The Marketing and Communication Office will be profiling Saint Mary’s University leaders regularly in the Cardinal Update. Our goal is to showcase those overseeing and guiding key areas important to our strategic initiatives. This week, we feature Nicholas Pritchard, director of club sports at Saint Mary’s University.
Name: Nicholas (Nick) Pritchard
Title: Director of club sports
How long have you worked at Saint Mary’s
I have been working at Saint Mary’s University since Feb. 28, 2022.
How would you describe your role at Saint Mary’s?
My role here on campus is to help push the envelope when it comes to club sports programming. This includes revamping and providing structure for our current club sports, searching for opportunities to expand our current offerings, and being a source of information for those in our student body.
Why are club sports a focus for the university at this moment?
Club sports are seen as a key tool to not only retain current students but to help bring in prospective students as well.
How can expanding the club sports program at the College help Saint Mary’s University with recruiting?
If you look at the collegiate landscape, you can see that many post-secondary institutions are investing in the student experience landscape, and club sports have been at the forefront of this investment. So, I applaud Saint Mary’s for taking this step and realizing the value that this program will bring to the campus.
It’s also not all about expansion in terms of getting new recruits but by sprucing up current programming as well. It is important to note that by amplifying and revamping our current club sports offering, we are bound to recruit more students. There are little tweaks here and there that current clubs can change that will put us in another light to prospective students, be it gaining affiliation from a governing body, better marketing tactics, more robust schedules, etc. Little things add up!
In terms of expansion, right now, prospective students who research Saint Mary’s might see that we currently only offer six club sports programs, whereas institutions elsewhere that are close in size might offer 30 plus. So, right there, we are losing out on prospective students. By expanding and diversifying our club sports portfolio, we are bound to cast a father net in terms of hitting the interest areas of prospective students. By creating more club sports opportunities, which can have a direct correlation to the student life experience, we are providing prospective students with a sense of belonging.
Why are club sports valuable to undergraduate students?
Club sports are extremely valuable because students are empowered to take on leadership and decision-making roles that help sustain the success and longevity of their respected club. Club sports provide avenues for personal growth and development, along with opportunities to network and get involved.
What are the current strengths of Saint Mary’s club sports program? What do you hope to build upon?
Facilities. The facilities that are utilized by our club sports programs are quite impressive. The trail system used by our Nordic Ski Club is a regional draw and should be highlighted as such. The ice arena allows our Hockey Club to practice there without paying ice fees. The vastness of open green fields that our Soccer and Ultimate Frisbee clubs utilize can’t be understated. Lastly, the Gostomski Fieldhouse, which houses practices for the Dance and Ballroom Dance clubs, is outstanding.
I hope to host more on-campus events which highlight the university and these great facilities.
The current club sports leaders have also been fantastic to work with, and I hope to build off all of their hard work and efforts as well.
What is your favorite part of your job?
The best part of my job is that each day is different, which keeps me on my toes!
Looking at the “Declaration on the Lasallian Educational Mission,” which of the 12 declarations resonates with you the most (The Declaration can be found on page 117)? Why?
Declaration 11 (We believe that today’s realities demand taking risks and being creative) resonates with me the most. The reason I chose this declaration is that I understand and have experienced the need to remake/reinvent myself, both professionally and personally. It currently resonates with me professionally in a secondary sense seeing that Saint Mary’s is currently reinventing itself, and that reinvention has landed me in the spot I am in today, the new director of club sports.
