Paw Prints E-Newsletter: Volume 36

Paw Prints E-Newsletter | 6/27/2017 11:00:00 AM

From the desk of the Director of Athletics…

Wildcat Fans,

I hope you have enjoyed hearing from the coaches and staff of Daemen Athletics as the authors of Paw Prints over the past few months. It has been some time since I have reached out through Paw Prints and I have some exciting news to pass along across a number of areas.

NEW ROLE
When I stepped into the Athletics Director role in July 2014, the directive was to see Daemen through the final year of its transition to NCAA Division II membership. At that time, neither Dr. Olson nor I knew what exactly was ahead of us, but we shared the main goal of building a successful Division II program that would attract more student-athletes, community members and campers to Daemen's campus. Growing Daemen's exposure and recognition were critical as we both knew that the Northeast had entered into an era of fewer college-aged students. A strong NCAA Division II program helps Daemen reach beyond its traditional recruiting footprint. Three years later, Daemen Athletics is proud to have grown from 115 to nearly 215 student-athletes with a positive net tuition impact of over $2 million, while also establishing several external revenue streams to offset costs. Three new sports and expanded roster sizes, including spots for team managers and student workers, has also provided support to the college's overall enrollment numbers.

As athletics director, I also continued overseeing and teaching in Daemen's Business/Sport Management degree program. That program has likewise experienced growth, from just 15 to over 45 students in the major. Both the Sport Management and Athletics programs have grown to the point that separate leadership is needed to ensure that each reaches its maximum potential. In July, I will be stepping away from my full-time faculty role, and Bill Regan will lead the Business Administration/Sport Management degree program. A native of Buffalo, Bill has spent the last 14 years at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis, Indiana. Wildcat fans will learn more about Bill in the future. Bill will help grow the relationship between Daemen Athletics and the Sport Management program providing great work opportunities for our students, both on and off campus.

NEW GOALS
Although I will still be playing a small role in the Sport Mangement program, I am excited to join our athletics leadership team full-time and get to work on a host of new projects to further strengthen and expand the reach of Daemen Athletics. Our primary task is the continued growth of external revenue lines so we can continue to better the learning and competitive experiences of our student-athletes. This month, Daemen Athletics wrapped up construction of an independently funded natural turf soccer field at The Park School of Buffalo. Future plans include expanded meeting and team spaces near Lumsden Gymnasium to support not only our Daemen teams, but also to serve as an affordable community hub for youth and adult activity programs. Plans call for Daemen Athletics to sponsor a pickle ball league and senior activities in addition to our Summer Track Series and youth camps and clinics. Daemen Athletics will also grow our "free play" and sport sampling opportunities to youngsters who are just learning the ropes of competitive sports.

NEW C.A.U.S.E.
Another exciting project is the launch of Daemen's Center for Allied and Unified Sport and Exercise, or C.A.U.S.E. This initiative developed out of Daemen's relationship with the Miracle League of Western New York and will focus on expanding the allied and unified sport opportunities to disabled individuals in Western New York. C.A.U.S.E. will be funded through grants and gifts, and it will become the key community engagement piece of Daemen Athletics.

SAME FOCUS
Daemen Athletics is engaging in new projects and new goals to help support the same focus: a quality student-athlete experience for those who wear the Wildcat uniform. Daemen student-athletes continue to achieve in the classroom with nearly a 3.2 cumulative GPA, while also ranking at the top of Division II in terms of community service hours. This year we received grant money to grow our life skills and alcohol awareness programming. In sum, there is always more that we can do for our student-athletes to ensure their next 40 years are even better than the four they spend here at Daemen.

SAME GRATITUDE
As always, Daemen Athletics cannot do what it does well without your support. Teaching and expressing gratitude are critical parts of Daemen Athletics. We are thankful for what we have and what we will earn in the upcoming years. Please consider making a gift or participating in our upcoming Wildcat Golf Classic to support our efforts.

And on the topic of gratitude, I would be remiss not to mention the 45th birthday of Title IX which was this past week. Social media has seen posts from people of all genders and backgrounds noting where the are #BecauseOfTitleIX. Personally, Title IX provided me opportunities past and present to do good, both at Daemen and through programs like Western New York Girls in Sport. Using sport as a vehicle to inspire learning and character for all genders is made possible #BecauseOfTitleIX.

Thanks for reading and go Wildcats!

Bridget Niland
Director of Athletics

IN THE NEWS...

JUNE 1 - CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY ON DAEMEN/PARK SOCCER FIELD COLLABORATION
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JUNE 1 - ECC ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH BLUEFRAME TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE ECC NETWORK
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JUNE 6 - METZ TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT OF NEWLY FORMED COACHES ASSOCIATION
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JUNE 7 - ALBANO ANNOUNCES 2017 WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE
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JUNE 8 - LAGNO ANNOUNCES 2017 CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULES
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JUNE 9 - SPORTS MEDICINE DIRECTOR ELECTED TO LEADERSHIP ROLE IN NYSATA
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JUNE 13 - SUMMER TRACK SERIES DATES ANNOUNCED
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JUNE 15 - SPRING 2017 STUDENT-ATHLETE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS RELEASED
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JUNE 19 - COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM RECEIVES NATIONAL HONOR
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JUNE 20 - WOMEN'S TRIATHLON FALL SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
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JUNE 20 - BANKER ANNOUNCES TRIO OF RECRUITING COMMITMENTS
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JUNE 21 - DOLAN ANNOUNCES 2017 WOMEN'S SOCCER SCHEDULE
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JUNE 21 - MCCOLL ANNOUNCES 2017 MEN'S SOCCER SCHEDULE
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JUNE 23 - 5 STUDENT-ATHLETES AMONG TRUSTEE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
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JUNE 26 - FORMER DAEMEN STAR TO PLAY IN NBA SUMMER LEAGUE
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Get the latest information on all Daemen College summer sports camp offerings at daemen.edu/sportscamps

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