Collected Wisdom - Kim Pate

I started as a volunteer coach at my alma mater coaching softball and when the school announced they were transitioning from NAIA to DII, I approached the new AD about an opportunity to work in athletic administration. I started out in a compliance coordinator position and was promoted to Assistant AD/Senior Woman Administrator and then eventually into the AD role. 

My primary focus was on how to best lead through the situation with Covid-19 and support our student-athletes and athletic department staff. As you can imagine, a bulk of my energy went into planning for the return to campus and sport as it relates to the ever-changing landscape with Covid-19. I was very intentional about communication with coaches, student-athletes, and our external stakeholders as the situation evolved. It was important to establish continued dialogue between our head coaches and administrative team to make sure they were informed and we were working collaboratively as a team to address the ongoing challenges while understanding their needs and perspectives. 

Finally, from the very beginning I emphasized the importance of using the extra time we had to pursue both personal and professional growth as a staff. We instituted a weekly virtual professional development seminar by which we invited a mix of current head coaches and external speakers to share insight and perspectives on various topics (culture, sports psychology, team chemistry, emotional intelligence, etc.). Throughout this time I have made sure that we didn’t get so bogged down with Covid-19 that we abandoned our strategic goals and emphasis on continued improvement. This may have been one of the most important things we have prioritized during this time of uncertainty. 

The South Atlantic Conference postponed Fall sports to the Spring. What went on in making this decision and what are your steps moving forward? 

The decision to postpone fall sports was vetted through our league governance process with feedback from the Covid Task force, our Athletics Council made up of AD’s and Senior Woman Administrators, Athletic Trainers, and was ultimately decided by our conference Presidents Council. The decision was based on whether our league could collectively meet the NCAA guidelines related to testing standards, medical costs, etc. 

Our primary focus initially was on ensuring we could engage our fall sport student-athletes safely in athletic activity upon their return to campus. Moving forward as things stabilize on our campuses, we are focused on developing a plan to formalize fall schedules to be played in the spring. 

You have been an Athletic Director at 3 different institutions. What guides your work as an AD in the first 100 days on the job?

As I have grown and matured in my role, I have come to appreciate and value the importance of building relationships. For me, the first 100 days has been primarily focused on listening and getting feedback and insight from various stakeholders both internal and external on what is important to shape a bold vision for the future. I once heard that research shows that building rapport ranked as high 70% in consideration of impacting change within an organization. It’s critical to invest time to listen and hear other’s perspectives in order to develop a shared vision and buy-in around the strategic goals as you forge forward. Those partnerships also become invaluable as you can’t go it alone and it takes a village to achieve something special. 

Hiring coaches and administrators is a normal part of leading a department. What are the keys to navigate a successful hiring process?

It starts with establishing standards that incorporate your department values, philosophy and culture; which allows you to vet candidates based on whether they will be a good fit for your department before you evaluate anything else. Recruiting your candidate pool is critical to ensure that you have diverse representation as well as talent. I try to keep a short list of coaches and staff so that I’m not starting from scratch. I involve my leadership team, other coaches, and key personnel across campus to provide me their feedback on the candidate as well as to help recruit them to the opportunity. I have always utilized my President to help with recruiting candidates and have found this to be invaluable when recruiting sitting head coaches. I try to move as expediently as possible while not compromising the search and never settling. I have come to adopt the philosophy that the only failed search is when you hire the wrong person; I will extend a search as long as possible until I find the right person.  

Not counting COVID 19, what is the biggest challenge that you face as a small college athletic administrator?

Having to continue to do more with less or find ways to sustain funding as most small colleges are struggling to maintain revenue associated with either a reduction in enrollment or net tuition revenue. As a result, I continue to look for creative ways to augment our budgets and continue to advance our program in support of our student-athlete experience. 

Many schools are relying more on athletics to positively contribute to campus enrollment. What are the expectations for your department at Lenoir-Rhyne in terms of enrollment and how do you manage this?

Athletics is an integral part of the enrollment strategy at Lenoir-Rhyne. We make up 35% of the undergraduate enrollment and therefore a significant amount of net revenue as a result of tuition and room & board fees. Working in partnership with admissions, we set target roster sizes and make sure that we meet execute not only on securing talent but we also make sure we fill out our benches. Like most small private schools, we continue to feel pressure to increase our roster size. We have managed this by benchmarking with our conference and Division II to establish reasonable roster targets. Recently, we have added competitive club sports to take the pressure off our varsity sports while also minimizing the impact on our support staff and infrastructure (facilities, compliance, athletic training, sports information). It requires seeing the big picture and being a team player on the enrollment front while striving to find that sweet spot where we can maintain competitiveness and generate the revenue needed to support the overall campus budget. 

What is your favorite part of your job?

Seeing the amazing things our student-athlete accomplish both as a team and individually and knowing that our work in athletic administration can make a significant impact on the lives of countless young people that transcends beyond their collegiate careers. 

Who are some of your mentors/people that have encouraged you along the way?

There are so many people that invested in me, encouraged me, and have been there for me along the way. I have benefited from numerous wise AD’s as well as a few key faculty. Tom Collins who was the first AD I ever worked under was instrumental in shaping me early on in my journey and continues to impart his wisdom. Tim Selgo, retired Grand Valley State AD, has probably shaped me more than any other AD in recent years. He is one of the best in the business and is passionate about mentoring and investing back into other AD’s.

What advice do you have for young people looking to start a career in college athletics?

Seek out as many opportunities as you can to broaden your experience and resume while making sure you prioritize doing your very best at the job you have. Be willing to invest time over compensation to gain the requisite experience and focus on building up a network that will position them for future opportunities.

You are currently an officer of the D2 ADA and NACDA Executive Committee. What are the benefits in being involved in these activities and how do you balance this with your normal workload?

Serving on various NCAA National Committees and most recently the D2 ADA Board & NACDA Executive Committee has been a huge part of my professional growth and helped me to expand my network. As a young rookie AD, I learned so much from listening to the perspectives of some of the best minds in athletic administration when serving on NCAA committees. I also forged some incredible friendships and developed a number of mentors. It is inherently challenging to take on more when I’m already stretched on my own campus, yet I simply dig in and put in some extra time and find a way to balance the extra work load. I rarely turn down an opportunity to serve or give back as it always allows me to stretch myself and continue to grow and get better.

How do you balance your personal and professional life?

This has always been a struggle for me as I’m a bit of a workaholic and a recovering perfectionist. My family and I have reconciled that my professional life is very much a part of my personal passion and sense of calling in life and therefore it becomes incorporated into my personal and family life. I have come to realize that in order for me to be at my best (as an AD, as a wife, parent, etc.) that I have to make time to recharge myself (exercise, eat right, get enough sleep, spiritual, or just time with my family). This time during Covid has taught me the importance of investing in my own mental wellness as I can’t effectively lead my team unless I maintain a healthy perspective. I’ve also realized the benefit of technology and the ability to maintain a high level of productivity while working from home.