COVID-19 pushes Boise State athletics staff into new ways of working effectively
The pandemic has generated many aha moments.
When I think about the ripple effects of theaters or restaurants not doing much business, I notice that parking lots are empty, affecting those companies as well.
Just today, a person whose washing machine crashed last week said that two of the repair companies she called had no one to send because of COVID-19. It’s affecting us in new ways almost daily.
I recently visited with Marc Paul, associate athletic director at Boise State University, about what the virus has meant for his team. We meet a few times a year so I can learn what’s on his very interesting mind.
This visit was all about the pandemic, of course. For one thing, the conference table in his office overflows with cardboard boxes: personal protective equipment and PCR virus-testing kits.
Then we talked. He had many good observations, as usual, but three hit me.
As the guy in charge of the university’s testing program for all of athletics, Marc has to understand and communicate policies and requirements coming from several organizations that can affect the university. He began to list them and I sat back, mouth open: At the national level, the CDC and the FDA; at the state level, Central District Health and the Idaho testing lab; in the athletic world, the NCAA, the Mountain West conference, and Boise State. Policies and requirements change frequently and vary by sport. Football, for instance, must test each player, coach, and “inner bubble” staff member at least three times a week. The same is true for men’s and women’s basketball. Not so for other sports — yet. But this will likely change by the time spring sports seasons start in January. Marc got an updated policy from the Mountain West conference on a Friday. By Monday morning, the policy had changed, and he had another update in his mailbox. Talk about the need to be flexible.
Second, Marc has noticed, with surprise and delight, that some people with “hidden talents” have been take on remarkable tasks that the department needs done. One person is now the chart-making wizard who communicates statistics and results on testing. Others have had to develop new talents. The pandemic has provided a chance to stretch.
The flip side of this stretching is that some people are having a harder time adjusting to the changes. Those who lack what Marc calls “perspective” sink too far into the details, unable to see how actions in their units affect the university. As a result, they resist changes, making life tougher in their units and for their staff and students.
Third, Marc has found new colleagues around the country. They meet via Zoom regularly to share what they’re doing and learning. He talks with with Mountain West conference peers and with counterparts in other athletic conferences across the U.S. and in Idaho colleges and universities. The groups usually have no agenda; they talk about what problems they’re facing and how to solve them.
“We should have been talking all along,” he says. “It took the pandemic to push us to do it. It’s been really useful.”
As we work through this strange time, I’m looking for surprises and good outcomes. Thank you, Marc, for showing us some.
Nancy Napier is a Boise State University distinguished professor. nnapier@boisestate.edu
This story was originally published December 22, 2020 at 5:00 AM.