General | 2/9/2023 8:00:02 PM
Deb Steward was named Alfred University's Interim Assistant Vice President for Athletics and Recreation on Jan. 26. Prior to arriving at Alfred, Steward served as Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS).Before arriving at HWS, Steward served as the Assistant Director of Athletics at forner Empire 8 institution Ithaca College.
An award-winning administrator, Steward was named the 2014 ECAC Division III Female Administrator of the Year and the 2017 Women Leaders in College Sports Division III Administrator of the Year. At HWS, she hired 20 head coaches, led record-breaking single day fundraising records, and was instrumental in improving multiple athletic and recreation facilities. She was central in the planning and fundraising efforts of the Caird Center for Sports and Recreation, established the William Smith Athletics Endowment Fund and added women's ice hockey as the department's 12th varsity sport in 2014. Under her supervision, the Statesmen and Herons received dozens of postseason tournament bids and won the 2013 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer National Championship.
A native of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Steward previously worked at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire as a successful softball coach and administrator and began her professional career at St. Mary's (Minn.) University as a three-sport coach.
Deb Steward - Empire 8 Pioneer
Institution: Alfred University
Title: Interim Assistant Vice President for Athletics & Recreation
Total Years in College Athletics: 33 years in college athletics
College Attended/Class Year:
Winona State University B.S. Mathematics – Secondary Education 1990
University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire M.Ed. Professional Development – Sport Management 1995
Playing Career (if any, collegiately or professionally):
Winona State University (Winona, MN)
Volleyball (4 seasons, 1984-1987)
Basketball (2 seasons, 1984-1986)
Softball (4 seasons 1985-1988)
Favorite Professional Athletes: I watch a ton of sports …
Former athletes:
Dot Richardson, USA Olympic softball player – shortstop
Nancy Lopez, LPGA
Julie Foudy, Brianna Scurry USA soccer & the whole team!
Current athletes:
Sue Bird, Basketball
Nelly Korda, LPGA
Naomi Osaka, Tennis
Marianne Vos, Road Cyclist (I’m big into the Tour de France & Tour de Femmes)
Favorite Teams: I grew up in Wisconsin = Packers, Brewers, WI Badgers (any sport)
Favorite Movie: Not much of a movie watcher – I'd rather watch sports
Last TV Show You Binge Watched: Blacklist
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Butter Chocolate Almond at Cheshire Creamery in Canandaigua!
What Do You Enjoy Doing When Away From College Athletics? Road/Mountain biking, cross country skiing, golfing, boating, hiking and spending time with my partner and our dog Max.
Favorite or Dream Vacation Spot: Turks & Caicos Islands
Favorite Athletic Memory from Your Time as a Player in College (if applicable): Building relationships with teammates.
Favorite Athletic Memory as a Coach/Administrator?
Coaching: Loved the ‘aha’ moments when athletes grasped the concept. Seeing my athletes teach at clinics that we hosted. And, competing at the NCAA Division III Softball Championship and winning regionals to get to the championship (UW-Eau Claire).
Administrator: Seeing the joy on our William Smith College student-athletes faces when they won the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship and knowing they committed to WE over ME. Adding women’s ice hockey at William Smith after nine years of advocating for the team.
Who Was Your Greatest Mentor(s) and Why: My mom was my first role model of female leadership. My mom and dad raised 7 kids while they both worked full time. My mom delegated responsibilities and expected that we would contribute to the family. Both of my parents were also sports fans so they supported my athletic pursuits.
Most Rewarding Aspect of Being a Coach/Administrator: Knowing that we are teaching life lessons through sport and that these 18-22 year-olds will lean on these lessons throughout their lives.
What Have You Learned About Yourself as a Leader and In Your Role: I returned to the athletic director role because I believe it is my calling. I enjoy mentoring and supporting my staff so they can execute our mission. I am a strong believer in the process - paying attention to the details, being efficient, doing the ‘right things’ - and then the outcome will take care of itself. I also believe that first you need the right people in the right seats and then you focus on the plan.
We all need a break from the demands of the job to step back, think creatively, relax and recharge. The benefits far outweigh a short-term absence.
How Does The Empire 8 Stand Out Among Other Conferences? Strong commitment to academic success and an equal commitment to providing a quality athletic experience for its student-athletes.
How Did Title IX Played a Role For You as a Student-Athlete? I was born in 1966 and fortunate to benefit from the passage of Title IX. My high school was the largest school in the state of Wisconsin relative to student population and provided many opportunities to play sports. I also had many female PE teachers and coaches in middle school and high school who fought for athletic opportunities for generations of girls.
Also, while Title IX didn’t apply to community sports, in 1974, I was the first girl in my hometown to play Little League baseball. I assume that the passage of Title IX influenced the organizers of the league to permit me to compete.
How Has Title IX Impacted You After Your Collegiate Career? I continue to advocate for gender and sport equity every day. In my position, there is rarely a day where I don’t think about the law. The passage of Title IX was crucial for the underrepresented sex (typically women) in education and athletics. The data shows that opportunities in athletics for girls and women have grown substantially since 1972; however, we continue to lose women in coaching and administration. And, women are underrepresented in athletic communications, sports medicine, and strength and conditioning. As a leader, I am committed to doing my part to do what is right for our student-athletes.
What Do You Think Is the Greatest Impact of Title IX/How Has it Changed Your Life? The growth of opportunities for girls and women to play sports is the greatest impact of Title IX.
How Has Title IX Changed the Collegiate Sports World? The positives: Greater number of women playing collegiate sports. For some, this leads to opportunities to compete as a professional athlete. Female athletes become mentors and inspiration to young girls. While not to the same extent as men’s collegiate sports, the marketing and promotions of women’s sports has grown over the last decade.
The negatives: We have lost many female coaches of women’s sports because salaries increased and then coaching women became more lucrative for men. The data shows that more than 90 percent of women’s teams were coached by women pre-Title IX and that percentage has substantially decreased.
What Can Be Done to Continue the Growth of Women’s Sports?
Invest in opportunities to girls to play sports, eliminate obstacles for girls (e.g., transportation, babysitting siblings, home responsibilities, cultural expectations of girls), hire and support female coaches, provide opportunities for mentorship (i.e., college athlete with youth athlete), promote women’s sports with same commitment as men’s sports.
A sign that we are nearing equity will be when we see cities build large sports venues with tax dollars for women’s sports.
Advice for Aspiring Student-Athletes (Youth/High School and Incoming Collegians): Pursue your passions, find positive role models, be hungry and open-minded to learn, work hard, be resilient, have fun!
Advice for Graduating Student-Athletes: Remove your earbuds and listen to the sounds around you, chase your passion and not money, find a mentor, be open to life’s sliding doors as life is typically not a linear path, value your physical/emotional/spiritual health, be kind and be grateful.
The Empire 8 Pioneers series celebrates 50 years of Title IX and highlights the growth of women's sports, while featuring a standout women's coach of administrator from each of the league's 10 institutions.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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