GRANVILLE, Ohio (June 27, 2023) – Twelve years ago, Nan Carney-DeBord '80 returned to her alma mater for the leadership challenge of her lifetime.

One component of her vision for athletics leadership was creating an institute that would teach student-athletes the skills necessary to succeed in and beyond sports. The institute's mission would be to develop Denison student-athletes' social and emotional competencies for sports performance, academic achievement, mental health, career development, preparation, and leadership.

Two positive forces enabled the institute's development. First, the incredible generosity of Joe Knetzer '85, a two-sport standout at Denison, endowed the vision. Second, the appointment of Dr. Greg Lott to direct the institute. And so was born the Knetzer Family Institute for Development Through Sport.


A Unique Curriculum

Denison has developed an innovative student-athlete curriculum and an assistant and early-career coach mentorship program through the Knetzer Institute. They strive to establish a strong and positive departmental culture, as demonstrated by work in inclusion, diversity, equity, anti-racism, and other areas.

The work of the Knetzer Institute is believed to be unique among NCAA Division III schools and aligns with Denison's goal of being a leader among the top D-III athletics programs. It continues to support the development of its incredibly talented and dedicated coaching staff because of generous funding from loyal donors.

Student support, though, is the true heart of the Knetzer Institute. "There are so many opportunities through the KFI for our student-athletes to use their sport experience as a platform for learning and growth," said Lott. "One highlight is how our first-year students engage with the institute from the moment they arrive on campus."


The First-Year Program

The program for first-year student-athletes is designed to help them realize how participating in athletics at Denison is an integral curricular component of their education. We bring all first-years together on three occasions throughout the year and work with each team separately on the front and back ends of their season.

In the first full-group session, students interact with a panel of upper-level student-athletes. These student leaders talk about what they observed on their teams when they first got to Denison — the good, the bad, and the in-between. They discuss what they are intentionally trying to model for the new members of their team. Students walk away from the session knowing that social learning can occur from what they observe and how they interact with the behaviors of their teammates.

In the second session, Dr. Seth Chin-Parker, chair of the Psychology Department, helps student-athletes understand the science of learning from experience. It is here the student-athletes realize that learning doesn't automatically occur, and they must be intentional.

In the third session, young alums come back to The Hill to participate in a panel discussion about how their sport experience impacted their lives and how specific development through their sport has helped them personally and professionally. The Austin E. Knowlton Center for Career Exploration partners with us for this session, teaching the student-athletes how to articulate their sport experience in cover letters and interviews so that employers know how their sport experience helped them develop competencies and prepare them for professional success.

We also work with the first-years from individual teams, so that in smaller groups, they can plan out the type of learning and growth they want to occur through their sport experience. They explore the moments where this type of learning can happen and identify ways that they can interact with those experiences so that growth is more likely. This is partnered with a reflection exercise towards the end of their competitive seasons, where they can contemplate how they "moved the needle" in the areas that are important to them. These sessions are facilitated by three of our head coaches: Brandon Bianco of men's soccer, Lauren Grogan of men's and women's golf, and Chris Sullivan of men's basketball.

Many first-years have praised how this program has transformed their experience and shaped their understanding of the role sports play at Denison. We view the first-year program as "setting the table" for all that is to come for our student-athletes.