Penn College News

Athletics provides lead-off hit in 'Pride Engagement Series'

Monday, September 19, 2022

Kennell (left, in blue shirt) welcomes the group to the Klingerman Family Athletics Suite – complete with a participant's photo on the big screen just like recruits see when they arrive. Employees were also introduced to “David” and “Jane,” the manikins modeling Wildcat attire (and whose names honor former college President Davie Jane Gilmour).After stopping by Bardo Gym, the tour visited the first-floor facilities ... including this women’s locker room, where employees could see how a new recruit is welcomed with extra dashes of hospitality.Wrestling coach Pankil Chander (tan pants) and Blymier (center) discuss features of the second-floor loft in the Field House, which the Klingerman Family Wrestling Fund helped renovate and equip.A lineup of faculty/staff development opportunities – an initiative of the Office of People & Culture designed to "stoke pride in our collective efforts and bring us together to celebrate our shared purpose" – kicked off Thursday with an illuminating visit to the Athletics Department.

“The Penn College Pride Engagement Series was established to invoke camaraderie and collaboration among colleagues across campus," explained Mattie L. Pulizzi, manager of employment engagement. "Oftentimes, we are so enthralled in our own work that we lose sight of all of the amazing contributions our campus community is accomplishing as a whole. The hope is that each session will provide a fun, relaxed and informative session for participants to engage in.”



The group visits UPMC Field, an impressive stop on any campus tour.Socializing after the video presentation: Victoria Hurwitz (at center in black), director of physical therapist assistant, and Christine A. Tilburg (right), PTA clinical director, chat with Pulizzi (second from left) and other members of the People & Culture staff.Tyler S. Mensch, men’s soccer coach, talks to the crowd as Athletics coaches and staff took turns introducing themselves.The session was presented by Scott E. Kennell, director of athletics; Matt J. Blymier, assistant director of athletics for compliance and athletic communications; and Britni E. Mohney, assistant director of athletics and head women's basketball coach, while various coaches and trainers participated in a meet and greet.

Participants received a “prospective student-athlete welcome” that highlighted employee attendees by placing their pictures, names and titles on the flat-screen TV in the lounge area, one of many “little touches” that incoming student-athletes receive.

The group also toured the newly renovated Klingerman Athletic Suite, Bardo Gym and Field House prior to viewing the “Pathway to Game Day” video created by Mohney and Blymier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D47DSQJoDcc

 

Collegial co-workers were quite impressed by the full time-consuming extent of what is involved in coaching outside of practices and game days: prospective student-athlete recruitment, continuing communication and traveling to tournaments – all while maintaining responsibilities to their teams.

Six more sessions (all of which count as professional development hours) are scheduled in the coming months: Penn College Pride Engagement Series
Athletics Faculty & Staff

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