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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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One director’s reality boosts aspirations for others
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By Leilana McKindra
The NCAA News
The NCAA News
By her own admission, Irma Garcia is living her dream. Long before she was appointed director of athletics at her alma mater St. Francis College (New York), Garcia knew as a kid that she was going to be an athletics director. It was simply a matter of time.
Garcia, formerly the school’s associate athletics director, senior woman administrator and business manager, succeeded the retired Edward Aquilone last month as AD. In addition to achieving her dream, Garcia broke ground by becoming the first Hispanic female AD in Division I.
Garcia said she didn’t know about the milestone until it was announced during her graduation from the 2007 NACWAA Executive Institute in Denver earlier this summer.
“It’s not about being Hispanic. If I can inspire other women, Hispanic women, to do what I’m doing, that’s great. If I’m the one to break the barrier, that’s super,” she said. “But the fact is, an opportunity to become an AD is a dream come true for me.”
Garcia anticipates continuing the tradition of academic excellence and the family environment that initially drew her to St. Francis as a student-athlete. Her affiliation with the college began in 1976 as a member of the basketball program.
She returned to St. Francis in 1988 as the eighth head women’s basketball coach in program history. During her 11-year tenure, her teams twice were honored by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association for compiling one of the highest team grade-point averages in Division I. She was named as the 1997-98 Northeast Conference coach of the year. A year later, she retired from coaching and became an associate AD, director of student-athlete services and business manager at the school.
Nancy Nitardy describes her book, “Get Paid to Play: Every High School Athlete’s Guide to Over $1 Million in Athletics Scholarships,” as a step-by-step, year-by-year plan for how high school athletes can actively participate in the recruiting and college application process. It is targeted at prospects, parents, counselors, coaches and others who help high school athletes with their college search.
In addition to emphasizing academics, “Get Paid to Play” features regulations for all three NCAA divisions, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the National Junior College Athletic Association. The book also provides tips on matching athletes to appropriate programs; a list of key questions student-athletes should ask coaches, admissions representatives, financial aid directors and other student-athletes; sample letters of inquiry; and a comprehensive list of athletics scholarships not tied to a specific institution.
One of the key lessons Nitardy hopes readers will learn from the book is the importance of taking an active role in the process. “Initiate contact with a coach, rather than sit back and wait for a coach,” she said.
Nitardy had been presenting similar information for years before recently being approached by Kaplan Publishing to write the book. The response, she said, has been tremendous.
“One mom said the football coach just gave a presentation and she wouldn’t have had any idea what he was talking about if she hadn’t read the book,” said Nitardy, who noted that many athletes rely on their high school or club coaches when it comes to recruiting. But many coaches, she said, don’t know or understand the process or the academic requirements. “This book gives them knowledge and confidence when going through the process,” Nitardy said.
A former coach at Harvard University; Dartmouth College; and Indiana University, Bloomington, Nitardy is president and founder of College Choices Unlimited, a consulting business.
For more information or to purchase “Get Paid to Play,” visit www.amazon.com or http://www.collegechoicesunlimited.com/.
Garcia, formerly the school’s associate athletics director, senior woman administrator and business manager, succeeded the retired Edward Aquilone last month as AD. In addition to achieving her dream, Garcia broke ground by becoming the first Hispanic female AD in Division I.
Garcia said she didn’t know about the milestone until it was announced during her graduation from the 2007 NACWAA Executive Institute in Denver earlier this summer.“It’s not about being Hispanic. If I can inspire other women, Hispanic women, to do what I’m doing, that’s great. If I’m the one to break the barrier, that’s super,” she said. “But the fact is, an opportunity to become an AD is a dream come true for me.”
Garcia anticipates continuing the tradition of academic excellence and the family environment that initially drew her to St. Francis as a student-athlete. Her affiliation with the college began in 1976 as a member of the basketball program.
She returned to St. Francis in 1988 as the eighth head women’s basketball coach in program history. During her 11-year tenure, her teams twice were honored by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association for compiling one of the highest team grade-point averages in Division I. She was named as the 1997-98 Northeast Conference coach of the year. A year later, she retired from coaching and became an associate AD, director of student-athlete services and business manager at the school.
Publication tells how to recruit scholarships
While it’s not humanly possible for a coach to know of every potential student-athlete interested in competing at the collegiate level, a new book by a former NCAA coach teaches prospective student-athletes, parents and administrators how to actively engage in the recruiting process.Nancy Nitardy describes her book, “Get Paid to Play: Every High School Athlete’s Guide to Over $1 Million in Athletics Scholarships,” as a step-by-step, year-by-year plan for how high school athletes can actively participate in the recruiting and college application process. It is targeted at prospects, parents, counselors, coaches and others who help high school athletes with their college search.
In addition to emphasizing academics, “Get Paid to Play” features regulations for all three NCAA divisions, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the National Junior College Athletic Association. The book also provides tips on matching athletes to appropriate programs; a list of key questions student-athletes should ask coaches, admissions representatives, financial aid directors and other student-athletes; sample letters of inquiry; and a comprehensive list of athletics scholarships not tied to a specific institution.
One of the key lessons Nitardy hopes readers will learn from the book is the importance of taking an active role in the process. “Initiate contact with a coach, rather than sit back and wait for a coach,” she said.
Nitardy had been presenting similar information for years before recently being approached by Kaplan Publishing to write the book. The response, she said, has been tremendous.
“One mom said the football coach just gave a presentation and she wouldn’t have had any idea what he was talking about if she hadn’t read the book,” said Nitardy, who noted that many athletes rely on their high school or club coaches when it comes to recruiting. But many coaches, she said, don’t know or understand the process or the academic requirements. “This book gives them knowledge and confidence when going through the process,” Nitardy said.
A former coach at Harvard University; Dartmouth College; and Indiana University, Bloomington, Nitardy is president and founder of College Choices Unlimited, a consulting business.
For more information or to purchase “Get Paid to Play,” visit www.amazon.com or http://www.collegechoicesunlimited.com/.
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