 |
FIELD DAY: Bowlsby unveils the
stadium. |
David Gonzales/Stanford Athletics |
Nine weeks into his new job, athletics
director Bob Bowlsby was learning the local culture—“Should
I be wary of Gaieties?”—and
getting a crash course in four varsity sports that weren’t
offered at the University of Iowa: lacrosse, sailing, synchronized
swimming and water polo. He spoke with STANFORD.
On settling in:
I need to go through the full cycle of an academic year
to fully experience everything, but I’m beginning to
understand a little more about the culture of the place.
I’ve spent my entire career in a public-school environment,
and a private-school environment is certainly different.
It’s a fair amount less centralized than the state
university experience I’ve had, which is a change I
certainly welcome. I just think it takes a little getting
used to.
On how times have changed:
One thing that’s changed for me over the past 15 years
is that the parents are now a lot younger than I am. I
think today’s student-athletes are more sophisticated
than they were 20 years ago, and I attribute a lot of that
to club teams, with kids traveling all over the country
to play athletic contests. I think the whole technological
age has made a big difference, too. They know a lot more about
us when they come in; they’ve been on our website and
they’ve been
text messaging with the coaches, so there’s a lot more
correspondence, a lot more interaction than there used
to be.
On text messaging:
Oh, yeah, I’ve gone kicking and screaming into the new
age.
On his open-door policy:
I consider all of our coaches to report directly to me.
They may have an intermediary, but if they need access
to the director, or if they have recruits on campus or
parents that they want to come in and visit with me, I’m always
available. I’m sure I’ll spend more time with some
coaches than others because there are hot fires that require
my attention.
On prospective hot fires:
I think the Band is going to be on a real short leash for
a while.
On the decreasing nationwide student attendance
at football games:
I think it is important to reverse it because students
are fundamental in what we do. I think we need to make
it fun and exciting, and make it something students want
to be part of. If they’re not part of it, I don’t
think it’s
the students’ fault. I think it’s our fault.
On
strategies that might encourage attendance:
Nothing markets like winning.
On the learning curve:
It’ll be a while before I know the intricacies of synchronized
swimming, but I’ll work at it.
On overseeing 35 varsity
sports:
On a weekend it’s entirely possible that we could have
seven or eight or nine events going on. I won’t necessarily
go at the beginning and stay till the end. I may watch half
of a soccer game, then go to a rugby contest, then to cross-country.
When our family was young, [my four children] frequently tagged
along when I was going to the various functions. Now it’s
just me and mom and a 12-year-old Dalmatian.
On the Dalmatian’s health:
She would climb up the stairs, and then we’d hear thumpity,
thumpity, thumpity, and she’d be sliding, on her butt,
back down the stairs. She tore both ACLs, and we had them
both reconstructed, to the tune of $1,800 apiece. She’s
not a $6 million man, but she’s approaching it. The things
we do for our pets. |
