Movement Fall 2023

M OV E M E N T

The Shifting Landscape of NIL

How the Kines community is embracing the opportunities and solving the problems in this new age of name, image, and likeness.

The lab that's become a prime partner for tech companies

One alum is putting firefighters through their paces

Inside two students' gap semester in the Himalayas

U

FACU LT Y

4 The Evolution of ESSI

How the Exercise & Sport Science Initiative is working to become the campus hub for human performance and sport sciences

8

Telling Time

Tom George has worked at U-M Kinesiology for more than 30 years On the cusp of retiring, he relives the greatest hits from his tenure

10 Playtime for All

Michigan Kinesiology’s physical activity camp expands to better serve children with neurodevelopmental and physical differences

12 Faculty Recap

A record number of new faculty, prominent research, and high-profile media hits showcase our impact

ST U D E N T S

14 Stars Align

An athletic training master's student gives a glimpse into her clinical rotation with a professional soccer team.

16 Lean on Me

Graduate mental health support at Michigan Kinesiology grows through a grassroots committee.

18 Adventure Time

Two winter-start students chose the Himalayas as their first classroom.

19 A Place to Feel Welcome

The new Black Undergraduate Kinesiology Association is making an impact on and off campus.

20 In Good Hands

How a PhD student revamped a partnership to help older adults improve hand function and well-being.

22 Global Awareness

A new online education module will help students studying abroad think critically about their impact.

CONTENTS

ALUMNI

24 Strength Under Fire

What it's like to work as a strength and conditioning coach at a Colorado fire department.

26 The Best Friend-work in Sport

Young SM alumnae tap their U-M network of female peers to thrive in a slow-changing industry.

28 How to Thrive, Not Just Live

Michigan Kinesiology's manager of DEI shares how her PhD work informs her important new role.

30 Deserved Recognition

Celebrating six Michigan Kinesiology alumni who have made an impact in their fields.

42 Celebrating 30 Years of Alumni Award Winners

Check out our collage of Michigan Kinesiology alumni award winners dating back to the '90s.

FEATURE: FACE VALUE

Student-athletes can now be compensated for the use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL). Here's how U-M sport management faculty, students, and alumni are grappling with the new challenges and opportunities arising in this shifting landscape.

Let Us Know What You Think!

Contact the editor at fmarycla@umich.edu.

MOVEMENT

is published by the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. Visit us online at kines.umich.edu/movement

Dean

Dr. Lori Ploutz-Snyder

Editor

Mary Clare Fischer

Writers

Sarah Cahalan

Amy Crawford

Mary Clare Fischer

Emily Mathews

Jenn McKee

Design/Art Direction

Stacy Getz

Photographers

Eric Bronson

Aaron Colussi

José Juarez

Erin Kirkland

Gretchen Schneider

Scott Soderberg

Feature Illustrations

Matthew Pamer

© 2023 Regents of the University of Michigan

The Regents of the University of Michigan

Jordan B. Acker, Michael J. Behm, Mark J. Bernstein, Paul W. Brown, Sarah Hubbard, Denise Ilitch, Ron Weiser, Katherine E. White, Santa J. Ono, ex officio.

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FACULTY

THE EVOLUTION OF ESSI

Here’s how the Exercise & Sport Science Initiative is working to become the campus hub for human performance and sport sciences research and education.

BY MARY CLARE FISCHER

Lines of sweat crest Nathan*’s face as the high-end treadmill below him speeds up for the fourth time. He breathes heavily, trying to take in as much oxygen as possible despite the Mad Max-like mask strapped to his face. For a few seconds, he scans the Samsung Galaxy watch on his wrist. At a 5:43 mile pace, he’s close to reaching maximal exertion, when the lactic acid produced by his screaming muscles will collect faster than he can break it down.

But the effort is worth it. The testing Nathan is participating in through the Michigan Performance Research Laboratory (MiPR, the Exercise & Sport Science Initiative’s core lab) will provide data to improve the sweat loss algorithms on Samsung’s watches. And the report he receives at the end of each research session, chronicling everything from heart rate and stride length to bone density and V02 consumption, will provide valuable training information for him as an elite runner.

webinars for the broader public. MiPR has cemented its status as a leading player in wearable technology research. ESSI’s next goal: to create a home for campus researchers who’d like to incorporate human performance and data analytics into their work.

“We’ve had lots of aspirations,” says Ron Zernicke, the co-director of ESSI and a dean emeritus of SoK. “Many of them are beginning to bloom and come to fruition.”

EXPANDING EDUCATION

Before 2022, ESSI was based in the Office of the Vice President for Research at U-M and, thus, its focus was research. Once ESSI transitioned to SoK, Dean Lori Ploutz-Snyder was eager to add an emphasis on education as well. She suggested that elective courses made available to all students on campus could improve student wellness knowledge and further ESSI’s mission.

“We said, ‘Hallelujah, that aligns precisely with our vision,’” Zernicke says.

ESSI hired clinical assistant professor Alexandra DeJong Lempke to develop its educational arm. Her first course, “Topics in Human Performance,” launched in the winter 2023 term.

“The goal of our research with wearable technology is: How can we give the consumer more information?” says Adam Lepley, the co-director of MiPR and a clinical associate professor at the School of Kinesiology. “And how do we let them use it in a more effective or efficient way?”

Advancing and sharing knowledge of exercise and sport science has always been the purpose of MiPR and its umbrella group. But their specific strategies have crystallized since moving their home base to SoK in early 2022.

Since then, the Exercise & Sport Science Initiative (ESSI) has added introductory courses on sport and human performance for U-M students as well as

Seventy-five students learned about basic human performance concepts through lectures, guest speaker presentations, and dynamic activities — all informed by elements of the research done in the MiPR lab.

In a post-course survey, several students said it was the best class they’d ever taken.

“Because kinesiology is the study of human movement, we do have the liberty to do more physical actions during classes, which can keep students more engaged,” DeJong Lempke says. “But that feedback was still exciting.”

Two additional courses, “Introduction to Technology & Data in Sports Science” and “Social Considerations in Sports Science,” are slated for the winter and fall 2024 terms, respectively. ESSI leadership are already exploring further educational expansion.

THE IMPACT OF TECH

These extra offerings are needed, given the widespread interest in human performance and sport sciences. DeJong Lempke noted that jobs at MiPR are highly coveted by students.

“As a newer faculty member, I was impressed with how many students were aware of the lab’s presence,” she says. “That speaks to the projects we’ve been able to get off the ground.”

MiPR researchers have worked with U-M sports teams to set up performance-monitoring devices and interpret the information for coaches, athletic trainers, and players. And ESSI’s national reputation as a leader in the human performance sector has led to corporate industry partnerships — à la the Samsung study — with MiPR researchers.

These collaborative studies are looking at the impact of promising technologies, such as wearable sensors and predictive analytics, on human performance and have produced both innovations and publications. In May, for instance, MiPR staff submitted a manuscript based on research data from a corporate partnership showing that runners’ performance was not significantly affected after having COVID-19.

Graduates of the MiPR lab have gone on to work for high-profile entities like the Detroit Tigers, the New York Yankees, and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

“The lab provides a unique training opportunity,” says ESSI co-director Ken Kozloff. “It’s a great place for students to gain hands-on knowledge that will help further their careers in sport and exercise science.”

TIME TO PIVOT

Kozloff and the ESSI team are now focusing on extending that community to U-M researchers as well as students.

“The best thing about being at U-M is there are so many different areas of expertise,” Kozloff says. “We're trying to connect those dots in ways related to exercise, sports, health, and human performance.”

“ESSI is in a pivotal position to help the university expand its human performance and sport sciences footprint on campus,” adds Susan Rinaldi, ESSI’s program officer. “We’re excited about the future.”

Counterclockwise, from left: Former MiPR research associate Jacob Outwin explains the results of a research assessment to a study participant; one of students' favorite activities in clinical assistant professor Alexandra DeJong Lempke's "Topics in Human Performance" course was an activity that assessed real-time biomechanics using the students' personal devices; DeJong Lempke teaching "Topics in Human Performance" in the Central Campus Classroom Building's Classroom in the Round.

Photos by Eric Bronson and Scott Soderberg/Michigan Photography

*Participant’s name has been changed to follow research regulations.

TELLING TIME

BY M A RY C L A R E F I S C H E R

In January 1992, while still a student in Michigan State University’s PhD program, Tom George networked his way into teaching a course in what was then U-M’s Division of Kinesiology.

More than 30 years later, the outgoing clinical assistant professor and program chair of applied exercise science (AES) is still hanging out in the Michigan Kinesiology halls but not for much longer. He plans to retire after the fall semester

“I always joke that I’m the distant relative who showed up and never left,” George says “I feel so fortunate that I was invited in and have gotten to stay all these years.”

He’s given more than enough to earn his keep George has been the faculty director of the Global Engagement Office, the sport management and AES program chairs, and an Athletics consultant in addition to conducting research and teaching thousands of students Plus, he’s been involved with SoK’s transformation into a school and watched its reputation and enrollment soar.

“For the longest time, Kinesiology was thought to be lesser,” George says “To know I played a role in helping elevate the school to the level it ’s at now I feel good about walking out the door under those circumstances.”

Before leaving for good, he opened the literal door to his third-floor office, which serves as a time capsule of his journey as teacher, leader, and advisor

1 Olympic Adventures

“As the director of global engagement, I took students abroad five times. The soccer ball was from this wonderful trip to London right before the 2012 Olympics. We met with 27 Olympics-related people or organizations It was amazing The students bought a 2012 soccer ball and signed it, so that ’s a nice keepsake ”

2 Come Together

“My wife did her postdoc at U-M, while I was doing my PhD at MSU When her job became permanent, I said, ‘All right, let ’s see what I can do to make this work ’” I tracked down the U-M curriculum coordinator at a conference and said, ‘Need anyone to teach?’ Now I’m in my 32nd year.”

3 Elevating the Game (Book)

“We added admission requirements for sport management when I was program chair That set the tone for expectations and elevated the students’ skillset ”

4 Be Mindful

“A graduate from my sports psych class gave me this jar that says, 'Be mindful ' Part of the psychology side for me is that I’m always observing what ’s going on ”

5 Teacher’s Gift

“The teaching awards from the students are what I’m most proud of I still remember getting the first one It was a total shock. I’ve now gotten the award three out of the last four years, which I can’t believe But that ’s what I do most, right, is teach. So it ’s gratifying to know that students pick up on what you’re doing and appreciate it ”

6 Find the Joy

“I made that sign about a year into the pandemic to remind myself that joy was all around us It still serves as a positive reminder today.”

7 Team Rapport

“I played in the Phillies minor leagues, and that clout helped when U-M Athletics hired me to work with teams on sports psychology I could tell the studentathletes about my experiences, and they’d say, ‘Yeah, that ’s it. You get it.’”

Photo by Erin Kirkland/Michigan Photography

Playtime For All

Michigan Kinesiology’s physical activity camp expands to serve children with neurodevelopmental and physical differences

BY M A RY C L A R E F I S C H E R

At an elementary school in Ypsilanti, the floor is littered with colorful objects: hula hoops, streamers, balloons, balls of different textures and sizes The children in the room have chosen different toys A boy named Joey leaps around with blue streamers, his light-up sneakers flashing different colors as he jumps, his gurgling laugh filling the space with joy

Later on in the free play session, Joey is playing with a hula hoop, but the hoop isn’t rolling the way he expected it to Predictability is important to him, and he starts to grow stressed Haylie Miller, an assistant professor of movement science who regularly works with autistic children through research in her Motor & Visual Development Lab, notices and asks what ’s next on the schedule Joey looks at a whiteboard with the titles of different activities, complete with a picture for each Bowling is listed first

“You want to bowl against me?” Miller asks, holding out a hand for Joey to shake He slips his fingers into hers Within seconds, he’s giggling while hurtling himself at the bowling pins

“That was kind of fun,” he says afterward.

Joey is enrolled in KidSport Adaptive, a new addition to Michigan Kinesiology’s well-known physical activity camp Adaptive is designed for kids with neurodevelopmental and physical differences who are likely to have a better experience at camp if they receive personalized support around safety, communication, or regulation of their emotions and behavior.

“We wanted to give kids who needed more support the opportunity to be physically active,” says Kerry Winkelseth, the long-running director of Kinesiology Community Programs, who partnered with Miller to launch Adaptive this past summer. “They don’t get as many chances.”

While some of the campers so far have had a formal diagnosis like autism or cerebral palsy, parents don’t need to know what brand of “neuro-spicy” or “neuro-sparkly” their kid is in order to send them to Adaptive, Miller says. And if they think their child would be comfortable in KidSport Inclusive the rebranded KidSport camp with a higher camper-to-counselor ratio they’re welcome to send them there instead. (One camper enrolled in Inclusive this summer wore headphones because of a noise sensitivity but didn’t need the oneon-one support Adaptive provided.)

For the kids who would benefit from more modifications to stay safe and enjoy their time at camp, the Adaptive staff plan the schedule to accommodate their needs Is a camper known to wander off without telling anyone? That camper will have a counselor with them at all times Are they prone to physical aggression when they are overstimulated? Staff will make sure some calming activities are available that speak to the child’s interests coloring Spider-Man pictures, in the case of one camper in case they become frustrated

Kelli Dorchen, Joey’s mother, said the experience has been “incredible ” She’s had to pick Joey up early from several other camps that don’t have the resources or expertise to support him.

“It ’s so comforting being able to leave him and knowing I’m not going to get called half an hour in,” she says. “I wish there were more weeks available.”

Miller and Winkelseth hope to eventually provide the camp for nine weeks, up from this year’s two, and to provide both morning and afternoon sessions They are still brainstorming sustainable solutions that don’t raise registration costs too high for families. Adaptive may eventually serve as a capstone for students in some of Miller and Winkelseth’s courses, for instance

“We want to be that clear, safe space for parents trying to find a good fit for their little person,” Miller says “But we’ll only expand if we can keep doing things the right way.”

Clockwise, from left: It's assistant professor Haylie Miller's turn to bowl, with counselor Shanan Sun and camper Joey cheering her on; camper Adalyn plays with a beach ball in the gym; camper Rob listens to counselor Michael Andres during coloring time

Photos by Scott Soderberg/Michigan Photography

Scan to make a gift to KidSport Summer Camps

FACU LT Y R E C A P

We’ve hired a record number of new faculty members this school year

Welcome to the SoK team!

ZACHARY BINKLEY

POSITION: Clinical assistant professor of sport management

ABBI LANE

POSITION: Assistant professor of applied exercise science

SPECIALTY: Exercise, physical activity, pregnancy and cardiometabolic health

MICHELE

POSITION: Clinical assistant professor of applied exercise science

SPECIALTY: Student self-efficacy, reliability and validity of biomechanical tools and assessment measures, behavioral modifications in chronic pain, lifestyle medicine, remote therapeutic monitoring

SPECIALTY: Sport data and analytics, innovation, Web3 technology 2

JAN BOEHMER

POSITION: Assistant professor of sport management

SPECIALTY: Social and economic impact of mediated sport, with a focus on marketing and data analytics

ANGELA FONG

POSITION: Assistant professor of applied exercise science

MICHAL (MIKE) LORENC

POSITION: Clinical assistant professor of sport management

SPECIALTY: Sports marketing in the digital age (digital marketing, social media, video on demand, web based content distribution and monetization, etc ), running and operating sports organizations

RICHARD PAULSEN

POSITION: Assistant professor of sport management

SPECIALTY: Labor market issues in the entertainment industries, with a focus on incentives for worker productivity and issues of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion in the broader sport industry workforce

NIKOLAS WEBSTER

POSITION: Clinical assistant professor of sport management

4

SPECIALTY: Developing, implementing, and evaluating interventions that promote physical activity among female cancer survivors from historically marginalized communities

SPECIALTY: Processes that create psychological connections between individuals and sport objects (teams, athletes, brands, etc ) and the cognitive, affective, and behavioral consequences of such connections

BIRD

T H E R E S E A R C H T H AT ’ S G E T T I N G N OT I C E D

With the amount of research put out every day, it can be tough to know how any one paper is performing compared to its competitors

That ’s why Altmetric exists The data science company produces “attention scores” that represent the amount of online engagement with academic articles

These scores are calculated by an algorithm that incorporates factors such as the number of news outlets that wrote about findings and the number of Twitter users who shared a paper on the social media platform

The average score for a paper is 20 But we found several articles authored by Michigan Kinesiology faculty with scores above 500 placing them in the top 5% of research analyzed by Altmetric. See the high scorers that made the academic podium this year

• Score: 745

• 82 news outlets

• 176 tweeters

Article: “Association of AccelerometerMeasured Sedentary Time and Physical Activity With Risk of Stroke Among US Adults”

Researcher: Natalie Colabianchi

• Score: 788

• 81 news outlets

• 188 tweeters

Article: “Underrepresentation of female athletes in research informing influential concussion consensus and position statements: an evidence review and synthesis”

Researcher: Steven Broglio

THE INSIGHT REPORTERS A R E LO O K I N G FO R

Here are a few of our favorite faculty quotes, all featured in prominent media outlets, from the past 12 months

On the potential challenges for the new, ambitious owner of the Washington Spirit soccer team:

Americans are [a] little bit docile when it comes to sports and who runs them. In Europe, people just don’t see it like that. They say, ‘This is our sport, not your sport. You may temporarily be here and we’ll give you your due if you put money in, but this is not all about you. This is about the sport.’”

Collegiate Professor

• Score: 581

• 60 news outlets

• 214 tweeters

Article: “Effect of alternate day fasting combined with aerobic exercise on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized controlled trial”

Researcher: Jacob Haus

For too long Black women…have had to sort of conform to the norm so that they can belong in a space to make other people comfortable with them. And I think we’re just in an era and an age where this generation of athletes is saying, ‘This is who I am and love me or leave me.’”

Ketra Armstrong, director of the SoK Center for Race & Ethnicity in Sport, quoted in Insider on society’s perceptions of Black female athletes

The most compelling part of this story, to me, is that an average of an hour of exercise a day protected people against 23 hours a day of lying in bed. There’s no drug that can do that.”

SoK Dean Lori Ploutz-Snyder, quoted in the Washington Post on her research about the best workouts for astronauts (and sedentary people)

Stefan Szymanski, the Stephen J Galetti

of Sport Management at SoK, quoted in the New York Times

STUDENTS

STA RS A L I G N

Athletic training master’s student Taylor Brown helps Chicago Red Stars player Arin Wright stretch her hamstring during an August practice. Brown learned such skills in the classroom but can start translating them to the field before she graduates, thanks to an immersive clinical rotation that she’s serving with professional women’s soccer team the Red Stars “If you asked me three years ago what my dream internship was, I would have said something with the Chicago Red Stars,” Brown says “Knowing that you have a big block M behind you can help you get a lot of places you want to go ”

Photo by Gretchen Schneider/Chicago Red Stars

BY EMILY MATHEWS

LEAN ON ME

Graduate mental health support at SoK grows through a grassroots committee.

In the fall of 2021, the U-M Wolverine Wellness program surveyed Michigan Kinesiology graduate students about the state of their mental health and well-being. It got movement science PhD candidate Michele Marenus thinking about ways the school could help, so she emailed Steve Broglio, associate dean for graduate student affairs, about starting a wellness committee.

“I was immediately supportive,” Broglio says. “Michele’s background, expertise, and input were key in getting the committee started and setting us off on the right path.”

Graduate staff members Charlene Ruloff and Tahirah McIntosh, faculty members Haylie Miller and Ron Wade, and sport management PhD candidate Chrissy Maleske volunteered to serve alongside Marenus and Broglio on the new Graduate Wellness Committee. Joy Pehlke, a wellness coach and assistant director of Wolverine Wellness, also came on board as an advisor.

Their goal: to develop a community culture of wellness by supporting graduate students, mitigating stress, and eliminating barriers to wellness.

“Most faculty members came up in a system that didn’t serve them, and so now they think we have to do the same thing,” says Marenus, who has degrees in psychology and is writing her dissertation on workplace health culture. “What would it look like if we used this committee to make meaningful changes?”

Maleske was particularly interested in the communitybuilding aspect of the committee; she earned her bachelor’s degree from SoK when it was spread across three buildings and students didn’t have a “home base.” She hoped to use her peer facilitator background to find ways for graduate students to connect more.

One idea came to her and Marenus while they were chatting with colleagues who had participated in their sorority’s “bigs and littles” program. In similar fashion, the Graduate Wellness Committee paired lower-level PhD students with upper-level PhD students to talk about the mechanics of grad school and, ultimately, grow their support networks as they got to know each other on a deeper level.

Maleske and Marenus also initiated a “Write It Out Together” program this past summer. Graduate students could drop into a reserved SoK classroom throughout the day, grab some coffee and fruit, and work or write in a shared, supportive environment.

The committee frequently brings in guest speakers on a wide range of topics. One of Maleske’s favorite events focused on impostor syndrome, defined as the persistent doubting of your abilities despite your achievements. Danielle Rosenscruggs, a PhD candidate in developmental psychology, asked participants to share their stories and provided research-based strategies for combating their impostor thoughts and feelings.

“It was funny, the conversations of, ‘Wow. I feel that all the time,’” Maleske says. “If I’m having a bad day, now I know I’m going to a space that has other students with similar stresses or similar challenges that I’m facing.”

The committee has also hosted events on career planning, which can be a source of anxiety for students at all levels. PhD students, in particular, often aren’t exposed to non-academic career paths.

“We had a coordinator from Rackham [Graduate School] come in and talk to us about going into industry and what resources are available to us,” Maleske says. “I’ve never really thought that was an option.”

Another set of events focused solely on communitybuilding and stress mitigation. Maleske and Marenus organized pickleball games (Marenus’ favorite) and happy hours at Dominick’s. Broglio also invited graduate students to a bonfire, complete with s’mores, at his house.

As Maleske and Marenus finish up their PhDs, they’re helping to plan the committee’s next phase.

“The first year was, ‘Let’s get this thing started’ and now our last meetings are, ‘How do we make sure that we have a good representative from each program at the table to talk about these things?’” Maleske says. “I’m hoping I can leave little crumbs for the sport management students that draw the connection and build the community.”

“Everybody has to do their personal work on their mental health,” Marenus adds. “But if we can make these connections and make work feel like a place where you can be vulnerable and have people to lean on, that’s huge. My mom always had this Mother Teresa quote, ‘If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one,’ at the bottom of her email. If one person is happier or better [because of our work], it was worth it.”

“Everybody has to do their personal work on their mental health, but if we can make these connections and make work feel like a place where you can be vulnerable and have people to lean on, that’s huge."

Left page: SoK grad students learn to play pickleball. Photo courtesy of Michele Marenus.

Above, from top to bottom: Faculty member Haylie Miller helps facilitate a Graduate Wellness Committee event. Photo by Emily Mathews/Michigan Kinesiology. SoK grad students take a sangria break at Dominick's. Photo courtesy of Michele Marenus.

– Michele Marenus

A D V E N T U R E T I M E

Faced with a free fall semester, two winter-start students chose the Himalayas as their first classroom

BY S A R A H C A H A L A N

While many first-year students hung out on the Law Quad and packed the stands at the Big House, fall 2022 had a different backdrop for Nick Friedman and Annabel Filippini: the mountains and rivers of the Indian Himalayas

The two sport management students weren’t on a study abroad trip They’re part of Michigan Kinesiology's winter-start programs, which invite up to 50 waitlisted students each to begin their undergraduate courses in January instead of August, leaving them with a gap semester in the fall

Friedman and Filippini both decided to use that time to explore a part of the world they’d never seen Independently, they enrolled in Himalayan adventure programs run by the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), an organization devoted to teaching its students personal development skills through immersive outdoor recreation

Friedman says he looked through a variety of “gap” programs Most felt academic, but NOLS India’s focus on leadership and outdoor skills stood out.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime time window where I could do anything,” Friedman says.

He embarked on NOLS’ semester-long program, during which he trekked up steep peaks, went whitewater rafting on India’s Kali River, and participated in a homestay.

Filippini, meanwhile, took the one-month course focused on cultural immersion and mountaineering.

The two never crossed paths during their time in India, but they both say the program made an indelible mark on their plans at U-M and beyond

For Friedman, the trip unlocked a new interest in international athletics, a path he’d never considered when applying to SoK in hopes of working in football or basketball In a similar way, Filippini’s gap time exposed her to a whole new paradigm for work.

Before NOLS, she says, she imagined her professional life would fit the “status quo” of working 9 to 5 on weekdays and reserving adventure for the weekends Now, though, she says, “I’m passionate about exploring, and I’ll try and find ways to make my ‘work’ work around my adventure time ”

Below: A snapshot from Annabel Filippini's mountaineering trip to India's remote Kumaon region in the Himalayas during her gap semester in fall 2022 Photo courtesy of Annabel Filippini

A PLACE TO FEEL WELCOME

A new student organization for Black Kinesiology undergrads is making an impact on and off campus.

BY JENN MCKEE

Ashley Akaba (MVS ’23) loved being a student at Michigan Kinesiology, regularly consulting with movement science advisors and taking advantage of career center resources. But she’d noticed that those same opportunities were not as visible to many of her Black peers.

“The culture for so long had been: You walk in, you take your class, and you walk out,” Akaba says. “There’s not really a lot of mingling that happens with other students in the school within the Black community. We would just find our community elsewhere. And I felt that needed to change.”

In response, Akaba founded the Black Undergraduate Kinesiology Association (BUKA) in 2022, to provide Black SoK students with a stronger sense of belonging while also raising awareness about opportunities and resources that might otherwise get overlooked.

She’s proud of what BUKA’s accomplished so far.

The organization’s programs have included career development talks; a LinkedIn workshop that discussed how to create a strong profile page and how to find jobs and internships via the site; and community service opportunities like BUKsgiving, a Thanksgiving dinner for students held at the SoK building that served as both a community-building event and a canned food drive for St. John’s Pantry in Ypsilanti.

“We’ve been able to socially introduce so many of the Black Kines students, from incoming students to juniors and seniors,” Akaba says.

“During my sophomore year, as I transitioned to the School of Kinesiology, BUKA quickly embraced me, providing a genuine sense of belonging and visibility on campus,” affirms Aaliyah Hickman, the current vice president of BUKA. “[Now] my dedication to BUKA's vital mission of amplifying Black voices, promoting inclusivity, and fostering collaboration and peer empowerment is unwavering.”

BUKA has even made an impact off campus: Kinesiology schools at the University of Central Florida and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville launched their own chapters in 2023 after finding the U-M BUKA page online.

“Everybody deserves a place where they can feel welcome and where they feel like they belong,” Akaba says.

BUKA is under new leadership since Akaba graduated in May, but the group will always hold a special place in her heart.

“It’s an honor to hear what people have to say about the organization,” Akaba says. “I’m so proud, and I’m so excited to see where it goes.”

Above: BUKA's executive board for the 2022-'23 school year, from left to right: Kennedy Johnson, Kendall Brown, Ashley Akaba, Binta Wilson, Erica Williams. Photo courtesy of Ashley Akaba.

IN GOOD HANDS

Through the Hands and Health at Home partnership, PhD student Rachel Logue Cook helps older adults improve both their hand function and their well-being.

BY SARAH CAHALAN

Fine motor skills are among the many functions that decline as people age. Yet, despite the many daily tasks that rely on the coordination of the hands — operating a telephone, opening a jam jar — they’re rarely the focus of research on aging.

PhD student Rachel Logue Cook wants to change that.

Through the Motor Control Lab of movement science associate professor Susan Brown, Logue Cook oversees Hands and Health at Home, an innovative program where students work in the Ann Arbor area to help older adults improve their hand function. The initiative predated Logue Cook’s time at the university, but as a researcher primarily interested in aging, she quickly became its leader — which Brown says has been a boon.

“She’s really poured lifeblood into an original study that started before her tenure here,” Brown says of Logue Cook, who began her fifth year of doctoral study this fall. “I am kind of just in the corner watching, because she’s made fabulous progress.”

Hands and Health at Home began as a grant proposal from Ann Arbor Meals on Wheels (AAMOW).

The U-M Health Department of Community Health Services, which houses AAMOW, had funding available for community organizations to address priority areas, including obesity and related illnesses. Through Hands and Health at Home, AAMOW and Brown’s lab sought to address this issue by improving older adults’ hand function and thus increasing their ability to access and consume healthy foods.

“One of our big focuses at Ann Arbor Meals on Wheels is supporting folks to age in place for as long as they would like to do so,” says Courtney Vanderlaan, the organization’s director. “And this project felt like a very tangible way to further support this goal and those who we serve.”

The initiative developed from there into an independent study course where students would visit older adults in their homes and teach them exercises focused on improving the dexterity and strength of their hands.

“When I heard about the program, I thought, ‘Oh! This has teaching, this has aging, this has all the different aspects that I really enjoy in one project,’” Logue Cook says

Logue Cook had participated in similar, serviceoriented coursework as an undergraduate at San Diego State University. She knew from early on in her doctoral study that she wanted to focus on teaching and community engagement as part of her research a natural fit for Hands and Health

Before sending students into their clients’ homes, Logue Cook (along with Brown) spends three or four days teaching the students how to conduct their sessions: how to perform the exercises and monitor their clients’ progress but also how to keep sessions on track in the face of distractions like enthusiastic pets or clients who tell meandering stories In training Hands and Health students, Logue Cook has built up not only instructional experience for herself but also the chance to teach students how to themselves become teachers

“I feel strongly,” she says, “that one of my responsibilities as somebody who has a lot of knowledge to give is to be able to share that with the next generation and prepare them for their future careers ”

Since most Hands and Health students plan to go into physical therapy or medicine, preparing students for the workplace is one clear outcome of the program. But its benefits hardly end there The program is a demonstrable good for the older adults who participate in it, many of whom report both increased hand function by the end of each term and a greater sense of well-being, thanks to the interactions with younger adults that are baked into their sessions

“The students were the best part!” says one of the participants “We did all this fun stuff, and I actually tried everything. I was terrible at some of it but got better!”

For Logue Cook, who collects data at each client ’s first and last session to monitor their progress, the program generates quantitative information on hand function in older adults something that ’s vital for both her dissertation and the larger work of Brown’s lab

“We have enough evidence now,” Brown says, “to say we could make recommendations You know: ‘Here are activities that you could be doing on your own.’ This could go into a nursing home This doesn’t have to be one-on-one in a home setting ”

The women are now working on finding a more permanent place for Hands and Health lessons in U-M’s movement science curriculum and looking at ways to share their training with other organizations from memory care facilities to rural senior centers that might benefit

“There’s a lot of different directions this program could go in,” Brown says, “so right now it ’s just, ‘How do we build it up?’ Because we know it works.”

“When I heard about the program, I thought, ‘Oh! This has teaching, this has aging, this has all the different aspects that I really enjoy in one project.'”

Rachel Logue Cook

From left: George Valenta slides beads onto a string, an activity designed to improve fine motor function, dexterity, and hand steadiness; PhD student Rachel Logue Cook teaches master's students Qintong Bao and Anna Schwartz a hand-strengthening exercise using putty; Valenta uses modified chopsticks to pick up, move, and release corks of different sizes

Photos by Erin Kirkland and José Juarez, Michigan Photography

Scan to make a gift to the Hands & Health at Home Program

GLOBAL AWARENESS

A new online education module is launching to help SoK students studying abroad think critically about their impact.

BY KINESIOLOGY STAFF

Vanessa Barton, Michigan Kinesiology’s academic program manager for global engagement, had already put in years of effort to define the school’s study abroad policies and grow student participation in international programming. It was time to take that same approach to improve the quality of SoK’s study abroad programs.

‘Are our students getting as much out of these experiences as we hope?’ she started by asking herself. ‘Are students only meeting course objectives or are they engaging with the communities they’re visiting? Are Kines international experiences providing students with increased intercultural awareness, broadening their world views, and making them better contributors to diverse teams?’

In response to these questions, Barton partnered with Elena Simpkins, SoK’s manager of DEI, and Jacqueline Freeman, associate librarian and informationist for kinesiology, medical education, nursing, and physical medicine and rehabilitation, to develop a new online course that allows students to prepare for, engage with, and reflect on international experiences.

The course is designed to provide students with the framework and skillset to research and think critically about their global impact, the team says, ensuring that this learning and preparation will continue even after the programming is finished.

Students will complete sections of the self-paced online course before, during, and after their study abroad experiences. Each module within the course will focus on a distinct goal, such as increasing students’ capacity to navigate intercultural differences or understanding more about themselves, including their subjective cultural beliefs and inherent biases. (Students are also encouraged to think about and establish their own goals for the course.)

Weekly prompts will include questions like, ‘What’s my plan to be successful in this immersive experience?,’ ‘What were my expectations about this place?,' ‘How is the trip comparing to my expectations?,' and ‘What have you continued to do back at home that you started while abroad?'

Simpkins says she hopes to get students thinking about their impact when they travel, noting that this could range from climate change considerations to being aware of sacred events within a community.

“Instead of ‘I went to Mali,’ we want our students to start asking, ‘What does my presence in Mali mean?’” Simpkins says. “I feel like we would be doing our students a disservice to not better prepare them for what perceptions of them may be when they go to a different country. How people view America elsewhere is not how America views itself.”

Students will also learn to use a range of information sources, including library databases and free internet resources like government websites to investigate

topics related to identity and culture through different perspectives.

“It’s important for students to learn to find these other perspectives as they work for a more complete understanding of other cultures and communities,” Freeman says.

At the end of the course, the students will complete an individualized assessment to evaluate whether they’ve achieved their goals and what contributed to their success. Ideally, graduates of the course will be able to explain the value of their study abroad experiences to others — the problems they learned to solve, the levels of empathy they cultivated, the worldviews they’ve broadened and the intercultural communication skills they strengthened.

“All of these skills will help our students as they develop their careers but also build relationships more generally,” Simpkins says. “If they know how to navigate the world in an empathetic way, that will set them up for success on all different kinds of stages.”

Below:

“Instead of ‘I went to Mali,’ we want our students to start asking, ‘What does my presence in Mali mean?’”

- Elena Simpkins

Left page: Clockwise from bottom left: Sport management (SM) students at the Leaning Tower of Pisa during a winter 2022 study abroad trip; SM students on a trip to the Dolomites in northern Italy; undergraduates on a scavenger hunt in Rome; students posing during a visit to Ireland. Photos courtesy of Vanessa Barton.

Students in the "Art and Anatomy in the Italian Renaissance" class visit Italy. Photos courtesy of Melissa Gross.

ST R E N GT H U N D E R F I R E

When Tommy Gayfield (MS ‘17) heard about a job opening for a strength and conditioning coach at a Colorado fire department, the idea “had him at hello ” “You’re making an impact not just for the firefighters, who need to have a foundation of strength and fitness to make them resilient at their jobs, but also the individuals they’re taking care of,” he says “I get to make people better so they can help other people on their worst days? Absolutely.” Gayfield is now in his fourth year as one of three strength coaches at South Metro Fire Rescue, with about 650 firefighters under their jurisdiction They’re involved with everything from running workouts at 30 fire stations and holding educational seminars to helping physical therapists and athletic trainers rehab injured firefighters and coaching physical training for the department ’s recruit academy Collectively, they’re part of a growing movement to help first responders reduce their risk of injuries and optimize their job performance “It ’s so much bigger than wellness,” Gayfield says

Photo by Aaron Colussi

ALUMNI

T H E B E ST N E T W O R K I N S P O RT

In a slow-changing industry, young SM alumnae are making their own connections

BY E M I LY M AT H E WS

The gender makeup of the sport business industry is changing, but it can feel like a glacial pace A 2023 report by the consulting firm McKinsey & Company found that women in sport administration “are often the only person of their gender or racial identity or both at work ” They are “less likely than peers in other industries to have sponsors” who provide career guidance and advocacy and more likely to “leave their organizations to realize their goals ”

Some young sport management alumnae are refusing to accept those statistics Because their networks began organically with their Michigan Kinesiology classmates, they were able to create an extra layer of personal and professional support that ’s still going strong after graduation It ’s more than networking it ’s “friendworking ”

“There wasn’t ever a specific conversation about it while we were students, which I think is one of the most beautiful parts about it,” says Emily Latham (SM ‘19), senior manager of talent acquisition at the Miami Dolphins. “There was just this culture of, ‘Let ’s push each other ’ We’re all going to try and be the best at what we’re doing and bring each other up along the way.”

Ally Futterman (SM ‘16), manager of naming rights at the New York Mets, decided to transfer from LSA to SoK after talking with her sorority sister Erica Bloom (SM ‘14)

“She was the VP of SBA [Sport Business Association] at the time,” Futterman says “She had already done an internship with the Mets. She was a superstar to me, and I knew I needed to learn more from her I asked her a million questions.”

Lindsey LaForest (SM ‘19), an associate at the law practice Dawda, Mann, Mulcahy & Sadler, PLC, helped add some structure to the way women SM students were connecting with each other.

She and several older SM classmates co-founded the Michigan Women Empowerment in Sport & Entertainment (MWESE) student org, hoping to create an intentional, woman-focused space for members and guest speakers to get vulnerable

“Providing space to have those conversations is so important,” LaForest says “And it became, ‘We’re going to be that place where people can ask those uncomfortable questions ’”

Many SM alumnae now include the women SM faculty as part of their friendwork

“I can’t say enough how much of an impact the female professors at Michigan had on me,” Latham says “The example they set for us and the expectations they had for us ”

And that connection goes both ways LaForest says that faculty member Kelli Donahue frequently sends current SM students to her if they have questions or need advice

All of these women are continuing to grow their friendworks by giving back to the next generation of SM students and alumnae

Everyone interviewed for this article sits on alumni committees for SM student orgs, serves as a mentor, and/or participates in recruitment events

LaForest always finds herself surrounded by the current MWESE members when she goes back for the annual Michigan Sport Business Conference (MSBC) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion lunch

“I’m handing out my card for any questions they have,” she says “I always take every call because I’ve been there ”

Years after they graduated, these young alums are watching each other advance in their careers

“There’s something so funny about the fact that these are just my buddies from college and they are completely crushing the companies they’re in,” Futterman says “Now they’ve become my professional network ”

Latham remembers talking about how they would all be working alongside each other after they graduated.

“We were like, ‘In 20-25 years how cool would it be for us to be in the C-suites at our respective organizations?’” she says “And now I can call any of these women. We’ll always have that shared experience to tie back to and keep us together ”

Ultimately, no matter how much time has elapsed since the last time they talked, they have each other’s backs.

“Whether it's on Instagram, coming to each other's events, supporting each other’s charity work, or running into each other at MSBC every year,” LaForest says, “at the end of the day, we’re all just rooting for each other ”

^ Send the email.

“You’re not bothering us I’ve never reached out to an SM alum who wouldn’t take 20-30 minutes to talk to me We’re here to help you because somebody helped us ”

–Ally Futterman

^ Ask the question.

“I literally remember texting Ally,‘What is business casual?’ The women ahead of me in SM never made me feel embarrassed or silly.”

–Lindsey LaForest

^ Motivate each other.

“It wasn’t a competition, it was just pushing ourselves to want to be successful for each other and to be proud of what we were getting done ”

–Emily Latham

^ Get to know the next gen.

“I still feel so connected because I know the current students.”

–Futterman

Left page: Ally Futterman, second from right, speaks to MWESE members at an event in 2017 Photo courtesy of MWESE

This page, top left: Faculty member Kelli Donahue, alum Emily Latham, and alum Katharine Bohlmann at MSBC in 2022 Photo courtesy of Emily Latham

Top right: Lindsey LaForest, left, and members of MWESE at Festifall in 2017 Photo courtesy of MWESE

H OW TO T H R I V E , N OT J U ST L I V E

During Elena Simpkins’ (PhD ‘19) sport management master’s program at another university, a professor asked the students about their dream jobs. The men wanted to be general managers, scouts, or to work at high-profile organizations like the NFL; one woman hoped to be the head athletic trainer for an NFL team But all the other women, including Simpkins, wanted to work in support roles

“‘Hmm, I wonder why that is?'" Simpkins remembers thinking "'What is it that tells women that more visible jobs aren’t a viable option in sports?'"

Simpkins was also one of just three Black women in her class “I kept wondering," she says, “‘Where are all the Black women?’”

BY M A RY C L A R E F I S C H E R

These questions would form the basis of her PhD dissertation at the School of Kinesiology, with a focus on the barriers facing Black women working in collegiate athletics In the course of her qualitative research, she discovered that creating spaces where Black women thrive, not just live, fosters environments where the majority of other people will thrive, too a concept she returns to frequently now that she’s working as SoK’s first manager of diversity, equity, and inclusion (Sport management professor Ketra Armstrong remains SoK’s director of DEI.)

“I always want everyone to feel like they belong in a space,” Simpkins says “So I want this role to help bridge the gap between the big, lofty things people think about when they hear DEI and the more practical ways people can approach this work ”

Alum Elena Simpkins shares how her PhD work informs her new position as SoK’s manager of DEI and what she hopes to accomplish in this important role

Photo by José Juarez/Michigan Photography

We spoke with Simpkins about her past research, her current goals, and the future she envisions at U-M.

Q: What did your PhD entail?

One of the first things Dr. Armstrong, the chair of my committee, had me do was look up Black women in sports. Very little came up. There’s tons of things about women, but ‘women’ usually does not mean ‘Black women.’ And then there’s race, but ‘race’ also does not mean ‘Black women’ — it means ‘Black men.’ That’s how I realized I could add to this field.

Q: What were your biggest takeaways from your dissertation?

My idea was that sport, culture, and power impact 1) policies and practices; 2) diversity resistance, which is people being resistant to diversity; and 3) legitimate power, the idea that certain roles are beholden with certain kinds of power that are tied to men and whiteness, particularly in sport.

So I came up with questions that addressed those three things and how they impact Black women’s experiences within sport organizations. From there, I made adjustments; I added things like networking and work-life integration because those are areas where the women I spoke with experienced challenges. Then I talked about how you could use these as an intervention within an organization to make it more accessible to Black women.

Q: How are you using those ideas in your DEI manager role?

With our programs that already existed, like the graduate Bridge program or DEI movie nights, I’ve been saying, ‘OK, this is a good program. How do we make it an even better program? What are ways to expand it so it benefits the students more?’

But I also want to encourage students to be active participants in this work. A lot of students have told me things like, ‘I have no idea what I’m supposed to do, but I want to do something.’ It can all seem very heavy and theoretical as opposed to, ‘Actually, let’s listen to a podcast you might not normally listen to.’ I want this work to be accessible but not minimizing.

Q: What is it like to be a role model for students?

I thought my dissertation would go into the ether, and no one would ever see it again.

But there’s a PhD student who found it and messaged me on LinkedIn and was like, ‘This is the greatest thing ever. I’d love to speak with you,’ and now we have monthly meetings.

As someone who didn’t even know that this was a possibility for themselves, it’s a surreal thing to have people fangirl over my research.

Q: What’s your assessment of campus culture when it comes to DEI?

I always felt U-M was not bad. But I think we need to go deeper and start thinking about policy changes that will actually have an impact. Former university leadership had this idea that they didn’t want to make anyone upset. I was like, ‘At some point, someone’s gonna have to be mad, right?’ And it probably shouldn’t be the people who are being negatively impacted by bigotry or exclusion.

I don’t feel like we are in that space now, but we need to be vigilant to ensure that that does not come back because it’s possible to get complacent and be like, ‘Well, it’s not bad.’ We have to be firm. And at some point, we also have to be unyielding.

Q: What would need to happen to pull that off?

I was in a meeting once where we talked about a racist thing that had happened, and people were like, ‘Oh, but those aren’t our values.’ But if it is happening over and over again, it is our values, right? When we say that and it keeps happening, we are minimizing the experience that people are having by being impacted.

So we have to be firm in saying, ‘This is not what we allow and this is how we’re going to ensure it doesn’t continue.’ If I can’t pull that off during my tenure, at the very least I want to be able to plant the seed and let it germinate. I want to be able to see that the idea is taking root, so the next person can come and get it out of the ground.

Scan to learn more about SoK's DEI initiatives.

DESERVED RECOGNITION

Over the past three decades, the Kinesiology Alumni Society has made a habit of celebrating U-M Kinesiology alumni who have made an impact in the field (see page 42). This year, we’re acknowledging six alums, ranging from a fairly recent graduate to a leader who was part of our program when it was still known as the Department of Physical Education.

EARLY CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Katharine Bohlmann (SM ‘19), vice president of corporate partnerships for the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium

Katharine Bohlmann began her career at the Miami Dolphins as an associate in the leadership rotational program and was promoted to vice president of corporate partnerships in just three years. In 2020, she received Front Office Sports' Rising 25 Under 25 award due to her impressive advancement. In her current role, she oversees the organization’s new business, partnership activation, and partnership strategy teams.

Jason Krochak (SM ‘08), partner at Proskauer Rose, LLP

Jason Krochak is a partner in the Corporate Department and a member of the Sports Group at the law firm Proskauer Rose, LLP. He represents sports teams and leagues, including the NBA and MLS, along with private equity firms, financial institutions, gaming companies, and corporate sponsors. Krochak was recently named to Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 list, partly for his work building out Proskauer Rose’s sports betting practice. In addition to his sport management degree from Michigan Kinesiology, Krochak earned a master’s in accounting from the U-M Ross School of Business and a JD from Harvard Law School.

CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Alicia Jeffreys (SM ‘01, MS ‘02), senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the Detroit Pistons

Alicia Jeffreys has spent her career working with Pistons Sports and Entertainment, serving in marketing and branding capacities for Arena Football, the Women’s National Basketball Association’s (WNBA) Detroit Shock, and the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Detroit Pistons. She has helped execute logistics for one NBA and three WNBA championships and launched several brand campaigns into the market. Jeffreys is currently a senior vice president for the Detroit Pistons, charged with creating communication and marketing strategies that integrate brand platforms supporting several revenue departments. She earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sport management from U-M Kinesiology.

Steve McCarthy (SM ‘97), president of West Michigan Whitecaps

Steve McCarthy is president of the West Michigan Whitecaps, a minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, and LMCU Ballpark, where he oversees business operations, revenue generation, and strategic growth. McCarthy got his start in the sports industry working as an operations intern for the Whitecaps in 1995, followed by internships at Van Andel Arena and the Palace of Auburn Hills He then worked for the Detroit Pistons as a ticket sales account representative and later director of group sales. McCarthy returned to the Whitecaps in late 2001 and has risen up the ranks there since

L I F E T I M E AC H I E V E M E N T AWA R D S

Tom Goss (PE ‘68), chairman of Goss Insurance, Goss Group, and Goss Safety

Tom Goss spent the early part of his career in sales with Proctor & Gamble before taking on leadership positions at RJ Reynolds Foods, Del Monte Foods, Faygo Beverages, and Shasta Beverages. In 1997, Tom was named athletic director at U-M, where he increased Big House seating to a capacity of 110,000 and acquired new scoreboards After his tenure as athletic director, he started Goss, LLC, an independent insurance agency that has worked with notable accounts such as GM, Ford, and DTE Energy Goss also serves on the board of directors for the National Park Foundation and the NCAA Division Infractions Appeals Committee.

Mike Amine (SM ‘89), founder and managing partner of Wealth Strategies Financial Group

Mike Amine was a wrestler at U-M from 1986 to 1989, becoming an NCAA finalist and later an Olympic alternate He started his career in sales for Ernest and Julio Gallo Winery but then moved to New England Financial (now MetLife), where he worked for 14 years in various finance roles After leaving MetLife in 2016, he became the president and CEO at Wealth Strategies Financial Group in Southfield In 2022, Mike received the Ufer Award, which is given to a Letterwinners M Club member in recognition of their outstanding service to the University of Michigan

G I V I N G BAC K

The Kinesiology Alumni Society Board of Governors Scholarship provides funds to a rising senior in good academic standing who has exhibited leadership and service to the SoK, the university at large, or the non-university community Scan to make a gift

Feature illustrations by Matthew Pamer

Student- athletes can now be compensated for the use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL), a major shift in the collegiate sports world

As the burgeoning NIL landscape continues to evolve, Michigan sport management faculty, students, and alumni are grappling with the new challenges and opportunities arising in the space.

BY M A RY C L A R E F I S C H E R

n July 1, 2021, a lot changed for Cameron Williams. That day, the sport management student and U-M basketball player woke up to a new reality, one where she was allowed to make money from endorsements and partnerships

Previously, collegiate athletes could be given scholarships to cover expenses like tuition and room and board. But college sports had long been regarded as an amateur sphere and not just because the athletes’ games hadn’t fully matured yet The idea that student-athletes were unpaid had become foundational to college sports.

Yet that foundation has been shaking for a while now Collegiate athletes have questioned why, given the amount of revenue

many universities were pulling in from sports, the athletes themselves weren’t permitted to profit off their own talents, or, at the very least, sign sponsorship deals based on the fan bases they’d built

In summer 2021, a series of court cases (see page 34) and a policy change by the NCAA cleared the way for the latter.

“It ’s been a controversy for such a long time,” Williams says. “We were waiting for this day to happen ”

The rule change ushered in not only unprecedented opportunities for college athletes, particularly women (see page 40), but also a new sector that had the sport management world salivating at the fresh possibilities for marketing and partnerships

“It ’s a dynamic space,” says Adriana Phelan, a lecturer who oversees SoK’s sport management internship for credit program. “Organizations are trying to figure out: How do you leverage this set of assets you have now? What are the monetization opportunities? But then, also, how do you think years down the road? When you’re playing chess, every move you make changes the board, and a lot of moves are being made right now ”

So much movement has created unexpected consequences Some donors have decided to give to collectives (see page 35), new organizations that have sprung up to manage NIL fundraising and partnerships, instead of the athletic departments and alumni associations that count on their funds. The availability of NIL opportunities or not has contorted the recruiting process as prospective student-athletes increasingly make decisions about where to attend school based on their NIL earning potential

“The essence of NIL is very good,” says Chrissi Rawak (SM ‘92), the director of athletics, community, and campus recreation at the University of Delaware “Its intent is to give student athletes the opportunity to earn money for their talents. That ’s the right thing to do. But it is tough to anticipate all the ways NIL is playing out and the impact it is having across the board.”

SM students, faculty, and alumni, though, have already proven that they aren’t afraid of the unknown.

P I V OTA L M O M E N T S

They’ve joined the NIL fray in school and at work to learn how to play in an ever-changing space and, ideally, improve the way NIL functions for everyone involved

“It ’s about getting to experience something new,” says Daniel Rubin (see page 38), a sport management student who interned with NIL agency MOGL for more than a year “Something that very few people can say they’ve experienced ”

Here’s how they’re navigating the new

ST U D E N T S S AY

In fall 2022, sport management clinical assistant professor Ron Wade asked his students to complete a survey about their thoughts on the new NIL rules He then compared results with faculty at three other universities The responses were similar across schools, giving some insight into the perceptions of an important fan base.

See below and throughout the story for sample statements from the survey and the proportion of students who agreed or disagreed with their messages.

In general, I approve of the NIL rules.

We look back at some of the important court cases and policies that laid the groundwork for athletes to be paid for the use of their NIL, with Brad Wachler (SM ‘99), an attorney with the Sports Advisory & Consulting Practice Group at law firm Lewis Rice, explaining their impact

California governor signs Fair Pay to Play Act, the first state law permitting compensation for collegiate athletes’ NIL

“This was a precursor to NIL that stated that the NCAA was profiting off of name, image, and likeness through these video games and that this was a violation of antitrust laws by prohibiting studentathletes from financially benefiting off of their NIL. From this ruling, institutions were then permitted to increase the aid for student-athletes to the full cost of attending school.”

Supreme Court affirms that the NCAA violated antitrust laws in restricting collegiate athletes’ compensation

“The NCAA essentially provided a launching pad for schools in states that didn’t have NIL laws to create their own guidelines and provide the same opportunities to their students.”

Former college basketball star wins case (sort of) against NCAA after use of likeness in video game

THE DEAL WITH COLLECTIVES

A new type of organization has emerged to handle partnerships and fundraising for the NIL collegiate space.

hen the NCAA passed its interim NIL policy, a sizable question remained: Who was going to manage the financial transactions for student-athletes?

Universities and athletic departments were still not allowed to pay student-athletes, especially for external activities.

Enter the concept of NIL collectives. These independent organizations often work with athletes and donors at a specific university to secure deals and manage fundraising. More than 200 collectives now exist across the country, and they all operate a little differently.

“Some of them are well formed, well organized, and well supported,” Brad Wachler says. “Others are far less structured. It certainly runs the gamut from school to school and depends on the sophistication and resources of the individuals charged to organize and manage the collectives.”

One of the most prominent NIL organizations in Ann Arbor is Valiant Management Group. In April, Valiant launched a new collective called Champions Circle, which deals with individual donors and is led by alum Anna Britnell (SM ’09).

“As a former student-athlete at U-M, I’m super passionate about U-M athletics,” Britnell says. “So this was a great opportunity to do something new for the university I love most.”

JUNE 30, 2021

NCAA issues interim policy that allows collegiate athletes to profit off the use of their NIL, starting July 1, and states and universities to create their own NIL rules

Champions Circle operates a public membership program with different levels of monthly or yearly donations, starting at $10 a month or $100 a year. In return, donors receive rewards ranging from swag to video calls with former U-M stars.

In order to receive any money through Champions Circle, athletes are required to participate in sponsorship activities (like promoting a brand), fan events (such as public signings), or community service engagements (charity golf outings, youth camps, etc.)

Hail! Impact, a relatively new collective, has a different model. Hail! sets a fundraising threshold for each sports team; once the goal is met, the athletes on that team receive a stipend.

Participating athletes are also required to put in 24 hours of volunteer work per year with local charity partners.

“Some high-profile athletes make a lot of money by individual endorsements and partnerships,” says Kathy Babiak, a professor of sport management at SoK and an advisor for Hail!. “Others don’t have that name recognition and reputation, but they can still benefit from NIL. So some collectives are trying to figure out how to make NIL opportunities more accessible to a wide range of athletes.”

FEB. 3, 2022

Alabama becomes first state to repeal its NIL law

OCT. 26, 2022

NCAA releases clarifying guidelines on collegiate NIL policy

“The legislators thought that what they had in place was was a little bit more restrictive than the NCAA measures, and that gave them a less competitive edge.”

“They became a little bit more prescriptive in how they were going to crack down on pay-for-play activity that was happening, which is still illegal, and clarifying what a collective means.”(See “The Deal with Collectives,” above).

C L A S S I S I N S E S S I O N

O R G A N I Z AT I O N A L R E S P O N S E

port management associate professor Kate Heinze studies how organizations respond when their industries are jolted by significant change. So, when NIL rules for collegiate athletes shifted, she saw an ideal research opportunity She partnered with Sara Soderstrom, an associate professor who specializes in organizational studies, to offer the course, “Advanced Research Team - NIL & College Athletics: Movements, Organizations, and Labor,” in which upper-level undergraduates unpacked different aspects of the NIL landscape

One pair of students dug into the structure of collectives (see page 35) Another chronicled the state laws around NIL; others looked at how athletic departments were reacting to the shift in policy Several students collected information on the deals themselves as well as how media outlets were covering the ever-evolving space Heinze and Soderstrom are now analyzing the data but plan to continue collecting information about NIL. “All of it is a moving target,” Heinze says of NIL. “There will be more to tease out.”

MAJOR: NAME, IMAGE, AND LIKENESS

SM 499

SM 430

Enterprise & Nonprofit Management In Sport

SM 428 Experiential Marketing In Sport

OS 490 Advanced Research Team - NIL & College Athletics: Movement, Organizations, And Labor

SM 421 Gender And Sport

Transfer

Credit Building Leaders Utilizing Education

ST R AT E G I C L E A R N I N G

Kathy Babiak

Ron Wade

Sara Soderstrom and Kate Heinze

Ketra Armstrong

Chrissi Rawak, UD

In the capstone course for the sport management major, “Strategy of Sport Organizations,” students delve into the theory behind strategy, but they’re also required to work with one real organization The first semester after the release of the NIL guidelines, Valiant Management Group (see page 35) was the client. Students in Adriana Phelan’s class presented strategy suggestions to Valiant for both U-M teams and individual athletes. “We were working with essentially a startup that was trying to build their business as they were making sense of the NIL space,” Phelan says “They were running as fast as they could on the treadmill, and we were running along with them ”

T E AC H I N G T H E AT H L E T E S

When NIL opportunities became legal for student athletes, Chrissi Rawak remembers other athletic directors scrambling to determine how to teach their athletes what they needed to know Rawak wasn’t worried. She’d already instituted a mandatory curriculum, “Building Leaders Utilizing Education,” that taught University of Delaware (UD)’s student-athletes practical skills like financial literacy, bystander intervention training, and personal branding. All she had to do was work with UD’s on-campus entrepreneurship program, which had helped her develop the curriculum, to incorporate NIL-related knowledge “We spent the first sixplus months [after the NCAA’s interim NIL policy was released] making sure our student-athletes felt like they had the right resources,” Rawak says. “But we didn’t need to run out and spend thousands of dollars. It was all in house and already connected to our goals for our student-athletes ”

Now six of the required sessions include an NIL component, and more thorough NIL-specific education is available but optional “There are certain expectations and responsibilities that student-athletes have that other students don’t,” Rawak says, “and there’s certain challenges and opportunities they have that others don’t We’ve tried to meet them in those places and help them understand and grow those skill sets ”

C H A R I TA B L E W O R K

Jessica Morschakov (SM ‘23) first heard about the NIL colle Impact in her nonprofit management in sport course, taugh Babiak “Sport management did a good job of discussing NI classes,” Morschakov says “But learning more about the int between the sports world and the nonprofit world was part interesting to me ” Since Babiak is an advisor for Hail! Impac her students had an inside view of the organization as it evo “They got to work with this newly emerging collective to ide opportunities and poke holes into their proposed model,” B says. “They were on the front lines of seeing how a collectiv established and what value it could provide ” Morschakov’s project on Hail! Impact turned into something more: an inte and then a position as Hail!’s program coordinator for charit engagements “Because of Dr Babiak’s class, I had backgro information and research in hand when I started my interns Morschakov says “It helped me keep an eye out for things t could pop up as we began event planning and gave me a he start when I started researching potential partnerships ”

The new NIL rules allowing athletes to make money are good for student-athletes.

E X P E R I E N T I A L L E A R N I N G

Sport management students Daniel Rubin and Ava Peryam share what it’s like to intern at an NIL collective or firm

hen sport management student

Daniel Rubin started his internship with NIL agency MOGL in June 2022, he hadn’t expected to be in charge of a campaign By August, though, there he was, working with another intern to coordinate the social posts of 80 college athletes for a DoorDash partnership

The pair were promoting the DashPass for Students, a college student membership that is half the cost of the standard DashPass They needed collegiate athletes who were willing to post pictures or videos of themselves with food they’d ordered on DoorDash in exchange for a free student pass

“We found the athletes needed to execute this campaign, messaged them to organize deliverables, discussed the contract, and made sure everything went smoothly on the day they were supposed to post,” Rubin says “Given it was right before the fall sports season, when athletes were practicing 5-6 hours a day and it was hard to communicate, we had a really high success rate.”

Rubin isn’t sure whether he’ll specialize in NIL once he graduates, but he’s not ruling it out either.

“NIL differentiates itself because of the creativity needed to create these partnerships, and that ’s really attractive,” he says

Ava Peryam was aware of the NIL industry But the sport management student wasn’t hooked on the idea of NIL until she heard Valiant Management Group general manager Justin Roh speak at a Sport Business Association (SBA) student org meeting

“I could tell that having an understanding of NIL will be important in the sports industry going forward,” Peryam says

Roh set Peryam up with an internship Valiant, where she helped with everything from an autograph signing at Somerset Mall featuring U-M football players to the spring game pep rally, for which Valiant brought in more than 100 student-athletes.

“I think it was really good to see what goes into running those events and the payment process for student-athletes afterward,” Peryam says “For example, we had to make sure that athletes were getting properly paid but also that the university knows what they’re getting paid and what they’re getting paid for ”

Peryam credits SBA for providing professional development opportunities, like the interaction that led to this internship.

“The connections you make and the people you meet are super important,” she says “U-M gives you those opportunities ”

The new NIL rules allowing studentathletes to make money in this way give schools in large power conferences such as the Big 10 and the SEC an advantage in recruiting.

97.3%: Agree

2.7%: Disagree

“The connections you make and the people you meet are super important. U-M gives you those opportunities.”

WHO IS CAMERON WILLIAMS?

How one collegiate basketball player and sport management student is finding deals that align with her ethos.

Q: What was your reaction to the new NIL rules?

‘Oh my God, I need to hop on this.’ You only have so many years in college as an athlete. Once you graduate, you don’t get the same opportunities. So I wanted to take advantage of what’s being offered to me as soon as I could and as much as I could.

But also, a lot of us were confused. We were saying, ‘What does this mean? What can we do? What can we not do?’

Q: How did you figure that out?

A friend of mine knew an agent who had an NIL sector. She represents me to this day. We also have apps where we can see opportunities and submit deals to make sure they’re compliant. And U-M’s assistant athletic director of compliance and NIL education has spoken to our team about how to monetize our NIL.

Something else that was beneficial were the Michigan Athletics Career Center’s brand-building sessions. When brands look at partnering with athletes, they’re trying to figure out who you are and if you align with their mission and values.

So the career center was trying to help us figure out: ‘What do you want to be known for?’ ‘What is your brand?’ ‘Who is Cameron Williams?’ So I’ve been thinking about that.

Q: How would you characterize your brand?

Somebody that is striving for equality for all. I really care about that, especially for Black people. Other than that, I want to align myself with people who think like me. I want to be as authentic as I can and continue to use my platform to speak out and showcase myself in the best possible way.

Q: What companies have you worked with so far?

A couple of us promoted Lowe’s and were able to get things from them for our apartments or dorms. I’ve posted for a brand called Ninth Closet that makes clothes for tall people. It’s been a struggle for me to find pants that fit my whole life, so I was like, ‘Of course, I’ll post anything for you.’

I also have a partnership with the White Sox that features Chicago natives. We’ve thrown the first pitch at games. I did a broadcast in their booth. And they’re providing us with career mentorship to help us build connections. I want to work in sports after I graduate, so this was an opportunity for me to create this network now and then hopefully have job options in the future.

SO M E ) W O M E N A R E W I N N I N G

C an NIL give female athletes the opportunities they’ve been missing out on?

hen Ron Wade analyzed the results of a student survey about the new NIL rules (see pages 34, 37, 38, and 1), he was surprised at the number of omments about equity concerns

“A lot of students were asking whether just the football and men’s basketball teams would get NIL money or whether women’s sports and some of the Olympic sports would benefit, too,” Wade says

So far, the answer to that question is mixed

“We know that social media has given women a platform to control their own narratives,” says sport management professor Ketra Armstrong, director of the Center for Race & Ethnicity in Sport, who has spoken to media outlets about the increased earning potential that NIL has offered women “We’re in this era of social consciousness where women are saying, ‘This is who I am,’ and what we’re finding is more corporations that are courageous enough to say, ‘Let me learn more.’”

Yet, when it comes to NIL deals, the number of high female earners is still small. For a while, white female athletes were profiting more than Black female athletes, Armstrong says, although players like NCAA basketball champion Angel Reese are changing that dynamic

Cameron Williams was once in a class where most of the students assumed that all collegiate athletes were making significant money from NIL partnerships. She spoke up to say that, so far, the women’s basketball team hasn’t had such lucrative opportunities.

“It ’s important to talk about,” Williams says. “Everyone deserves to receive profit for their NIL, no matter what sport you’re playing, no matter what gender you are ”

The local NIL collectives are aware of the discrepancy Champions Circle expanded to all U-M varsity sports when it launched its public membership program (see page 35) in April, and Hail! Impact is working with all U-M teams as well

“It will be our job to continue to give the women’s programs an equal platform, equal voice, and equal visibility,” says Jessica Morschakov of Hail! Impact

Increasing the number of women in leadership positions may help equity stay in the consciousness of NIL collectives, too Anna Britnell, of Champions Circle, hopes to create that pipeline by having conversations with female students about working in the NIL space as a woman

“My goal is to provide leadership and show them that you can work in a male-dominated profession and be successful,” Britnell says.

97.3%: Agree

2.7%: Disagree

The new NIL rules allowing student-athletes to make money in this way are likely to have a large impact on recruiting.

W H E R E I S T H E M O N E Y G O I N G ?

NIL opportunities have started to hold significant sway as a recruiting tool, but some athletic departments are suffering as donors use their purchasing power in novel ways

or decades, student-athletes weren’t allowed to make money off of endorsements, with the NCAA citing the amateur nature of collegiate sports as the rationale

Once those deals were permitted, the game changed Collectives are not allowed to be involved in the recruitment process, and athletic departments cannot promise specific compensation or deals in exchange for a prospective student-athlete’s commitment to their school But coaches can discuss the NIL opportunities that are generally available to student athletes at their universities and those opportunities are now influencing athletes’ choices about where to attend college.

“It certainly has impacted recruiting,” Chrissi Rawak says “For us, it ’s been challenging because of who we are, the resources we have, and what we offer to our student athletes. We win more than we lose in those ways But we’re going to have to stay focused in making sure we recruit kids that value the things we value ”

Athletic departments end up in a bind because they don’t have control over the quantity or quality of the NIL opportunities available to their recruits They’re often dependent on donors choosing to invest in local NIL collectives to increase the opportunities available to student athletes. But more donations to NIL collectives can mean that the athletic departments lose out on direct fundraising dollars themselves.

Rawak says that some of her athletic director colleagues at other schools had to pause facility projects they were fundraising for because donors diverted their money toward NIL.

“We didn’t realize that we would need individual donor money to essentially drive NIL to start,” Rawak says “In my mind, it was and needs to be primarily businesses and business connections But that ’s not the bulk of it at this moment in time ”

“A donor who might have traditionally given to an athletic department to support programs now has more choice,” Babiak says “Maybe they think, ‘Oh, my money might be better spent to directly support and impact athletes if I donate through a collective.’ There’s tension around these resource shifts, for sure ”

Britnell says the situation requires learning “how to survive together ” She points to Champions Circle’s launch event in New York, which entailed partnering with the U-M Alumni Association to bring several New York-based donors to the kickoff Or this past summer, when Champions Circle student-athletes played at some local alumni groups’ golf tournaments

“It ’s one pie of money, and now there’s a new person taking a slice,” Britnell says “So what does that look like? Nobody knows yet, but ultimately, we’re all for the same mission: How do we attract the best to U-M?”

78.9%: Agree 21.1%: Disagree

The new NIL rules allowing studentathletes to make money give boosters and wealthy alumni too much power to influence college sports.

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