Last month, Drake’s All Staff Council Recognition Committee celebrated the Athletics Department with a surprise treat delivery, compliments of Drake Dining. This spotlight below provides a few facts about the Athletics Department. Thank you to the department for everything they do to make Drake a great place!

How many staff members are in the department? 90

What is the primary function of the team? Do you have a mission/vision/motto?  Our team’s mission is to serve and positively change the world through sport, one student-athlete at a time. Our culture is defined by what we call ‘Living the Bulldog Way’.  The Bulldog Way is articulated through the following touchstone: 

We act with INTEGRITY
We demonstrate an uncompromising COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE
We OUT WORK and OUT HUSTLE our opponent in pursuit of CHAMPIONSHIPS
We desire the BEST FOR and expect the BEST FROM each other
We MAXIMIZE OUR POTENTIAL by ASPIRING TO GREATNESS
WE LIVE THE BULLDOG WAY.

Who has been with the team the longest, and what is their job title and length of employment?  Charlie DiSilvestro, Head Rowing Coach, hired in July of 1993.

Who is the newest team member, and what is their job title and month/year of start? Katie Walker, Assistant Volleyball Coach, started January 24, 2019

What campus buildings do your team members “live” in? Our team occupies offices north of Forest, in the Fieldhouse, Bell Center, Knapp Center, and Roger Knapp Tennis Center.

What are some recent challenges and accomplishments of note that others in the University might not know about? Recently, we were scheduled to host a men’s basketball game on the night of the Polar Vortex. Classes were canceled and offices were closed, but the game would still go on. With the impending weather, we weren’t sure if we would get any fans to the game. Our department collaborated with several other units on campus to generate student interest in attending. Thanks to these partnerships, we were able to safely transport students to and from the game, and provide a fun experience with free food, t-shirts, and music, while setting a season high for student attendance at a single game!  

Anything else noteworthy/interesting/special about your department that bears mentioning?

• Last semester, our student-athletes posted a cumulative GPA of 3.29 (the strongest fall semester in recorded history)
  • 44 of our 362 student-athletes recorded a 4.0 GPA
  • 71.8% of our student-athletes recorded a GPA of at least 3.0
• Two student-athletes were named Academic All-Americans (Jacob Bacon, Football; Linda Fiorito, Women’s Soccer)
  • Drake has been recognized with 10 Academic All-Americans since the start of the 2017 school year, the most of any institution in the Missouri Valley Conference
• Our department is on pace to eclipse 4,000 hours of community service this year (2 years ago, our athletes recorded fewer than 2,400 hours of community service)
• We strive to get each student-athlete an international study abroad experience with their teams before they graduate.  This year, football took a trip to China, and our men’s and women’s soccer programs traveled to Mexico.  During these experiences, student-athletes participate in an academic course, compete in their respective sports, and serve in the community where they travel.

Cathy Williams, University Advancement