SBCC PIO
Source: Santa Barbara City College
At their meeting on June 16, the Santa Barbara Community College District Board of Trustees announced that LaDeane Hansten has been selected to serve as the new Director of Athletics. She is scheduled to begin July 1.
Hansten comes to SBCC after a lifetime of coaching and teaching, most recently as the athletic director at Columbia College in Sonora, California. There, she served seven years in the Health and Human Performance department, focusing on adapted physical education. She was also a member of the Columbia College Academic Senate, where she valued the shared governance system and being a part of transformational change on campus.
As Columbia College’s athletic director and representative for the Central Valley Conference (CVC), Hansten was vice president of the CVC Planning Board, chair of the Constitution and Rules Committee, as well as a member of both the Public Relations and Sports Information Committee and the Awards Committee. She was also the CVC sport representative for Tennis.
Hansten is a member of the California Community Colleges Athletic Directors’ Association (CCCAA), the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators, and the California Community Colleges Women’s Volleyball Coaches’ Association. She is involved with the CCCAA Management Council as a member of the Health & Wellness Committee, with a focus on student well-being, and as the state representative for beach volleyball.
“I am a fervent believer in the mission of California Community Colleges and in putting students first and helping them succeed in reaching their goals,” said Hansten. “I am excited to begin at Santa Barbara City College and for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students and staff.”
Hansten holds a Master of Sport Science with an emphasis on sport management, and a Bachelor of Science in physical education, as well as single-subject and multiple subject credentials. She is a former student-athlete at Cuesta College where she was a member of the women’s swim team.
Why in the world would we need this position? This is a community college. Does she teach academic materials? Does she teach anything? Physical health is a value but the false promise of life success in competitive sports is a chimera that SBCC should avoid in the interests of its student and its funders.
RHS, you raise a great question. One which I have thought about for quite some time. Should a community college even have a Department of Athletics/Athletic Director? Should they even have sports teams? If you’re a student at SBCC who wants to keep playing a sport, well, let’s talk reality and I’ll just say that you didn’t make the cut already so why shouldn’t you realize that and move on to your real career goals?
In the world of academia, as well as the administrative world in general, one needs underlings to justify increased budgets. There is much bloat in all of U.S. education; that’s why real teachers don’t get the decent salaries they deserve
“’ll just say that you didn’t make the cut already” WOW totally clueless.
Only 7% of HS athletes go on to play ANY level of college sports. Even junior colleges have formidable sports teams. It’s not an easy “walk on,” it’s tough to make those teams unless you’ve put in the hard work during your HS seasons. Guess where those 2 year student athletes go on to play, IF they keep working hard? D1 Universities like UCSB. Much of the starting lineup is comprised of older, more mature and seasoned JUCO players in many sports. Only about 1% of HS athletes are able to obtain the coveted D1 or even D2 scholarships and of those, most will be on the bench the entirety of their Freshman year (and many their sophomore year too). Successful athletes need more than skill, they need maturity and experience, much of which is obtained by playing JUCO (junior college) athletics.
To say they don’t need sports at SBCC because “they didn’t make the cut” is just ignorant and cruel. Only the very best HS athletes with rare talent will “make the cut” right out of school. You’d just take it all away from all the others? Looks like most of you have never played a sport in your life.
10:00am – What club soccer/baseball/swim teams are out there for HS graduates who want to still pursue higher level college athletics? None in this town I know of. “Club” sports are for 18 and under kids, not adults trying to get to the next level. Jr. College is and has been a great avenue for many of the other 99% of HS athletes who want to continue and try to get to the D1 or D2 level, this time with more experience and skill and maturity under their belts.
LETMEGO – yeah darn it, me too. Voice, you are dead on here.
RHS – “false promise of life success in competitive sports is a chimera that SBCC should avoid in the interests of its student and its funders.”
Tell that to people like Albert Pujols, Bryce Harper, Charlie Blackmon, etc….. Junior college sports programs did pretty well for those guys and many others in many other sports.