Recently in Mr. Lambert’s Sports and Society and Current Events in Sports and Society classes, both taught via Distance Learning, students from Granville, Amsterdam, and OESJ had the opportunity to get a firsthand look at the realm of sports officiating. Toward this end, members of the class listened to and asked questions of a guest speaker whose work ethic and talent have enabled him to ascend to the lofty ranks of NCAA Division I athletics.
Connor Hoagland is a Granville graduate, current village resident, Board of Education member, and successful businessperson. A two-sport official, Mr. Hoagland works basketball and baseball collegiately. The past basketball season marked his first at the Division I level, specifically the Ivy and Patriot conferences. As the final officiating assignment of his basketball season, based upon several superior performance evaluations, Mr. Hoagland was selected to work the NCAA Men’s Division III Final Four in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In baseball, he has umpired in several Division I conferences including the following: ACC, Atlantic 10, Atlantic Sun, Patriot, Ivy, America East, MAAC, and NEC. This spring alone, he worked series at Clemson, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, and Boston College; in the process, he gained the respect of several of the top college baseball coaches and players in the country.
At a more local level, Mr. Hoagland holds a seat on the Adirondack Baseball Umpires’ Executive Board, where he serves as President and Assignor. As he mentioned to our class, Mr. Hoagland’s dedication to growing the group’s membership and providing quality training and development is indicative of his commitment to improving sports officiating both locally and regionally. Nationwide, there is a shortage of officials that threatens the future of high school and youth athletics. Becoming involved in officiating not only can keep current athletes involved in the sports they love, it can provide a helpful source of income as they move into adulthood.
During his presentation, Mr. Hoagland discussed the importance of accountability, dedication, preparation, and self-reflection. This content closely aligns with the values espoused by Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski in Leading with the Heart, a text recently examined in Sports and Society. As he addressed questions posed by members of the class, Mr. Hoagland candidly shared his thoughts regarding his own experiences, the avocation of officiating, and many of the numerous challenges faced by youth, high school, and collegiate sports officials throughout the country. In the process, he highlighted the importance of developing skills in the areas of teamwork, communication, and conflict resolution, as these can also be applied to many areas falling outside the athletic realm. Subsequently, he provided the students in attendance with helpful tips for fostering positive interactions with the officials working their games.
In response to Mr. Hoagland’s presentation, OESJ junior and three-sport athlete Collin Eakin stated, “I absolutely loved Connor's visit to our class. Not only did he share a lot of great information about his umpiring experiences, he also provided us with many life lessons. He talked about him not being satisfied with where he is and always striving for more. I will use the lessons learned from Connor in my everyday life throughout my career.”
Granville’s Gavin Mitchell also enjoyed our guest speaker, commenting, “Connor Hoagland was an amazing speaker. One thing that he talked about that stood out to me was him making a major point of saying that it is important to be comfortable being uncomfortable. I thought about it for a minute and it just stuck.” As did Mitchell, many of the students found this bit of advice insightful. Too often, we avoid taking calculated risks and seeking the honest feedback and constructive criticism that often lead to true personal growth.
While most students enjoyed learning about Mr. Hoagland’s involvement in collegiate basketball and baseball, Amsterdam’s Luis Tirado was most intrigued by a discussion of entrepreneurship. A sophomore who served as his school’s starting quarterback last fall, Tirado shared, “As someone who is interested in being an entrepreneur myself, I am impressed by the way Connor has grown his property management business, and I thought he provided some great advice I will be able to use in the future.”
In the week prior to speaking to the Sports & Society and Current Events in Sports & Society classes, Mr. Hoagland umpired the America East Conference Championship, serving as Assistant Crew Chief. This postseason assignment serves as testimony to his performance, professionalism, and leadership, all qualities that were evident as he presented to students.
Reflecting upon students’ reaction to Connor Hoagland’s presentation, Mr. Lambert stated, "It was nice to see the students from all participating schools so interested and engaged. Because many of them are athletes, and our discussions in this class often address issues related to officiating, they found hearing an official’s perspective both informative and enlightening. Hopefully some of them will pursue officiating or coaching themselves as a way to remain involved in athletics after their playing days are done."