Episode #129: Dr. Katherine Fell & Brandi Laurita on Recruiting

Episode Transcript
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(00:10):
Welcome back to the SignificantCoaching Podcast recruiting
segment.
I'm your host, Matt Rogers.
I hope you all had a wonderfulThanksgiving and were able to
share quality time with yourfriends and family.
Most families learn far too latehow college coaches actually
build their rosters.
Every coach sees their rosterdifferently.
Every program faces its ownchallenges, and every

(00:31):
institution sets its ownexpectations for the type of a
student athlete they wantrepresenting their campus.
That's why this conversationmatters.
It's valuable to hear from thecoaches doing the recruiting,
but it's just as important tohear from the administrators.
Who shaped the vision, set thestandards, and define what fit

(00:51):
really means.
This week, we get that rareperspective from two incredible
leaders at an NCAA division twoinstitution.
Dr.
Catherine fell, the president ofthe University of Findlay and
her Vice President for StudentAffairs and Athletics, Brandi
Lata.
Let's jump in.
Here's part two of myconversation with Dr.

(01:11):
Fell and Brandi Lata.
Welcome back to the SignificantCoaching Podcast.
I'm here with Dr.
Kathy Fell and Brandi lta.
In segment one, we really doveinto a lot of things.
We talked about faculty, wetalked about athletics, we
talked about the future of youruniversity and all the good
you're doing with retention andmaking sure our student athletes

(01:32):
are healthy and happy, but alsobeing challenged.
I wanna talk for about 10, 15minutes about recruiting a
little bit, When you arethinking about your coaches or
your faculty or any of yourgroups on campus when they're
out recruiting, are therecertain things you want them
focused on?
Are there certain things thatyou want, thinking not only the

(01:54):
type of student you want, buthow you want them to go about
their business of introducingpeople to your campus?
Yes we want the recruiters toreflect the culture, the values
of the campus.
We're a faith.
Based campus and we welcome alland we wanna make that clear.
We don't indoctrinate, we don'tpressure, but we are

(02:17):
faith-based.
We're closely connected to ourfounding church and which has a
beautiful building.
Just next door, we have a verystrong Christian ministries and
we have.
39 other student organizations.
So there's no c cloying approachto this, but we take it

(02:40):
seriously and I think it worksbeautifully.
We're a campus where civildiscourse is required and almost
always practiced.
I think students.
No.
Having find, I think ourstudents, the students who are
attracted to us, not allstudents, but the students that

(03:01):
thrive here, appreciate.
The grounding, whether theyparticipate in it or not.
So that's one important aspectand a a distinctive aspect of
our campus.
Also we have launched a Centerfor Ethical Leadership for all

(03:21):
students and all majors.
And I think students.
Who are a bit shy or who are notcertain about their major or
what they want to do with theirlives.
Need to understand in therecruit recruiting, the early
recruiting stages that we'llhelp them find their strength.

(03:42):
They do not have to know what itis, and they can try a few
things and not do so well andstill will help them find their
calling and the the.
Career or profession or numberof careers and professions that
might be right for them.
We'll get them started and we'renot afraid.

(04:04):
And they shouldn't be afraid ifthey're not sure what that is.
I think that's important that wecare about them, that they know
in the recruiting process, thatwe care about them and we're
upfront about the ticket priceof a university education here
and the real price.
Talk a little bit about thatbecause I think that's really
important.

(04:24):
So we we take care of studentswho come from families of need.
We have almost 30% of ourincoming, of our students now,
almost 30%, not quite, butalmost 30% who are first
generation students and theythrive here.
Brandi, am I correct about that?

(04:46):
Very much yes.
Yes.
And about the percentage we wehave students who can move into
very demanding professions andthe sciences, technology, you
name it.
We have six colleges and we soonwill have five colleges because
we're merging humanities andbusiness, and we're excited

(05:09):
about that.
We're not doing away with eitherone, but we believe liberal arts
majors, humanities majors, willbenefit.
From learning how to market themtheir professions and their
work.
And we believe business majorsand every other major on campus
would benefit from learning tocommunicate, think logically.

(05:31):
That's what we're hearing frombus from employers throughout
the country, and particularly inthe northwest Ohio.
And we're addressing it.
So we are.
Flexible enough and nimbleenough to direct our, to change
how we approach education tomeet the needs of the workforce,
and particularly though of ourstudents.

(05:53):
I could go on, but I'll stop.
No, I love that.
That's, that hits home toeverything I've been asking
about.
So I love that approach thatyou're taking.
And I don't know how manyschools are merging business
with humanities, but it seems sological to me.
It seems I never thought aboutit before.
Yeah, absolutely.
Abso I know it's not.
All that common, but it isabsolutely the right thing for

(06:15):
us to do.
We have some fantasticprofessors in both.
Yeah.
And students can have new majorsthat we don't now offer.
I think that would prepare themwell.
I think that the great thingabout small college, we're small
colleges have gone over the last10, 15, even 20 years, is the
interdisciplinary approach andhow valuable that is.

(06:39):
To interviewing for jobs andsucceeding in whatever role you
get into when you're 23, 24years old.
So I love that.
Brandi, talk a little bit aboutthe athletic side and how you're
recruiting and maybe give someadvice to families about what a
division two college coach islooking for.

(07:00):
I will say that yes, athleticperformance is important, right?
We would be lying to say that wedon't want to have the best
athletes, right?
But there are many other aspectsthat our coaches are looking at.
They're looking at parents.
They're looking at you, right?
And so they're seeing how you'reacting, how you're engaging with
your son or daughter, how you'reacting in the stands when
they're coming to watch a game.

(07:22):
They know who you are.
They're looking, they're talkingto you.
They're watching how you actbecause that's something that
they're signing up for the nextfour years, right?
And so that has an impact.
On the recruiting process,they're looking at are they, how
are student athletes handlingdefeat?
How are they handling a bad day?
They know that they're, you'renot always gonna have the best

(07:43):
game, right?
And so when they come to thegame, and it's not a great game
for the student, they'rerecruiting.
They know they can play sport X,Y, and Z, but how are they
reacting when the shots aren'tfalling or they fumbled
something or they've missed theputt?
That stuff is important.
So you can look at stats, youcan look at anything.
It's the off the court, off thefield stuff that they're really

(08:06):
focusing on to see who thestudent athlete is as a person.
I love it.
As parents, the three of us havebeen in this world for so long.
Do you find, and I know Kathy,this is probably a little
different from you, but do youfind that you compare yourself

(08:27):
to parents?
Do you find that you're.
You're going by.
I wish I would've done somethinglike that when I, my kids were
younger or, that's something Iwant to think about from your
standpoint, Brandi.
That's something I need to startfocusing on with my 12 and my
14-year-old.
Do you find yourself thinkingabout your own parenting as you
go through this journey?

(08:49):
I will say very much, and Ilearn a lot more about what I
don't want to do.
Oh, that's true.
Which is awful to say, but No,it's true.
Yeah, that true.
Okay.
I don't wanna be that parent.
My son will call me out and say,mom, you're not very social at
my games.
I say that's on purpose.
I'm there to watch you.
I'm not there to make friends.
I'm not there to be part of thedrama.

(09:09):
I really just wanna watch youplay.
And so much of athletics andsports have turned into this
social atmosphere for parentsand.
I think that gets a little outtahand.
Definitely learn a lot from somethat handle things with grace
and hey, that's what I wanna do.
So definitely comparing,adjusting and my children would
probably tell you maybe toomuch.

(09:31):
I'm reflecting and seeing how wecan be better, not only as a
student athlete, but on theparent side.
It's great.
I'm with you and that's where Iam too.
Kathy, I hope you're talking toevery parent at your
orientation.
I know you touched on it alittle bit, but you are the
person I would want to talk tome when I drop my daughter off,
thank you.
I You Joy.
I get an opportunity to addressthe parents at large.

(09:53):
And then we have after the, artceremony.
We have a reception sometimes inthe tent behind our house or at
a restaurant or a big venuedowntown where I address them
and they're relaxed.
Then they've already moved theirchildren in.
Some of them are a little bitteary.
Yeah.
And, but they're together withother parents and it is a very

(10:16):
helpful evening for them and I'mvery straight with them and
honest and I hope encouraging tothem.
Are there a couple of things youjust look forward to talking
about?
Are there a couple points thatyou every fall are coming back?
Fall.
Every fall.
I'm sure in one way or another Italk about the fact that I've
been in their seats, of course.

(10:37):
And, but that there, therechildren are surrounded.
By people who are care, whosejob it is, whose calling it is
to help them succeed.
And if they run and if a childcalls home and says, describes a
bad experience with somebody,then please encourage that child

(11:01):
to go see another person.
And because I'm not saying thatit couldn't possibly happen on
our campus, but we do want toknow about it.
But I also tell them thattypically.
All they want from you is to beheard, not for you to intervene.
But of course if there's aserious situation, they can call

(11:24):
me.
They can call anybody, and Itell them to tell their children
to come see me.
Because really the want, thereason I took this job was to
spend time with them and I don'tget to enough.
And I keep chocolate in myoffice all the time.
And actually.
Almost every fall some child hascome because his mother told him
to say hi to me and I appreciatethat.

(11:46):
And I always offer chocolate.
Next time I'm through town, I'mcoming to get, come on, get a
piece of chocolate.
Set me up.
I love that you used the wordcalling for your staff and your
community and yourprofessionals.
Because I, I don't think you cando the job of higher education
if it's not a calling to somelevel.
So I love that you used it.
What?

(12:06):
Yeah.
Why would you do it?
Exactly.
Why would you keep doing this?
Exactly.
Yes.
And I feel that calling, andI've felt it for a long time.
You should join this.
It's a great joy for me.
I want to, I want you each, Iwant to finish our conversation,
giving you each to give a pieceof advice.
To that 17-year-old out therewho's got everything set up to

(12:30):
take this journey, what shouldthey be thinking about right
now?
What's a piece of advice thatyou think can help them with
this transition from theirparents' home to their first
life away from home?
Whoever wants to start.
Randy, why don't you start?
I'll go first.
I would say my biggest piece ofadvice would be to prepare to

(12:53):
get comfortable with beinguncomfortable.
It is our goal here to pushstudents out of their comfort
zone.
You don't grow when you'recomfortable.
And so getting comfortable withbeing stretched and growing,
knowing that this is the time todo it because you've got a great
safety net of people who careabout you.
Who aren't gonna let you crashand burn.
So that would be my biggestpiece of advice for them is ask

(13:16):
questions stretch, do somethingdifferent.
Be safe, obviously.
But be okay with beinguncomfortable.
We'll let you fall, but we won'tlet you crash and burn.
Is that correct?
Yes.
We're that nice.
Safety net when they're here.
We're gonna let you go just asfar and then be able to be there
to pull you back.
It's a lot better to fail atFinley than it is out in the
real world with no net right?

(13:37):
Yes.
Great advice Dr.
F.
Good point.
I tell students to venture outand be willing to be a little
bit uncomfortable.
Just to work through that ifthey find themselves in such a
situation, because there arethousands of other students here

(13:59):
who are looking for friends whohave been in the same situation
that they're in and that are,there is a team of
administrative staff and facultywhose job it is to help them
find joy.
In the work and the study andthe play that they will

(14:20):
participate in on campus.
So I don't know where else theywould ever go, where people are
actually spending their, havedevoted their profession to
helping those students certainlydo conquer hard work, but also
find joy in it.

(14:41):
So give us an opportunity but.
But there could be someuncomfortable days until they
become familiar with the campusand with the people here.
But there are plenty of peoplehere to care for them.
My son, who's 12, goes to a kthrough 12 school and I do
carline a couple days a week.

(15:01):
So I, the advice I give to thefive and six year olds is the
same advice you're giving now isgo make a new friend today.
Go ask a question, go ask forhelp.
Go.
So I love that idea of of an18-year-old just understanding,
just.
Go have fun.
Go fail, go make a new friend.
I remember being a senior incollege and going, why didn't I
do more of this the last threeyears?

(15:23):
Why have I waited so long to befriends with them?
Why have I waited so long to gotry that?
So I love that advice.
All right, last piece.
Let's give a piece of advice toparents.
You both have already given someadvice and talked about parents
give a piece of advice toparents right now that maybe
have a 14 or 15-year-old andthey've got two or three more
years with'em.

(15:44):
What should they be talking totheir kid about before they,
they send'em off to college?
I would say rather than startingwith where.
The where they're going tosimply, where they're going to
get the great, a greateducation.
There are many places to get agreat education, c campuses of

(16:04):
all sizes and all locations, butso obviously you wanna go to a
school that is has a goodreputation, then they have to
decide.
What culture are they lookingfor?
What environment is mostconducive to their joy, to their

(16:27):
willingness to work hard?
And what kind of support systemdo they want around them?
What types of friends do theywant to make?
And then.
Of course the major isimportant, but most colleges
offer most majors.
That's easy enough to find.

(16:48):
We have a number of students whovisit a number of schools for
pre-veterinary medicine.
It's our biggest major, andwe're probably among the best in
the country for pre-vetmedicine, for animal science.
In fact Ohio State takes.
More of our students than itdoes any other university in the

(17:09):
country except its own.
And of course it has thousandsof students and we don't but it.
And our students, they will tellyou, Gordon.
Yee used to ask me what we weredoing down here when he was the
president at Ohio State.
And I said we just teach themwell.
And if you look at our animalscience farm, you'll see that
they get hands on experiencefrom the first semester all the

(17:32):
way through.
So if there's a student whosuddenly decides when she gets
to vet school that she doesn'tlike touching pigs, she won't be
coming from the University ofFinley.
That's right.
So experiential learning isimportant.
And in any case, so you, you gofor, if you know what your
academic interest really is,then you find the best.

(17:53):
But then among the best, youfind the best fit emotionally
and and.
In interest and in hobbies andall of those things and weather,
all that stuff.
But the most important thing isto find a place where you
believe you can learn and youcan be, make a difference

(18:13):
yourself.
You'll be changed, but will yoube able to grow into a change
maker at that campus?
Love that.
Brandi, how about you?
And I would just add for parentsthat, before they really even
make that decision is don'tspecialize.
Whether it's in sports or inactivity, or even academically,

(18:34):
don't specialize.
There's so much out there and somany options of degrees and
majors and jobs that we don'teven know about yet.
And being able to let your childdevelop as a human in all
aspects, I think is reallyimportant.
I think pushing them to trythose new things not to play the

(18:54):
same sport all year long.
I know that's hard to say.
Nobody wants to hear it.
Club coaches are probably,throwing something, but it's
good for them, not onlyphysically, but mentally.
It allows them to be better.
I think at whatever sport theydecide on.
I think academically too, right?
So when we're not focused on onething, I think we can be better.
So try new things and don'tspecialize.

(19:15):
That would be my piece ofadvice.
I knew I'd get the head collegecoach out of you at some point
today.
That is a head college coach.
Piece of advice right there.
If there was every in.
That's right.
Every study tells us that if youdo this 12 months out of the
year.
This is eventually gonna fail,so don't specialize.
Go do it all.
Play with it all.
And I'll throw in one more pieceof advice for you parents out

(19:38):
there.
Go talk to your financialadvisor and get a 5 29 plan.
Start it today.
I don't care if your kid's ajunior, put a little, start
putting some money into a 5 29plan.
You'll be grateful you did it inthe long run.
Thank you both for your time.
I know how precious your timeis.
Thank you for having thisconversation.
Thank you for your willingnessto be vulnerable and know that

(20:00):
you have a big fan in me movingforward.
Thank you, Matt.
Thank you so much you for whatyou're doing.
You're doing a great job too.
This is wonderful.
You're getting the truth outthere.
This is fun for me.
But yes, it's I find my dayshave become telling the truth
about college and gettingfamilies to understand.
You have to embrace the reality.

(20:21):
And the more you embrace thereality the more, the healthier
that journey's gonna be.
So thank you for being a part ofit and we'll talk soon.
Feel free to siphon out anythingthat didn't sound highly
educated.
I don't think there will be anymake.
It was all fantastic.
All right.
Thank you.
Thanks so much.

(20:41):
That's a wrap on today'sepisode.
What a valuable conversation.
Dr.
Fell and Brandy LTA reminded usthat recruiting isn't just about
filling a roster.
It's about identifying youngpeople who will elevate a
campus, contribute to itsculture and thrive in the
environment created for them.
When leadership at thepresidential and vice
presidential level understandthat everything else falls into

(21:04):
alignment.
If today's episode sparked ideasfor your own program, school
organization, I'd love to helpyou take that next step.
You can schedule a strategysession with
me@coachmattrogers.com to bringme in to speak with your
faculty, your staff, yourstudents, or your parents on
topics like recruiting, programbuilding, supporting healthy and

(21:25):
happy athletes, and helpingyoung people build their
self-worth and confidence.
I'm always happy to talk abouthow I can help individuals and
groups better understand theirpurpose and guide them to be the
best version of themselves.
And as always, stay focused onwhat you can control.
Stay humble and keep chasingsignificance.

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Episode #129: Dr. Katherine Fell & Brandi Laurita on Recruiting

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