Meg Stevens, the VP Director of Athletics and Campus Operations at Averett University, a DIII institution, illustrates how visionary leaders, a deep-rooted mission, and technology can build a footprint of student-athlete success. Since Meg joined the university in 2013, she’s witnessed the expansion of Averett’s athletic department firsthand. Over the last eleven years, the department has doubled the number of sports offered and the total number of student-athletes, which now exceeds 500 student-athletes.
With that growth came a desire to strengthen and streamline their mission, built with simplicity and intention Averett lives by the vision: “3, 2, 1”
“3.0 in the classroom, top 2 in the conference, and 1 unified team.”
It wasn’t just a mission statement but the essence of a unique culture that valued academic achievement, athletic success, and unity among student-athletes.
With that mission came the desire to create unity across the athletic department, efficiency related to centralizing communication, and the ability to reach and impact student-athletes at a scale like never before. That’s when Averett turned to Teamworks Hub to provide a solution.
Centralizing and Enhancing Communication Across Departments
Averett University experienced challenges with staff and coaches using countless apps and messaging services across the department. From group messaging via iMessage or GroupMe to email and other applications, there needed to be a consistent system for student-athletes and staff to be informed and take action. Once Averett onboarded Teamworks Hub, that all changed.
Meg shares, “Now, as Director of Athletics, I can shoot out a message to all student-athletes — whether it’s about events or general information—it helps me contribute to a stronger team culture and empowers coaches to operate as one unified system.”
The Return of the Investment
Similar to other DIII schools, Averett faced budgetary constraints. Their decision to invest in Teamworks Hub was a calculated move, a strategic bet on the future. Meg and her team meticulously weighed the costs and called other institutions using Teamworks to ensure their investment was worth it. Averett recognized that a well-spent budget could yield long-term benefits for their student-athletes and staff.
“For any DII or DIII school, budgets are tight, and hard choices must be made. We did the due diligence; we needed to make sure if we were going to spend our money, it needed to be really, really good, and guess what? Teamworks has paid dividends for us; it’s worth every dollar.”
The Student-Athlete Impact
Since onboarding Teamworks Hub eight months ago, senior administrators have interviewed captains, the student-athlete advisory committee, and other student-athletes to gauge how Teamworks Hub has been supporting their overall lives. The signal is clear -” Right now, all signs are great,” says Meg. With some coaches enforcing the technology more than others, it’s clear that once the student-athlete catches on, they are the first to ask their coach to use it more. The intuitive and supportive nature of the software has spread like wildfire across the athletic department.
Teamworks Support
Implementing a new technology requires considerable effort. Meg shares that having the Teamworks support team behind the software has helped her team get up and running to start seeing improvements immediately. Averett consistently engages with the Teamworks support team, seeking ways to optimize functionality and enhance overall efficiency for both staff and coaches.
Meg shares, “I would have had Teamworks Hub 5, 10 years ago if I could, but to call a spade a spade, it comes down to making a choice and working with a budget, but all I can say is we are so happy with our choice.”
Averett demonstrates how technology can enhance efficiency, organization, and communication, paving a path to student-athlete excellence. Teamworks takes pride in being an integral part of the broader mission, dedicated to fostering the best possible experience for Averett’s student-athletes and staff.
