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Get Coaches on Board
“There is no substitute for having coaches who are visible in the community,” says John Cochrane, Athletic Director at Cornell College. “I urge my coaches to eat lunch in town rather than on campus and to attend community events. To make it a priority, I put it in their evaluations. One of the points on our coach evaluation form says, ‘Regularly integrates themselves into the community and reaches out to establish relationships.’”

Include New Faces
Drake University Athletic Director Sandy Hatfield Clubb looks for ways to reach out to community groups that aren’t often represented at athletic events. For example, she sends the men’s basketball team to the city’s most economically challenged elementary schools to connect with youngsters.

“The players read with the kids and then give them reading goals,” she says. “If they meet their goals by a deadline set by their teachers, they get to come to a game. Hundreds of students have attended games through the program over the past couple of seasons.”

Lead By Example
“To establish community relations as a department value, I have to make sure others see my commitment to it,” says Aaron Denton, newly hired Athletic Director at Sandhills Community College. “So I’m working on finding groups that could use my help and boards I can volunteer to serve on. Once my staff and student-athletes see I’m serious about investing in the community, I can encourage them to do the same.”

Learn to Listen
“Anytime you’re trying to establish a relationship, the most important thing you can do is be genuinely receptive,” Cochrane says. “It’s important to talk to our communities, let them know who we are as departments, and encourage them to come in. But it can’t be a one-way street. We have to be genuinely interested in the communities themselves—in learning who they are, where we fit, and what we can do to help.”