There’s a new sheriff in town. His name is Dave Hutchison and he will be running operations for Appalachian’s club sports program. 

Hutchison, 28, was hired as the Coordinator of Aquatics and Club Sports. 

He did his undergraduate work at Kenyon College in Ohio, and completed his graduate work in Student Personnel at the University of Miami (Ohio). 

Hutchison expressed his desire to remain in the college environment working with college students. 

“I had a great undergraduate experience, and it made me who I am today,” explained Hutchison. “I wanted to be able to give back to that experience for other students who have equally powerful life-changing, life-developing kinds of experiences that merit their years in college.” 

Though he has just finished graduate school, Hutchison feels he will be well-suited to this position. 

“I think this position is a little bit better suited to me because of my experience with sports and recreation. It seems to be the merging of my graduate work in Student Affairs and coaching experience,” stated Hutchison. 

There were a few years in between college and graduate school when Hutchison held a couple of different jobs. He was an assistant swim coach at Alma College for two years, where he coached both men’s and women’s swimming. 

Hutchison described coaching as a great experience. “It’s really rewarding to help students reach their goals,” he stated. He added that he now has a greater appreciation for an athlete at the other end of the spectrum because of his involvement in two opposite swimming programs, one that was strong and one that was noticeably smaller. 

Appalachian serves a lot more athletes in intramural and club sports than in varsity sports. “We touch a lot more students’ lives because not everybody can or wants to play varsity sports,” explained Hutchinson. “Not everybody wants to make that commitment. They just want to go out and have fun, maybe improve a little bit. They’d rather make it a three- times-a-week commitment, not a day-in-day-out one.” 

Hutchison said that what he likes about club sports is that people who played varsity sports in high school could participate in club sports in college and make it into what they want. 

Hutchison and his fiancee, Shari Galiardi, whom he met in graduate school, had both been looking for jobs and concentrating on schools with more than one position open. 

Appalachian was a perfect fit; Galiardi was hired as the Service Learning Coordinator in student programs at ASU, while Hutchison took the position with club sports and aquatics. 

“We were psyched that the university made a commitment to us as a couple,” enthused Hutchison. 

There are a few things that Hutchison would like to see accomplished this year in club sports: “I’d like to see improved participation, and see clubs meet their athletic goals to what they want to do rather than what I want them to do.” 

Hutchison defined success as helping the clubs set goals for themselves, and hopes that it will be a meaningful experience for everyone who is involved. 

“I think it’s important to just get involved, period, whether it’s in the marching band, club council, the Greek organizations, or club sports,” said Hutchison. “When students get involved, they are more interested in what is happening at the university and the community.” 

Hutchison is enthusiastic about beginning his new position at Appalachian: “It’s also nice to be getting paid after two years of graduate school!”