The United States Collegiate Athletic Association held its 2018 National Convention from June 3rd-5th in Richmond, Virginia at the Richmond Marriot. The annual meeting brought together member institutions from around the country to discuss current issues and bring forth ideas and legislation to improve the organization.
The National Convention began with the second annual Hall of Fame dinner on Sunday evening with the induction of four new members. The 2018 USCAA Hall of Fame Class inductees were; Chris Banks (Southern Maine CC), Thomas “Ben” Jones (The Apprentice School), John E. View (SUNY ESF), and Frank P. Carbone (College of St. Joseph’s Brooklyn). The association also recognized Dave Lipp (Northwestern Christian University) as a 2017 Legacy Class Hall of Fame inductee. Dave was out of the country during the 2017 ceremony and unable to attend.
The night featured an opening reception with USCAA members, staff, and the Hall of Fame class preceding dinner and the award ceremony. In addition to the Hall of Fame inductions, Cleary University was crowned during the Hall of Fame dinner as the 2017-18 USCAA Director’s Cup Champions for a second consecutive year. Following was the annual welcome social, featuring food and drinks in combination with the USCAA Cornhole National Championship.
On Monday morning the opening session of the convention was held. Features included a review of the 2017-18 USCAA Annual Report, the “State of the Association” from Executive Director Matthew Simms and the Championships Report from Jeremy Hutton. Additionally, the USCAA awarded the Garth Pleasant Honorary Athletic Director of the Year award to Trudi Lacey from Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte. Trudi becomes the first woman to win the Garth Pleasant Honorary Athletic Director of the Year since the association became the USCAA.
Following the opening session were the Town Hall meetings for ratings/selections and championships. 19 total proposals from the membership were discussed during these sessions. Complete meeting minutes are linked below. The subcommittees for ratings/selections and championships met after the close of the Convention to file their recommendations based on discussion from these sessions. Those recommendations are linked below.
On Monday afternoon the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Athletic Department hosted members on a site tour of their new athletic facilities in downtown Richmond. The tour preceded six different professional development sessions back at the Marriott. Speakers and their topics for these workshops included Betsy Cutler on Student-athlete Mental Health and College Wellness Programs, Delanie Mast on Small College Tennis Program Feasibility, Michael Fischer and Allyson Grochmal in A Team Exercise in Communication and Trust, and Michael Goodman and Matt Richards on Eligibility and Transfer Eligibility 101. To finish off the night the USCAA had three social events for attendees to pick from; learn to curl with the Richmond Curling Club at the Richmond Ice Zone, a history tour with a private reenactment of the Patrick Henry “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech, and a 9-hole golf outing at the Club Viniterra.
Tuesday began with keynote speaker Ed McLaughlin, Athletic Director at VCU, speaking to attendees about his background, how it relates to USCAA athletic directors and coaches, and leadership. The Business Meeting followed the guest speaker in the morning. During that meeting, legislative proposals and Board of Director nominations were voted upon. Full meeting minutes of that session are included below. To close out the convention there was a Network luncheon with roundtable discussions on student-athlete retention, managing part-time coaches, concussion protocols, improving home attendance, best practices in social media, and running programs on a limited budget.
Below is the complete 2018 USCAA National Convention report. If you have any questions please contact the National Office at 757-706-3756 or by email at info@theuscaa.com.
Download National Convention Pictures and Headshots
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State of the Association Speech Transcript
2017-18 USCAA Championships Report
Rating and Selections Town Hall Minutes
Ratings and Selections Subcommittee Recommendations
Championships Town Hall Minutes