AIDAN POLLARD
Sports Editor
Fredonia’s new athletic director, Jerry Fisk, is a big man with big ideas.
Fisk took over the position in the Spring semester of last year, and already the changes he’s made can be seen all over campus.
Since the winter, the Blue Devils athletics department has seen new basketball flooring in the Dods gymnasium, a new athletes-only performance center and a new scoreboard, with more things on the way.
“I think [Fisk] made a whole new way of doing things,” said Sports Information Director, Jerry Reilly. “Everything we do has a reason now.”
Because of the new basketball flooring in Dods, the men’s and women’s basketball teams were able to move out of the field house, leaving room for track and field to be able to use the entirety of the space.
“Sometimes there was day-to-day chaos, but we knew what we were going to get when we were done with it,” said Fisk regarding the challenges overcome to revamp athletics. “We’re all here to impact the students and impact the student-athlete experience.”
Moving forward, Fisk looks to keep renovating and adding to the department, as well as begin to change the culture of Fredonia athletics as a whole.
“I do think it’s possible,” said Fisk, answering whether Fredonia Athletics can break away from the Fredonia “party school” stigma. “I think that there is a tremendous opportunity for everyone to have fun in college, but still do what they need to.”
Fisk also expressed understanding for the college lifestyle and referenced his time in school, saying “I was a student-athlete, I was a college kid once, I know what it’s like.”
Fisk also said he isn’t interested in competing with schools like Geneseo, who won 13 championships last year, or Cortland. Fisk wants to see the school become “the best Fredonia”, and he said he wants it to be better than either Geneseo or Cortland.
Fisk took the culture into account when hiring one of the multiple new coaches or changing the titles of people already in the department. Since becoming athletic director, Fisk has appointed multiple people as assistant athletic director, including men’s soccer coach, P.J. Gondek.
“I’m excited to work with the right people who are a lot smarter than I am to decide what that five-year or ten-year plan [for athletics] looks like,” said Fisk.
The department is currently looking towards some big events in its short-term plan. Once the last few new additions to athletics are complete, including new bleachers in Dods gym, the focus will switch to things like the hall of fame induction ceremony.
“Instead of doing it in Cranston, we’re doing it in Dods so everyone can see what we’ve done with Dods,” said Fisk.
Blue Devils athletics is changing, and it shows no signs of stopping.
For the first time, the athletics department will be regular drug testing its athletes. Up to 25 athletes will be chosen at random twice a semester for the tests.
Testing like this will likely force a change in the culture of athletics, as it will force any Fredonia athletes who are participating in recreational drug use to either drop it completely or risk their seasons and athletic careers.
New and big things are happening in Fredonia athletics, and they are happening fast. With Fisk spearheading the movement, there is no indication that the Blue Devils will ever go back to the way they once were.