Advising & Supporting
Addresses the knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to providing advising and support to individuals and groups through direction, feedback, critique, referral, and guidance. Through developing advising and supporting strategies that take into account self-knowledge and the needs of others, we play critical roles in advancing the holistic wellness of ourselves, our students, and our colleagues (ACPA & NASPA, 2015).
Working in college athletics, advising and supporting become a part of your job description no matter your official title. My first job in athletics out of undergrad was “administrative services assistant” for the University of Virginia (UVA) football team. It was as it sounds - not particularly flashy, nor directly student-athlete facing. However, on any given day, you could walk by my desk and find a football player or two posted up asking for help with homework, filling out required paperwork, or simply stopping by to chat in between meetings. The close-knit environment is part of why I love working with sports teams. There’s a “we’re all in this together” approach to the work, and that often means being there for the student-athletes with whatever they have on their plates.
Outside of a dedication to treating student-athletes with patience and positivity, I had no professional understanding of advising and supporting prior to enrolling in the higher education graduate program at UVA. Therefore, the program’s exploration of interpersonal skills was very valuable. We went beyond platitudes and looked at tangible tools that higher ed professionals can use to set them apart in the workplace, and successfully build trust with students. As the book Helping Skills for Working with College Students: Applying Counseling Theory to Student Affairs puts it, “in reality there is no hard-and-fast, cookbook approach that can be used in each and every helping encounter...” but these techniques “can serve as a basis to provide both helpful and meaningful support to students.” (Burke et al, 43).
Of these tools, I have found active listening and environmental awareness to have the greatest impact. Now that I have transitioned from an internal athletic department job to an external support role, I do not have the benefit of being in a convenient, familiar office. I often meet with students off-grounds. Some days, that means providing transportation to various work-related events. One small thing I always do is let the student-athlete play their music in the car as a way of fostering a more relaxed environment.
When it comes to conversation, Burke et al's chapter on questioning has been very helpful. This text explains “effective questioning can guide the conversation and may assist the student in telling his or her story,” and emphasizes the importance of open-ended questions (Burke et al, 53). One thing I started doing to evoke more story-telling is asking “how are you physically? Mentally? Emotionally?” when talking to student-athletes about their day as opposed to simply “how are you?” I have found that the responses are usually far more thoughtful and specific. A student may be great physically after a recovery day, but feeling down because they’re stressing over school. The intentional questioning is still direct enough to invite conversation, but general enough to create space for whatever they are comfortable sharing.
Given my role in the NIL space, I often have to advise student-athletes on very sensitive decisions that have to do with public image, finances, taxes, and logistics. It is critical that I am able to earn and maintain their trust, and these small adjustments have helped me to build stronger relationships in my new role. At the end of the day, we can accomplish great things together as long as they are comfortable with me.
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