Debbie Antonelli has 30 years experience in college athletics. Many know her as a basketball analyst for TV networks, but few realize she was once a collegiate marketer. Trip Durham asks Debbie about her perspective on the state of the game, the responsibility of coaches, and how social media should lift people.

+ "Last year, only 20 teams (on the women's side, Division I) that shot 45% or better from the floor. That's not good enough. . . we want people to come to our games."

+ "Anyone can hit you on social media with something they don't like. . . I believe if you are going to throw a strong opinion out there, you better have a reason why you feel that way."

+ "I have trimmed my life down to three words: Build, Serve, and Empower."

A recent, yet important trend in athletics departments is to assign one person the responsibility of overseeing all aspects of student-athlete (SA) health & well-being. This includes all of athletic training, athletic performance (S&C, etc.), sports psychology, nutrition, team physicians, etc. In this Experts’ Roundtable, we’ve selected four individuals who hold this prominent post at institutions around the country, and asked them four questions relative to their position, its responsibilities, and the industry as a whole.

The position you hold is very unique, why was it important for your department to have one position ultimately responsible for all student-athlete health & well-being?  
Mary McLendon (Associate AD, Sports Medicine & Performance, Mississippi State University): Fortunately, I think this type of position is becoming less unique and more common across the nation. Our Athletics Director (AD) at the time (Scott Stricklin who is now at the University of Florida) and our Senior Associate AD for Finance approached me over a year ago about making this kind of change. I thought it would be a great move and found myself excited to lead that type of department. 

We structured the department to make strength, sports medicine, nutrition, and mental health to be one team which improves the SA experience. The idea of strength and conditioning as a part of this team and not only seen as a part of the coaching staff is ingenious. The level of knowledge, education, and professionalism of our strength staff is incredible. 

Darryl Conway (Senior Associate AD, Chief Health & Welfare Officer, University of Michigan): Previously, all of the units that I currently supervise were separate and worked within their own silos. Each had different supervisors, no definitive strategic direction, and often limited administrative subject matter expertise. As a department that values the health and well-being of our student-athletes, it was important to organize those units under the same “umbrella” with medical direction from the team physicians and administrative leadership from a credentialed/licensed health care provider. This move would ultimately increase communication, collaboration, and partnership between all units. This also included the campus and local medical communities.

David Klossner (Associate AD, Director of Sport Performance, University of Maryland): Student-athlete well-being is our highest priority. The scope of NCAA legislation and professional best practices in this area has grown substantially over the last decade. This leadership position fosters collaboration and cooperation between all areas of sports performance to ensure the best service and treatment for all participants. These areas include physician services, athletic training, sports nutrition, strength and conditioning, chiropractic care, physical therapy, massage therapy, and sport psychology. This interdisciplinary approach focuses on shared budgets, resource coordination, effective communication, research collaborations, and staff development leading to the highest quality care for student-athletes in every sport. In addition, I also serve as the designated NCAA Athletics Health Care Administrator. In this position, I am charged with coordinating health and safety legislation, resources, and inter-association recommendations.       

Eric Laudano (Senior Associate AD for Health, Well-being, and Sports Performance, University of Delaware): University of Delaware Athletics operates with an entrepreneurial mindset and strategic intention to ensure we are providing the necessary resources to our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and teams. My specific position is the result of our Athletic Director’s vision to establish a single reporting line for all areas related to health, well-being, and sport performance. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the position is recognized and valued as an integral part of the overall operations of the department.

In this role, I am responsible for building an all-encompassing Wellness Performance Team with administrative oversight of the departments of Athletic Training, Strength and Conditioning, Sports Nutrition, Sport Psychology, and Equipment Operations. By having someone to oversee all areas from an administrative standpoint, the heads of each department are able to efficiently concentrate on their daily clinical duties, grow and develop their personnel, and increase operational efficiencies in order to provide a higher standard of care. 

I also meet with personnel from the university’s Science Technology and Advanced Research Campus, School of Engineering, Employee Health and Well-being, Center for Counseling and Student Development, Dining Services, School of Agriculture, School of Health Sciences, Recreation Services, Student Health Services, and various other campus departments. We believe our collaborative impact extends beyond the four years our student-athletes are with us.