Jamy Bechler

Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.

Episode 122: Bob Vecchione, NACDA Executive Director

Bob Vecchione is the Executive Director of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. NACDA is THE professional association for individuals working in college athletics. Nearly 16,000 individuals and 1,700 institutions belong to NACDA.

During his tenure, NACDA has initiated a multitude of programs that provide value-added benefits to the ever increasing membership. Programs such as the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup, NCAA Football, the Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year Award, the NACDA Daily Review, the Disney Institute and the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) are examples of those value added membership benefits created under his tutelage. Vecchione was honored with the Tony Snow Award from the WWP in 2013.

Vecchione is also a member of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame National Board of Directors, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission Board and is on the advisory Board of the College Sports Video Summit. He previously chaired the NCAA Football Youth Initiatives Committee.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • What kind of impact NACDA has on athletic programs and student-athletes
  • How athletic directors can best lead
  • Advice for people wanting to become involved in college athletics
  • … and so much more!!!

[Read more…]

Episode 117: Jacqie McWilliams, CIAA Commissioner

Jacqie McWilliams became the first female commissioner of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 2012. As the first African American female commissioner in the NCAA, McWilliams is a sought after speaker and is recognized on a local, regional, and national level. She has served on numerous boards, and currently sits on Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards, John B. McLendon Foundation Board, NCAA Board of Governor’s Cultural Diversity Committee, Hampton Nation Advisory Board, M&F Advisory Board and the Black Enterprise Charlotte Convention Steering Committee.  She is active in her church community and chairs the HBCU initiative committee for the Crown Jewel’s LINKS of Charlotte, of which she is a member.

The CIAA conference, based in Charlotte, N.C., consists of 13 Division II institutions. Twelve of those schools are historically black colleges and universities. The annual CIAA basketball tournament, the largest of 16 CIAA championships in a variety of sports, features 22 men’s and women’s games in the same week. It generates more than $55 million in economic impact for the host city. McWilliams earned a bachelor’s in psychology from Hampton University, where she played basketball and volleyball. She earned a master’s in sports management and administration from Temple University and went on to work as a college coach and administrator for the NCAA.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • The importance of Historically Black Colleges & Universities on student’s lives
  • How the CIAA is impacting student-athletes
  • Career advice for the athletic administration path
  • … and so much more!!!

[Read more…]

Episode 116: Jim Carr, NAIA President

Jim Carr is the president of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The NAIA provides opportunities for more than 65,000 student-athletes to play sports at the collegiate level. The NAIA is headquartered in Kansas City. The men’s basketball tournament is the longest running basketball tournament in the nation. Under Carr’s leadership, the NAIA has grown a great deal and has been at the forefront of innovative programs such as the “Champions of Character” and the “Return on Athletics”. 

Carr joined the NAIA in July 1998 as Managing Director and General Counsel and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer, while retaining the title of General Counsel, in 2000.  In September 2006, Carr became the seventh President and Chief Executive Officer of the NAIA. He is a graduate of Millsaps College, has an M.S. in sports management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a J.D. from Duke University.  He serves on various boards and councils, including USA Basketball, the Kansas City Life, Baptist Trinity Lutheran Foundation, the Police Athletic League of Kansas City, Missouri Bank and Trust and the Downtown Council of Kansas City.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • Recruiting tips for parents
  • Qualities that make a good coach
  • Differences between the NAIA and the NCAA
  • Opportunities for student-athletes to grow and develop
  • … and so much more!!!

[Read more…]

Jamy Bechler Speaks at Midway University

article originally appeared at GoMidwayEagles.com on January 24, 2019

MIDWAY, Ky. — Midway University student-athletes began the second semester in a positive way when nationally recognized leadership expert, speaker and author, Jamy Bechler visited campus and spoke to the student-athletes.

Not only is Bechler a professional speaker, a leadership trainer and an executive business coach, but he also authored an Amazon Best Seller, he has been published in the Huffington Post and is a regular guest on various radio stations and podcasts.

“My desire is to add value to people,” noted Bechler. “I want to see people reach their true potential and achieve their goals. Success is a choice and I love seeing individuals choose to develop and utilize their talents.”

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Episode 027: Rusty Kennedy

Rusty Kennedy arrived at Midway University as the Athletic Director in January 2016.  Kennedy has been responsible for overseeing the dramatic changes that have taken place within the athletic department.  Within the span of a mere three months the university went from single gender to co-educational as well as adding six new sports, four of those the first male sports in school history, while growing the number of athletes from 92 in the Spring of 2016 and 260 to the Fall of 2016 to 340 in the Fall of 2017.  For his efforts his peers voted him 2016-2017 River States Conference Athletic Director of the Year.  The Fall of 2017 has also seen the addition of three more sports which has brought the total number to 17.  Rusty came to Midway with 18 years of experience as a Coach, Instructor and Athletic Administer at the NAIA, NCAA, and NJCAA levels.  Most recently he was the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at NCAA Division II member Western New Mexico University in Silver City, NM.  Kennedy has also held various positions at Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Central Baptist College, Bacone College, Clarendon College, North Arkansas College and Our Lady of the Lake University.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • His buying a house on a credit card
  • Transitioning Midway University to a Coed athletic department
  • Earning the 2017 River States Conference Athletic Director of the Year Award
  • When he did his best coaching job despite having one of his worst win-loss seasons of his career

[Read more…]

Best Basketball Coaches Not on TV

(originally published on March 7, 2012)

A recent blog posting by Helen Wheelock got me thinking about coaching job searches and who administrators hire.  Seems like most of the talk always centers around the DI coaches, especially the “up-and-comers”.  I do not profess to know exactly what makes a good coach in all situations.  Good coaches in a bad situation can lead to struggles and failures, whereas unproven coaches (i.e. assistants) in good situations can lead to success and excitement.

[Read more…]

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