class students who took time to help me understand expectations in the classroom, on the team, and on campus. As President of Buena Vista University, this remains top of mind as I strive to create a welcoming environment for all our new students and employees.

Second, I learned what it really meant to be on a team and committed to a common cause. That may seem funny because most people view cross country as an entirely individual sport. At Saint John’s, it was a team sport. We trained together throughout the year. We suffered together through challenging workouts as we reached to qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships. We ran together outside in January when it was below zero. At home in the summer, we pounded the pavement every day, knowing our teammates were out in the heat and humidity doing the same.

There is immense value in working with a group of people committed to the same outcome, sharing successes, and overcoming setbacks, something I do every day as I lead BVU in fulfilling its mission of preparing students for lifelong success through academic, professional, and co-curricular programs.

Third, I developed a sense of humility and empathy. I was the top runner at my high school my senior year. I was a school record-holder in two track events. I was far from the top runner when I started college. It was challenging to go from the top 10 percent in high school to the bottom 10 percent in the first few races in college, but it was important I had that experience and perspective. It helped me learn how to overcome setbacks. It broadened my sense of empathy when I observed others struggling. Those skills have come in handy as a college president.

Fourth, I had great opportunities to develop leadership skills. As I became an older student, I had the chance to set an example for younger teammates on how to train and compete. I became an academic mentor for new biology students. I had the opportunity to play a lead role in establishing team culture, in ensuring all my teammates felt valued and were a part of the common cause. These experiences have influenced how I work with others on my leadership team at BVU today.

Finally, I learned how to develop a strategy and play the long game. I can still hear Coach Miles reminding our team, which often took the strategy of running an even pace through the whole race, that, “A five-mile race is not scored at the one-mile mark.”

In so many ways I’m still living and playing the long game, impacting lives each day with a team of incredible colleagues at BVU. I probably never would have considered working as a professor at BVU had it not been an NCAA Division III school: A place where I knew the primary focus would be academics, with the athletics experience comprising a key part of the wholistic learning environment.