Wednesday, April 15, 1998
UCLA warms up for NCAA-host role
Staff, help make final touches prior to championships
By Steve Kim
Daily Bruin Staff
So much to do, so much to do …
As gymnasts are fine tuning for the NCAA Championships, the
year’s most prestigious collegiate event, an army of UCLA athletics
department staff have been cranking in high gear behind the scenes
to plan the championship meet.
There’s no doubt that the gymnasts will take center stage in
Pauley Pavilion from April 16 through 18. And while members of the
audience will enjoy the sights, sounds and thrills of competition,
very few will realize what kind of preparation and attention to
details it has taken to get the huge three-day meet running.
UCLA won the bid to host the 1998 NCAA Championships after
hosting the regional championships in 1996.
"Hosting is a tremendous plus because it’s been fourteen years
since the NCAAs have been held here," UCLA head coach Valorie
Kondos said. "It means a lot to the gymnastics community in the
West Coast, not just in Southern California. It’s a very proud
feeling to be able to host these championships."
Since September, administrators, coaches and staff members alike
have been involved in planning every stage of the championships –
from floor planning to marketing to hospitality – during their
weekly meetings.
Planning for a championship differs, not only in number of the
participants but in the focus of interest. UCLA Athletics associate
director Betsy Stephenson, who is also the championships director,
explains.
"In regular home meets, the preference for our team’s well being
is built in," Stephenson said. "But in this event, we have a
responsibility to attend to the well being of many more teams."
Also, this meet is not totally controlled by UCLA. Although the
school hosts the championships, it’s an NCAA sanctioned event. The
cost of hosting, which is expected to be $60,000, comes from UCLA
athletic department budget and ticket sales. As host, UCLA will get
a portion of the proceeds.
"The NCAA has been very helpful," Stephenson said. "They set the
policy and plans but there’s no policing. It’s more like a
partnership."
There is also a partnership between the organizers and
competitors.
One of Kondos’s involvement in the event planning has been
staging a three minute opening show for the event. But more
importantly, she’s been taking part in the weekly meetings to make
sure the planning is in the best interest of the athletes.
"We want to make sure our athletes are as comfortable as
possible," Kondos said. "The organizers have been very good in that
their main goal is that the athletes have a great experience.
"And as a coach, you’ve got to also cooperate with the community
and get the word out to hopefully fill Pauley Pavilion."
Filling the arena has been aided by Scott Mitchell, marketing
director. People at marketing have been occupied with the direct
mailing campaign, sending 50,000 ticket information and application
to students, alumni, clubs and fans.
Additionally, marketing has been involved in an advertising
campaign reaching major local newspapers, television and radio.
There’s even a milk bottle with an advertisement of the
championships on the back.
"Our job is to position all the information in the best and most
interesting manner possible," Mitchell said.
Once the public is notified, it is floor manager Treena
Camacho’s duty to make sure everything goes smoothly on the
competition site. As floor manager, she’s been arranging travel,
pickup and stay arrangements for twelve teams, media, NCAA
committee and judges. She also has to coordinate the team marchout
procedures, award ceremony and judges’ table setup. Basically, she
oversees everything that has to do with the way the meet runs.
Camacho is also the contact person for volunteers who do timing,
running and score-flashing, among other things. In orienting them
to the floor procedures, it helps to be a former UCLA gymnastics
team captain. Camacho graduated in 1994.
"Having been a gymnast, I know how the meet runs," Camacho said.
"A lot of the volunteers haven’t done gymnastics so it’s easier for
me to explain how to do things."
It also helped to host the Pac-10 Championships just a few weeks
prior to the national championship. The evaluations and assessment
of the conference meet gave the organizing team valuable feedback
in terms of what worked and what didn’t. Even these are minute
details easily overlooked by the casual spectator.
But it’s the attention to the specifics and seemingly
unimportant issues that count, and the planners realize that.
They’ve been working overtime, especially in the last couple of
weeks, to make sure everything is close to perfect as possible.
"Once the meet starts it’ll be pretty good," Camacho said. "But
as for now, everything’s nuts."
Gymnastics media coordinator Liza David agrees.
"I think I had my worst already," said David, who’s been doing
double duty. She is sending out press releases for the
championships on top of her routine of updating on her other
commitments. "Last week I was here until 10 or 11 every night. It
might get worse when people start coming but we’ll get to that when
it gets here."
David will work with the help of the rest of the UCLA sports
information department, along with NCAA media coordinator Shana
Hansen. She’s been involved with sending tournament notes and other
information to the media and participating schools.
In an effort to add publicity for the championships, she and
sports information director Mark Dellins have been getting air time
for the head coach, Kondos and gymnastics legend Mitch Gaylord in
shows such as KIIS FM in the morning and Fox Sports West 2’s Big
Show.
"Everybody in the office has helped out and made things a lot
easier," says David, who’s virtually buried in a pile of papers in
her cubicle. "Hopefully, I’ll get to watch some of this once the
meet starts."
Because of the success of recent NCAA championships, CBS will
increase its coverage to two hours, opposed to last year’s one
hour. It will air May 3 at 11 a.m.
With all this hype and work input, the planners expect a great
turnout. Sticking with the Hollywood theme of this year’s
championships, they’ve arranged for two celebrities to make special
appearances during the event. But they assure it’s not Kerri Strug,
although she’s welcome, too.
Still, there’s so many details that need to be accounted
for.
Everyone who’s involved in the championships – many of whom work
behind the scenes – hopes this event will be the best ever, even
though not many will realize the amount of work and dedication that
went into it.
"The reward will come," Stephenson said, "if all the student
athletes and coaches have a great experience in Southern California
and go home feeling they’ve had a fair and memorable competition.
It’ll be great to see everyone – athletes, judges, fans – leave
with a smile on their face."