On July 1st, Irma Garcia was promoted from "acting" AD to full-time Athletic Director at St. Francis College. While I applaud her advancement and hope that many can follow in her footsteps, I want to point out a different side of the story. her success was not based on what she did on the field, but hard work and determination. I hear time and time again former athletes saying they want to be sport business executives when they retire. However, have they put in the hard work of getting the right degrees, working the menial jobs (how many would want to pull the tarp to cover the infield during a rain storm?), or working concession stand clean-up. Learning these tasks and doing the work can make you a great leader. Avoiding these tasks because they are beneath you shows that you will never gain the trust of others, which means you will have a hard time leading others.
Garcia put in her dues as a player, then worked elsewhere before returning as a coach in 1988. She retired from coaching in 1999 and has undertaken various administrative positions to work her way to the top. She was promoted after a national search to fill the position. Thus, she did not get the job because she was a great athlete at the college, but through hard work and paying her dues.
I encourage everyone interested in a sport management career to follow her lead. If you really want to be a true leader, pay your dues.
Gil-
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