The impact of the Division II Make Game Day Yours initiative, launched about a year ago, continues to expand.
Launched at the2022 NCAA Convention through a partnership with the Disney Institute, which is Disney's professional development and leadership training wing, the initiative was created to encourage a more positive game environment and provide excellent customer service at the division's athletics events across the country.
For the more than 250 administrators to go through its regional training sessions so far, the initiative provided an important framework to use on their campuses. Five such trainings have been held since the initiative launched, and three more will be conducted in 2023, allowing all Division II conferences and schools an opportunity to learn about it. Those who receive facilitator training from these regional workshops will be equipped with the tools to train their peers in a 90-minute training program developed by a membership working group and the Disney Institute.
"The Make Game Day Yours initiative provides conferences and campuses not only some much-needed resources for training staff but also sets a standard of excellence for us to strive for. While we may not be able to execute events exactly as Disney does, with the information provided, both conferences and institutions alike can utilize key components to enhance their game day experiences," Megan Sanger, assistant commissioner for compliance and internal operations and senior woman administrator at the South Atlantic Conference, said after attending a Make Game Day Yours regional training session.
Additionally, Division II University modules recently became available for each school and conference office to evaluate, learn and improve game environment and customer service standards, with a focus on encouraging and supporting appropriate fan behavior. The full Make Game Day Yours course includes 10 modules and takes an estimated 75 minutes to complete. A discussion guide, service card, PowerPoint and trainer's guide are available for schools to download in the modules. These modules are available to Division II game day staff who can access them in the NCAA Learning Portal by searching for "Division II Make Game Day Yours Training" and self-enrolling.
"Everyone that works in college athletics strives to provide the best game day experience possible for our student-athletes, donors and fans," said Jack "Bull" Slavin, associate athletics director for athletic marketing and external revenue at UNC Pembroke. "These trainings provide you with a fresh outlook on what game day could be, while providing you the tools to become a change agent at your respective institution regardless of your position within the organization."
One of the foundational concepts of the Make Game Day Yours initiative is its four service standards, prioritized in the following order:
- Safety:Providing an environment for the health and well-being of our student-athletes and all others.
- Responsiveness:Anticipating and effectively addressing situations that arise.
- Dignity:Demonstrating respect and value for others.
- Experience:Creating a positive atmosphere.
Morgan Wallace, external relations director at Seattle Pacific, was part of a panel discussion during a 2023 NCAA Convention education session on the Make Game Day Yours initiative. Seattle Pacific helped host the 2022 Division II National Championships Festival in December. During the panel discussion, Wallace highlighted how Seattle Pacific's administrators made these service standards their own. Every badge worn by game day employees reads: safety, intentionality, respect and family-focused experience.
"For us, it's important to be upfront and intentional about those expectations that we have of our game day staff and for our fans. We set the tone as soon as they walk through the doors," Wallace said. "We have our game day staff prepared to set the tone and engage that way. The Make Game Day Yours initiative is extremely important because you have those service standards and those tools that we can all use."
The initiative also features a tool to assist administrators in situations that involve conflict resolution with fans. The tool centers on the acronym LEAD2:
- Listen.
- Empathize.
- Apologize.
- Decide.
- Deliver.
Thomas T. Balkcom, assistant director of athletics at William Jewell who also spoke on the education session panel at the Convention, said the LEAD2 tool provides a helpful mental script for staff to follow in these situations. He added that regardless of what led to an upset fan, he returns to one sentence that's stuck with him from his regional training: "It's not our fault, but it is our problem."
Patrick Britz, another member of the panel discussion who has been the commissioner of the South Atlantic Conference since 2008, echoed Balkcom. Britz noted that while some of the Make Game Day Yours training consists of "common-sense reminders," the intentionality it can create is extremely valuable.
"Little things like if someone's asking you a question, look them in the eye and listen to them,"Britz said. "Help them. Take an extra 10 seconds and figure that out, and that goes a long way."
"I think it just starts with small intentional changes," Wallace added. "With these module trainings now, you can take those, and you can talk with your team and really make it yours for your institution. It's not a one size fits all. It's, 'How do we run events and how do we want to make them a little bit better, and how can we do that as a team?'"