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RH: Retention Starts With Building Support
As parts of college athletics evolve into a more transitory and transactional environment, Kevin Saal is working to make Wichita State the kind of place where staying is the most attractive option.
That starts with relationships and coaches whom student-athletes want to practice for, learn from and play for – even when things get tough. The transfer portal, graduate transfers and name, image and likeness compensation significantly change the jobs of coaches and administrators.
Relationships are one way to counter those changes and put the Shockers in the best position possible in all sports.
"We've got to have some joy and fun in what we're doing," Saal said. "Our industry has changed. The style of coaching that may have been acceptable or the norm 30 years ago isn't necessarily that style now."
The incentive for a student to stay in a place they merely tolerate is significantly less in the current NCAA.
Consider the softball pitching transitions at Oklahoma – where the NCAA champion's best pitcher transferred to Nebraska - and Oklahoma State – where its top pitcher transferred to OU - over the summer. No matter how strong a program, there will always be a school offering something new, a fresh start, playing time, shinier things, proximity to home or promises of money.
Saal wants coaches who can deliver constructive criticism and leave the interaction with the relationship strengthened.
"The student-athlete walks away knowing the coach has their best interests at heart, knowing that coach cares for them at a genuine and authentic level," Saal said. "You have to coach the person first. We need connectors. We need leaders of people. Relational folks that can have the hard conversations and do it in such a way where it is a family atmosphere and it's genuine."
As Saal emphasized, it's not just coaches. Wichita State is improving the support system for its athletes in the weight rooms and training facilities. Most prominently, the athletic department will have two staff members dedicated to mental health for WSU's 250 athletes. One – mental health counselor Mallie Hall – is on board. The search for a Ph.D.-level staff member is nearing its conclusion.
"It's part of creating a student-athlete experience that our student-athletes don't want to leave," Saal said. "We've got to figure out a way to be available for our student-athletes from 8 am.-8 p.m. and to be able to meet them where they are. That's difficult to do with one person."
A worthy endeavor but not sure it can overcome the lure of NIL money and the grass is greener on the other side mentality many young folks naturally hold. We will see.
As parts of college athletics evolve into a more transitory and transactional environment, Kevin Saal is working to make Wichita State the kind of place where staying is the most attractive option.
That starts with relationships and coaches whom student-athletes want to practice for, learn from and play for – even when things get tough. The transfer portal, graduate transfers and name, image and likeness compensation significantly change the jobs of coaches and administrators.
Relationships are one way to counter those changes and put the Shockers in the best position possible in all sports.
"We've got to have some joy and fun in what we're doing," Saal said. "Our industry has changed. The style of coaching that may have been acceptable or the norm 30 years ago isn't necessarily that style now."
The incentive for a student to stay in a place they merely tolerate is significantly less in the current NCAA.
Consider the softball pitching transitions at Oklahoma – where the NCAA champion's best pitcher transferred to Nebraska - and Oklahoma State – where its top pitcher transferred to OU - over the summer. No matter how strong a program, there will always be a school offering something new, a fresh start, playing time, shinier things, proximity to home or promises of money.
Saal wants coaches who can deliver constructive criticism and leave the interaction with the relationship strengthened.
"The student-athlete walks away knowing the coach has their best interests at heart, knowing that coach cares for them at a genuine and authentic level," Saal said. "You have to coach the person first. We need connectors. We need leaders of people. Relational folks that can have the hard conversations and do it in such a way where it is a family atmosphere and it's genuine."
As Saal emphasized, it's not just coaches. Wichita State is improving the support system for its athletes in the weight rooms and training facilities. Most prominently, the athletic department will have two staff members dedicated to mental health for WSU's 250 athletes. One – mental health counselor Mallie Hall – is on board. The search for a Ph.D.-level staff member is nearing its conclusion.
"It's part of creating a student-athlete experience that our student-athletes don't want to leave," Saal said. "We've got to figure out a way to be available for our student-athletes from 8 am.-8 p.m. and to be able to meet them where they are. That's difficult to do with one person."
A worthy endeavor but not sure it can overcome the lure of NIL money and the grass is greener on the other side mentality many young folks naturally hold. We will see.
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