Friday, February 14, 2014
by Evan O'Kelly, Media Relations Assistant

Third in a series

Previous Panelist Profiles
Kimberly Ford: NCAA (Jan. 31)
Lynda Goodrich: Western Washington  (Jan. 24)

PORTLAND, Ore. – For Seattle University compliance officer Chelsea Herman, the main role of a collegiate athletics administrator has always fit hand-in-hand with the position she played in basketball.

“Personally, I find joy in other peoples’ success, and considering I was a point guard and the fact that I am an ‘assist’ person makes sense,” Herman said about the rewarding feeling she experiences through her work helping others.

Herman will serve as a panelist at the 2014 Women in Sports Career Seminar, hosted by the Great Northwest Athletic Conference on Saturday, May 17, at the Washington Convention and Trade Center in Seattle.

Basketball has been the main sport of interest for Herman since she began playing around the fourth grade, and she spent time coaching after earning her undergraduate degree from Gonzaga University. “I majored in physical education and health teaching, and I really wanted to give back to basketball and keep doing what I loved with teaching and coaching,” Herman said regarding the start of her career. 

“I graduated with my degree at age 22, and decided I wanted to continue my education,” Herman said. “I coached for two years at the University of Idaho as a grad assistant, and that’s where I earned my master’s and Ph.D.”

While the life as a coach at the Division I level had its benefits, Herman began to lean towards her work as a teacher and student advisor. “I decided that balance in my life had to be a priority, and knowing that I wanted to be in athletics I chose to pursue the administrative side,” Herman said about her transition out of coaching.

Plenty of experience within rapidly expanding collegiate athletics programs has proven to be invaluable in Herman’s current role.

“I spent one year in academics at Gonzaga and more than five years as an academic advisor at Boise State,” Herman said regarding her time at two Division I schools with reputable athletics programs. “I watched the rise of Gonzaga basketball and Boise State football, and I gained a lot of experience by just being there during that time.”

Herman’s exposure to the culture surrounding successful Division I programs was revisited as the shift came naturally to her when it occurred at Seattle U. “A lot of times coaches see change as being scary, and you have to get people bought into it or else you’re going to flail,” Herman said regarding her role during Seattle U’s transition back into competition at the Division I level. “Internally and externally it helped me being at Gonzaga and Boise State, and Seattle U is the perfect size because I get to have my hand in a little bit of everything.”

Handling compliance for an institution such as Seattle U requires not only excellent organizational skills, but the ability to interact regularly with student-athletes, coaches and administrators alike. Herman realized that it is through these interactions that she has enjoyed the most rewarding part of her career.

“For me, it’s the student-athlete who didn’t think that they could make it or was never given a shot,” Herman said when asked what about her job made her feel most accomplished. “When you see the light bulb come on and get a person to a point where they believe in who they are it is tremendously rewarding.”

With a unique background of education and sports philosophy, Herman found that it was her service as a mentor that led to her current position. “My concentration in graduate school was in sport philosophy and ethics, and I focused on building character through sportsmanship and through competitiveness,” Herman said. “I found that I was doing more counseling and mentoring and less of the academic advisor duties, so I decided to move to compliance two years ago so I could have more of a voice and a chance to make certain policies better.”

A graduate of Lake Washington High School, Herman has settled into her home in Seattle and believes it has been a good fit for her thus far. “It happened to be perfect timing, and I have two young nieces here,” Herman said on her move back to the Pacific Northwest. “It was nice to be able to come back to my family and I enjoy not working in a big industry where you’re stuck doing one thing all day long.”

While Herman is enjoying her current role, she believes that she could have gotten started in athletics at a younger age had an opportunity been present while she was completing her studies. “I got a very late start on my career, and if I could change one thing I would have sought out an internship while I was getting my degrees,” Herman said remembering her intense focus on academics during her early to mid-20s.

Serving as a panelist at the Women in Sports Career Seminar is something that Herman is looking forward to, and she is excited to have the chance to convey her message to women who hold similar ambitions as she once did. “It’s important to know yourself and what you’re about, and to surround yourself with good people,” Herman said. “As you grow up, you need to pay attention to keeping balance in your life and fitting into the right team. The main takeaway I got from college was to surround myself with good people and to find the right place for yourself in life.”

For more information about the Women in Sports Career Seminar, including how to register, visit the “related links” section of this article.