March 16, 2020
Dear Cyclone fans,
I am writing to share some personal thoughts since my safe return from New York City, where I was serving on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee.
There is so much to unpack, both professionally and personally. What I observed and felt traveling to and from NYC, staying on Times Square and trying to function efficiently is something I will never forget. The trip completely changed my view of the challenges our nation is facing. The bottom line is that I left Ames last week in complete denial and returned to our community with an entirely different and enlightened perspective.
I felt it might be helpful to share some observations much like I did with our staff.
1. We are likely closer to the beginning of our challenges, than the end. It is healthy to keep that perspective as we move through stages of prevention and recovery.
2. We will get through this, no matter how long it takes. It is important to remain calm, stay level headed, and do what is necessary to keep yourself, those closest to you, and, most importantly, our student-athletes safe and healthy.
3. Our industry took a huge step – the right one – to shut down athletics competition for the remainder of the academic year. Doing so helps us move on from the various stages of denial that many people are expressing. There is no magical date for when things return to where they were before this started. That won’t happen for a multitude of reasons (time, economics, health, etc.).
4. I challenged our staff, especially our head coaches and leaders, to embrace a saying from hockey great Wayne Gretzky: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” We must begin thinking about how things may look and function next fall / next year, based upon not having competitions and normal practice and other department activities this spring (and possibly into the summer).
For example, Coach Campbell and I discussed over the weekend what fall football practice would look like if we did not have spring practices. Leaders, who can think that way, and adjust best to what the future holds will be the most successful when that future arrives. Frankly, too many coaches and administrators across the country are spending time worrying about what they are losing today, tomorrow and next week. Those leaders are not spending time on the future, which is exactly what we should be doing. High-level leadership is figuring out where the puck is going. I appealed to our entire staff to focus on that task, so our department is prepared to move forward.
We have a talented and dedicated group of professionals working in our athletics department and would certainly benefit from the combined knowledge and strength of everyone in our program being together. Unfortunately, we could not congregate in a large group as we implement the strategy of social distancing.
Please know the members of our leadership team, as well as me personally, are willing to talk, listen, think strategically, etc. We need to embrace this challenge together, as best we can, so we can capitalize on our greatest asset – OUR PEOPLE!
The next several days, weeks, etc., are going to feel unnatural. That is expected. It is an unprecedented time.
I hope by sharing this information with our fans we can individually do our part in helping our communities, our state, our nation and our world, do what is necessary to help slow the escalation of this pandemic.
Thanks for your continued support. We will get through this if we all do our part.
Go Cyclones!
Jamie Pollard
Director of Athletics
Dear Cyclone fans,
I am writing to share some personal thoughts since my safe return from New York City, where I was serving on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee.
There is so much to unpack, both professionally and personally. What I observed and felt traveling to and from NYC, staying on Times Square and trying to function efficiently is something I will never forget. The trip completely changed my view of the challenges our nation is facing. The bottom line is that I left Ames last week in complete denial and returned to our community with an entirely different and enlightened perspective.
I felt it might be helpful to share some observations much like I did with our staff.
1. We are likely closer to the beginning of our challenges, than the end. It is healthy to keep that perspective as we move through stages of prevention and recovery.
2. We will get through this, no matter how long it takes. It is important to remain calm, stay level headed, and do what is necessary to keep yourself, those closest to you, and, most importantly, our student-athletes safe and healthy.
3. Our industry took a huge step – the right one – to shut down athletics competition for the remainder of the academic year. Doing so helps us move on from the various stages of denial that many people are expressing. There is no magical date for when things return to where they were before this started. That won’t happen for a multitude of reasons (time, economics, health, etc.).
4. I challenged our staff, especially our head coaches and leaders, to embrace a saying from hockey great Wayne Gretzky: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” We must begin thinking about how things may look and function next fall / next year, based upon not having competitions and normal practice and other department activities this spring (and possibly into the summer).
For example, Coach Campbell and I discussed over the weekend what fall football practice would look like if we did not have spring practices. Leaders, who can think that way, and adjust best to what the future holds will be the most successful when that future arrives. Frankly, too many coaches and administrators across the country are spending time worrying about what they are losing today, tomorrow and next week. Those leaders are not spending time on the future, which is exactly what we should be doing. High-level leadership is figuring out where the puck is going. I appealed to our entire staff to focus on that task, so our department is prepared to move forward.
We have a talented and dedicated group of professionals working in our athletics department and would certainly benefit from the combined knowledge and strength of everyone in our program being together. Unfortunately, we could not congregate in a large group as we implement the strategy of social distancing.
Please know the members of our leadership team, as well as me personally, are willing to talk, listen, think strategically, etc. We need to embrace this challenge together, as best we can, so we can capitalize on our greatest asset – OUR PEOPLE!
The next several days, weeks, etc., are going to feel unnatural. That is expected. It is an unprecedented time.
I hope by sharing this information with our fans we can individually do our part in helping our communities, our state, our nation and our world, do what is necessary to help slow the escalation of this pandemic.
Thanks for your continued support. We will get through this if we all do our part.
Go Cyclones!
Jamie Pollard
Director of Athletics
